Beef Stew Recipe with Carrots & Potatoes
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This classic French beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. Slow-cooked in a rich wine-based broth, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce—perfect for chilly nights.
With thousands of 5-star reviews, this classic French beef stew is the most popular recipe on my site—and for good reason! It’s incredibly delicious and the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Pieces of well-marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours, the meat becomes fork tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce. While it takes some time to make, this stew is mostly hands-off. Go ahead and make it a day or two ahead of time—the flavor only gets better as it sits.
When it comes to serving, this beef stew recipe is incredibly versatile. I love pairing it with crusty bread or popovers to soak up all that rich, unctuous sauce. It’s also delicious served over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or creamy polenta if you want to make it even heartier. For a lighter touch, you can balance out the richness by serving it alongside a simple green salad.
“This recipe is SERIOUSLY EPIC! Hands down, the best beef stew recipe I have ever made. Thank you. 🙏”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Stew
- Boneless beef chuck: The key to tender, flavorful stew. Look for chuck roast with a good amount of marbling, or white veins of fat running through it. Avoid generic “stew meat,” especially if it looks lean. I guarantee you it won’t become tender, no matter how long you cook it.
- Olive oil: Used for browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables.
- Yellow onions and garlic: Adds sweetness, depth, and savory aroma to the stew as they cook.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds acidity and depth, balancing the richness of the stew.
- Tomato paste: Thickens the stew and imparts a rich tomato flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Coats the beef and acts as a thickening agent for the stew. When added to the beef before the liquid, it mixes with the juices from the meat and creates a base for the sauce. As the stew simmers, the flour helps thicken the broth, turning it into a rich, velvety sauce that clings to the meat and vegetables.
- Dry red wine: Adds bold flavor and forms the base of the stew along with the broth and water. Use any dry red wine like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon that is inexpensive but good enough to drink.
- Beef broth and water: Forms the liquid base along with the wine.
- Bay leaf and dried thyme: Classic aromatics that infuse earthy flavors.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity from the wine and tomato paste.
- Carrots: Adds natural sweetness and texture.
- White boiling potatoes (baby Yukons): These small potatoes soak up the rich broth and add heartiness.
- Fresh parsley: A fresh garnish that brightens the stew.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by removing any large chunks of fat that are easy to get to (like the one my knife is pointing to below), but don’t overdo it with the trimming, as the fat helps make the beef tender.
Next, season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
Heat a bit of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the meat in batches.
This step is a bit time-consuming but browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew. (Note: it’s important not to crowd the pan—if you try to brown all the meat at once, it will steam instead of sear and you won’t get all that lovely color and flavor.)
Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pan. The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor.
Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.
Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.
Stir until the flour is dissolved.
Add the wine, broth, water, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. (If you don’t have a Dutch oven or prefer to cook the stew on the stovetop, that works, too! The timing will be the same—just keep it on the lowest heat setting and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.)
After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes.
Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender. (Note: The broth won’t thicken until the very end of cooking. If you’d like to thicken it further after it’s done, see the FAQ below for tips.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you’ll just need to follow the initial steps of searing the meat and sautéing the onions and garlic as instructed. Once you’re ready to add the water, wine, and broth, transfer everything to the slow cooker. You can add the carrots and potatoes along with the meat at this point (no need to wait). The cook time should be 4 to 5 hours.
The stew naturally thickens as it cooks, but it won’t reach its final consistency until the very end of cooking. But if you’d like to thicken it further, you can use a beurre manié, which is a mixture of softened butter and flour. To make it, simply knead equal parts soft butter and flour (about 2 tablespoons each) into a smooth paste. Gradually stir small amounts of the beurre manié into the simmering stew, allowing it to dissolve fully before adding more. This technique adds richness and helps thicken the stew to a velvety consistency without affecting the flavor.
Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions
Simply prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. If you want to freeze the stew, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
Video Tutorial
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Beef Stew
This classic French beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. Slow-cooked in a rich wine-based broth, the meat becomes meltingly tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce—perfect for chilly nights.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on a diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
- Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
- Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve the stew warm -- or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
- Note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven or covered pot that is appropriate for the oven, the stew can be cooked on the stove. The timing will be the same and it should be cooked over the lowest setting.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Simply prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. If you want to freeze the stew, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 539
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 54g
- Sodium: 1189mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I followed this lovely recipe except I added sweet potatoes (the yellow kind) and it was delicious. I even splurged on a beautiful chuck roast from our nearest gourmet farmhouse butcher. Honestly it was so good except… my beef ended up having a liver flavour. I don’t know what I did wrong. I used almost the same ingredients except I added some tinned tomatoes. I cooked it in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. My husband still loved it. Sadly I just had to pick the beef out and eat the rest. Could I have cooked my beef too long? Would this have caused it? Regardless it is an amazing recipe. I’ll keep trying.
Hi Hayley, I’m sorry to hear you found that the beef tasted like liver – I’ve never heard that before! While the canned tomatoes may have changed the flavor a bit as they added some acidity, I don’t think it would cause the beef to taste that way. Also, the Dutch oven should not have caused a problem. Every once in a while, you can buy a bad cut of beef and perhaps that was the culprit here. Hope you have better luck next time if you make it!
I found this recipe a couple years ago when I was cooking for my grandpa when he couldn’t live alone anymore — I was trying to find a beef stew recipe with wine in it like my grandma used to make. This recipe turned out so similar to what my grandma used to make! I was thrilled.
Now, I need to figure out two things:
1. How to make it gluten-free as I’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease. After reading a lot of comments, it seems that 1-to-1 flour replacement is the top choice.
2. *How long* does it take to reheat (on the stovetop) if I make it the day before? The recipe says how to reheat it, but not how long I would expect company to wait to eat while it’s reheating! Strangely enough I couldn’t find anything about this in the comments, although I admit I didn’t read all 4,543 of them.
How nice that you found a recipe for your grandfather that was reminiscent of what your grandmother made. In answer to your questions, the same amount of gluten-free flour is a great replacement for the flour, and I’d guesstimate that it would take about 20 minutes, give or take, for the stew to reheat. Hope that helps!
It may be my East Texas roots that makes me a big fan of the Mississippi pot roast recipe. I think the reason for that is the seasoning runs through the meat and any added vegetables. With that said, I was very disappointed with this recipe as I found the flavor extremely bland. Neither the meat or vegetables had sufficient flavor. Though the cooking process did result in extremely tender meat.
Good morning Cory,
after reading your review, I thought I’d weigh in..BECAUSE this is an insanely good tasting recipe (I’ve made this well over 10 or 12 x…).
This is just a thought: are your seasonings fresh? And when it calls for searing (browning) the meat is there enough time given without crowding? I’m a former personal & professional chef, and without exception, I haven’t served this to anyone that didn’t go crazy over it …
I hope you’ll try this again, it really is very, very good!!!!
It’s a 5 Star ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️recipe…
Lisa
Dear Jenn,
It is April 7th, 2023. Easter Friday afternoon. It is cold out there today where I live in the Swiss Alps at about 2’000 feet above sea level. I bought the ingredients to make this wonderful beef stew AGAIN. I absolutely love this recipe!!! Before I begin cooking I am sitting here at my computer, with a hot cup of coffee, and re-reading all your notes and tips for this recipe. I am thinking about you and all the work you put into your website. Your website is my first stop, go-to website, when I am searching for the ‘perfect’ recipe on-line. Many of my favourities are from your website. I just thought you would like to know. Have a fantastic Easter weekend. Kathleen – a Canadian living in Switzerland.
Kathleen, thanks for your very kind words — I’m so glad you like the recipes that they are your go-tos1 You made my day; have a wonderful Easter (and enjoy the stew)!
Spot on
Hello Jen,
Made this many times! My family loves this! I was wondering if this would do well in a crockpot ? ( after browning the beef and cooking the ingredients then transfer it all into crockpot and let it cook for awhile before add carrots and potatoes at end. Thank you : )
Glad your family likes this! Yes, you can cook it for 4 – 5 hours on high (and you can put the carrots and the potatoes in with the meat– you don’t need to wait).
Hi Jenn, I note that when you are asking for cooking times for this in a slow cooker, you advise 4-5 hrs on high. I was wondering if this recipe is appropriate to be cooked on the slow setting of the slow cooker, and if so, for how long? Thank you
Mark.
Hi Mark, I’m not an expert on slow cookers as I don’t own one, but I just looked this up online and it sounds like you should cook it for about 8.5 hours (see more here). Hope you enjoy the stew!
Made for company the was a hit and none was leftover.
Per Chef’s suggestion, I made the day ahead. Not only did it taste better but I was fresh for company after doing all the heavy cooking the day before!
I cobbled together a few recipes but used this as a base
– did not use potatoes (not my favorite)
– increased carrots to a pound
– added a pound of mushrooms
– used a bottle of Cote de Rhone and did not add water
– used gluten free flour and at the end added a corn starch slurry
I will definitely make again
My husband and I loved this stew. It was flavourful, the right consistency – not runny at all. Vegetables were cooked perfect. Exchanged water for beef broth and added a cup of mushrooms. Thanks!
Love this recipe; have made many times. Wanted to experimente w/ Instant Pot to see how it would turn out. Browned meat in large slabs, then cut into cubes. Decreased wine and beef broth to 1/5C each, and reduced each separately for a few minutes before adding to pot. 32 minutes high pressure. 10 minutes natural release, then release remaining pressure. Added potatoes and carrots. 4 minutes high pressure. Quick release. Sauce is a bit thin, but thickened as it sat. Can use saute function, but watch carefully to prevent the bottom from scorching. Forgot to add the 2C of water, but turned out just fine. Tastes just as good, but quicker for a weeknight. About 2 hours start to finish (from browning meat to serving). Served w/ garlic toast (Ina Garten idea).
Thank you for sharing the details of how to cook in the IP.
Just wondering (as I’m cooking for a young family) if the wine would cook off in the pressure cooker, or whether I should just add less, e.g. 1/2 cup?
Thank you for any thoughts.
Hi Savanna, I wish I could say, but don’t know enough about a pressure cooker to say – sorry! Perhaps Kona will weigh in. BTW, if you have any concerns, you can replace some or all of the wine with additional beef broth. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe a few days ago, It was absolutely delicious! My husband loved it too! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you
This was amazing. My family loves it. I was wondering what a serving size was? I saw it’s 6 servings however for neutrino fact purposes I was curious if it was possible to get the weight of a serving or if a serving was like a cup? Thank you!!!
Hi Bella, So glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I don’t have precise serving quantities; the nutritional data is calculated based on the total calories divided by the estimated number of servings.