Beef Stew With Carrots and Potatoes
I’m taking a break from cupcakes and cookies today to share what I hope will become one of your go-to dinners this winter: beef stew! Not only is this beef stew recipe super cozy and hearty, it’s also the perfect make-ahead meal. Once prepped, this stew cooks in the oven for several hours until incredibly tender and flavorful–it’s the ultimate cold weather comfort food (tuck it away for a snow day!). Every step of this stew is all about maximizing flavor. As with my beef ragu (coming soon!), searing the beef before nestling it in for a long slow-cooking session is critical. Coating the meat in flour and searing adds incredible color and flavor to the beef, which is then infused throughout the stew. It also creates browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and when we deglaze those with red wine, it takes the flavor to new heights. Can you tell I’m excited about this one?
Why you’ll love my beef stew recipe:
No fancy ingredients–red wine is as complicated as it gets.Cooks until the meat just falls apart (without the veggies becoming mushy!).Pairs perfectly with crusty bread, like my soda bread or my biscuits.Carefully designed to be as flavorful as absolutely possible!
What You Need
A good beef stew recipe doesn’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to be tasty. Instead, you just need to focus on the basics, including: SAM’S TIP: While some beef stew recipes thicken the broth solely by adding hefty spoonfuls of flour, this didn’t give me the smooth, velvety mouthfeel that I was looking for. Tossing the meat in flour (and then adding just a bit more flour later on) is how I developed a thick base for this stew. The resulting broth isn’t quite as thick as a gravy, but it’s definitely thicker than a traditional broth. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Beef Stew
SAM’S TIP: Don’t over-crowd the beef when searing, or it will end up steaming instead due to lack of space. If this happens, your beef will turn gray instead of a deep brown, and it also won’t be as flavorful. This is why I cook the meat in batches! SAM’S TIP: If your stew isn’t as thick as you’d like after baking, you can simmer it on the stove (uncovered) until it reaches your desired consistency. My beef stew recipe tastes great served as is, but some people like to serve it over mashed potatoes (and what isn’t better with mashed potatoes?). 😋 Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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