Vegetable Beef Stew (A Hearty, One-Pot Recipe)
“This beef stew recipe is amazing! It is true to its measurements and cooking instructions. I highly recommend it. Very impressed!” Nikki
Vegetable beef stew is cozy, old-fashioned comfort in a bowl. Tender chunks of beef, carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes in a rich, beefy gravy – a one-pot meal with three cooking options (stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot) and even better the next day.
What to expect
You can make this classic beef stew recipe 3 ways. Here are some highlights for each (cooking instructions are in the recipe card below).
- Stovetop: 2 1/4 hours (old-fashioned, classic “Sunday stew.”)
- Slow Cooker: 6-8 hours on Low (best texture) or 4-5 hours on High. (long, but easiest and minimal babysitting)
- Instant Pot: ~ 1 hour (fastest, fewer steps, great for weeknights).
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Beef: Buy stew meat cut into beef cubes (marbled/fat-speckled for best flavor if possible). Chuck roast and boneless beef short ribs are great options. Avoid round or other lean cuts (dry/tough). No need to use expensive cuts like ribeye.
- Onions: Pearl onions are classic. Find them frozen, already peeled, in the frozen section of your grocery store. Sweet or yellow onions are perfectly fine too.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold, baby potatoes (yellow or red) or fingerlings are best for this recipe (they hold their shape better, even when freezing). Avoid russet potatoes, which tend to fall apart.
- Other Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, onions and celery are classic in a stew.
- Beef broth: Use a good beef broth or beef stock.Or half beef, half chicken broth.
- Red wine adds a deeper flavor. Almost all the alcohol evaporates if you’re worried about the kids. If you skip it, add 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire for flavor.
- Seasonings: Bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary (or replace them with Italian seasoning).
Substitutions
- Veggies: Other good options are mushrooms, green beans, turnips, and red bell peppers. You can also add frozen corn niblets, baby spinach, or peas in the last few minutes.
- Potato alternative: Use 1/2 cup barley when adding the veggies instead of potatoes (slow cooker/stovetop methods only). This will act as a natural thickener, so you can skip the cornstarch slurry. Similar to our beef barley vegetable soup.
Variations
- Veggies: I often add baby spinach for extra nutrition and color.
- Flavor boosters:
- a dash of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar.
- bacon – fry before you add stew meat (skip the oil).
- a pinch of allspice.
- Gluten-free: Use cornstarch or rice flour to coat the beef before pan-searing.
- Guinness Beef Stew: Swap part of the broth for stout, and add a spoon of brown sugar and a splash of malt vinegar for balance.
- Tuscan Style: Add chopped tomatoes, olives, extra rosemary, and finish with a zesty gremolata
Step-by-step instructions for stovetop
See recipe notes for slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions.
Tips for best results
- Dust the beef stew meat with flour (shake off excess flour). This helps absorb moisture and brown the meat better for more flavor.
- Brown the beef in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan). This will allow better browning and prevent it from steaming.
- Add the red wine for extra flavor if you can. Most of the alcohol evaporates. For no-alcohol, use extra broth plus 1–2 tsp balsamic or Worcestershire.
- Add the veggies at the right time: Root vegetables should be added half way through. Peas and baby spinach in the last few minutes.
- Be patient. This is not a quick recipe. You need time to develop the flavors and tenderize the beef and vegetables.
Shortcuts
- Buy pre-cubed stew meat
- Use thin-skinned waxy potatoes like Yukon gold or fingerlings that don’t need to be peeled.
- Use frozen diced peeled onions or pearl onions and skip the onion sauté step.
- Cook the beef stew in an instant pot to save time – see instructions in the recipe card.
What to serve with beef stew
Beef stew is a one-pot meal in a bowl and can easily be eaten on its own. Here are a few simple sides, though, if you want to step it up.
- Dippers: cheddar biscuits, cheesy garlic bread on croissants, popovers (Yorkshire pudding) or crusty bread or our easy naan recipe for soaking up the delicious gravy.
- Salad: winter salad, tropical fruit salad or a citrus salad on greens.
Recipe FAQ
Is it important to brown the beef?
Browning the meat is important because it flavors the meat and leaves those great meaty browned bits (fond) at the bottom of the pan that get incorporated into the gravy.
How can I thicken the gravy?
Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the beef stew gravy (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water per cup of liquid). Another option is to continue cooking the stew until the broth is reduced and thickened.
What should I do if my beef is tough?
Stew meat takes time to tenderize. You may need to gently cook it longer to become more tender.
Can I use chicken broth instead of beef stock/broth?
Absolutely. Just deepen the flavors with tomato paste, soy, and/or Worcestershire sauce.
More stew-style recipes
- Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup
- Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Veal Stew
- Veal Stew With Wine, Zest and Thyme
- Chicken Meatball Stew
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thank you so much!
Vegetable Beef Stew (One-Pot)
Vegetable beef stew is cozy, old-fashioned comfort in a bowl. Tender chunks of beef, carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes in a rich, beefy gravy – a one-pot meal with three cooking options (stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot).
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat cubes or beef chuck roast, cut into 1⅓ inches/3.8 cm cubes
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided for pan frying 2 batches of meat and onions
- salt and pepper for sprinkling on meat
- 2 cups chopped onions Note 1 about 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Liquids and seasonings
- 1 cup red wine omit if needed
- 4 cups beef stock or broth, Note 2 I use half chicken broth, half beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste I add a pinch of sugar too
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more if broth is low sodium)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
Vegetables, Note 3
- 1 pound potatoes, Note 4
- 3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces
- 2 large celery ribs, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces
To thicken sauce and finish dish
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water called a slurry
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
Instructions
- For Instant Pot and Slow Cooker versions of recipe, see Notes 6 and 7.PREPARE STEW MEAT: Sprinkle meat lightly with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on flour and toss to coat evenly.
- SAUTE BEEF THEN ONIONS: You will need to sauté meat in two batches as you don't want to overcrowd the pan or the meat won't brown properly. Using a large pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add half of beef in a single layer. Let it pan fry for 3 minutes on both sides. Set aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef. Add a bit more oil if needed. Add onions to pot, sauté for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
- ADD WINE, THEN SEASONINGS AND BROTH THEN SIMMER: Add wine and let it almost evaporate completely, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add meat, broth, tomato paste, seasonings. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low (e.g. 3/10). Cover and cook for 1 hour (or 90 minutes if beef chunks are larger).
- ADD VEGETABLES AND SIMMER: Skim of any grease from top of stew. Add potatoes, carrots, celery. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low heat again. Cover partially and cook at a slow simmer for another 1 hour.
- THICKEN GRAVY AND FINISH: When vegetables are tender, add the corn starch slurry to thicken gravy. You can add half to start, wait a couple of minutes, then add the rest if you like the gravy thicker. It will also thicken on standing or in the fridge. Add spinach (if using). Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle on parsley and serve with crusty bread, biscuits or a salad.
Recipe Notes
- Pearl onions (shortcut)– You can use 225 grams/1/2 pound frozen pearl onions (not cocktail onions) instead of a regular onion. Just drop them in with the other veggies and skip the sauté step.
- Beef broth: I like undiluted Campbell’s beef broth in a can or Better Than Bouillon beef base (add a bit less water than called for in both cases).
- Other vegetables to add or substitute: mushrooms, green beans, turnips, parsnips, red bell peppers.
- Potato options– Yukon gold, baby potatoes (yellow or red) or fingerlings are best for this recipe (and they will hold their shape better if freezing the stew). 1 pound/450 grams = ~ 3 yellow potatoes, 12-14 baby potatoes or 7-8 fingerling potatoes.
- Variations::
- Add-ins: a dash of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinega, bacon (fry before you add stew meat). a pinch of allspice.
- Gluten-free: Use cornstarch or rice flour to coat the beef before pan-searing.
- Guinness Beef Stew: Swap part of the broth for stout, and add a spoon of brown sugar and a splash of malt vinegar for balance.
- Tuscan Style: Add chopped tomatoes, olives, extra rosemary, and finish with a zesty gremolata
- Instant Pot version: Turn on Sauté function. Add 1 tbsp oil. Brown half of meat then set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil, then brown rest of meat. Set aside. Sauté onions until translucent and garlic for 30 seconds. Add wine and let it evaporate. Turn OFF. Set on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients except spinach, cornstarch and parsley. Place on lid and turn to SEALING. Instant pot will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure then it will start the count down. When Instant pot beeps, it’s done. Do a natural release for 10 minutes, then turn to VENTING and do quick release. When button on lid drops, open lid. Turn on SAUTE function. Stir in cornstarch slurry to get desired thickness of sauce. Add spinach if using until it wilts (1 minute). Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Slow cooker version: Sauté beef cubes in a separate large skillet in two batches on medium-high heat. Set aside. Add a bit more oil and sauté onions until translucent, then garlic for 3O seconds. Add wine and let it evaporate, scraping up browned bit at bottom of the pan. Transfer meat and onions to slow cooker. Add all other ingredients except parsley, cornstarch and spinach. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add cornstarch slurry, spinach (if using) and cook for another 30 minutes to thicken sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Make ahead:
- Store leftovers in airtight container or ziploc bags in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- To freeze: Cool the stew, then transfer to airtight containers or sealable freezer bags in portions for up to 4 months. Defrost in fridge overnight and heat up on the stove top or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 960mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6344IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg
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Amazing recipe
Oh my, this is the best ever beef stew recipe. It’s so easy but when it’s cooked so delicious. I will be making this very regularly. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your recipe 🙏🙌🏼❤️
You’re very welcome Tracy. Thank you for the lovely comment.
This beef stew recipe is amazing! It is true to its measurements and cooking instructions. I highly recommend it. Very impressed!
Thanks Nikki! So glad you enjoyed the stew and found the recipe instructions clear (very important to us!)
This was perfect! My whole family including picky kid ate it!
Glad to hear Melissa! Boy, I know from picky kids.