In this incredible beef stew recipe, we slowly braise chuck roast and short ribs in a rich mix of red wine and beef broth until the meat is so tender it practically melts in your mouth.
You get fork-tender beef in a savory, red wine gravy, plus plenty of veggies for color and texture. This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to! It’s loaded with potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. (I’ve got a little trick to keep them from turning to mush, and I’ll share it with you below.)
We kept the flavors classic and simple, but if you want to mix things up, try swapping the red wine for a dark beer as we do in our Guinness beef stew. This slow-braising method is our go-to for making tougher cuts of beef super tender, and it’s the same trick we use for our Instant Pot pot roast, braised short ribs, and our Texas chili.
Key Ingredients
- Beef: Based on Chef Richard’s recommendations (he knows his stew!), we use two different cuts of beef. Chuck roast and bone-in short ribs. Both turn out tender in the end, but the short ribs add an incredibly rich, beefy flavor. (Richard helps us develop recipes, and he was a huge help with this one.)
- Vegetables: Stew needs different textures, and veggies help provide them. We add a variety of vegetables, including onions, carrots, parsnips, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and potatoes.
- Red Wine: This is more of a French-inspired beef stew recipe, calling for a whole bottle of dry red wine (yum!). Use a dry French wine, such as Bordeaux or Côtes du Rhône, or substitute Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you prefer not to use wine, you can replace it with more beef stock, though the sauce will not be as rich.
- Butter and Flour: These two ingredients work together to thicken the stew and create a velvety texture. The butter also adds another layer of flavor to the stew.
- Broth: I use either beef stock or a rich vegetable broth. You can use store-bought or make it yourself. Here are our recipes for beef stock and vegetable broth.
- Thyme and Bay Leaves: To achieve a classic flavor, add a generous bunch of fresh thyme and bay leaves to the pot as it simmers in the oven.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Beef Stew
Tip 1: Brown the beef. The key to the best stew is browning the meat. The beef slowly braises in the stew later on, but this step is about creating an intensely flavorful, caramelized crust. It also renders some fat and starts to season the pot, which we will build off of as we make our stew.
Tip 2: Sauté the veggies in the same pot. See all the fat and bits of beef in the pot? You want to cook your veggies right in there! Just like with the beef, you are not looking to cook them completely. Just get them started. Once they begin to soften, transfer them to a bowl and save them to add later. Adding them later prevents them from turning out mushy.
Tip 3: Add these extras for the best gravy. Now you can build the gravy (or sauce…I’m not sure of the correct term). Anyway, you will start by cooking tomato paste and flour in the fat left at the bottom of the pot. Then, pour in a bit of wine. Stir well until you have a thick wine gravy base. Then, pour in the rest of the bottle and reduce everything by half.
Tip 4: Bake low and slow. Add the browned beef to the gravy, cover the pot, and slide it into the oven. (Remember, we are leaving the veggies out at this point.) Low and slow is key here (just like when making beef ribs). If you try to rush things, the beef will not turn out tender. The stew bakes for about 2 hours before the next step.
Tip 5: Finish with the veggies. With 30 minutes left on the clock, add the veggies, potatoes, and a nice handful of fresh thyme to the pot. Cook until everything is tender and the flavors have truly come together.
Tip 6: Skim the fat. As the beef slowly cooks, the fat melts into the stew. Some is lovely, but you don’t want a big oil slick on top of your beef stew for serving. Before dividing into serving bowls, use a spoon to skim most of the fat from the top. You can also remove the bones from the stew (they fall away from the short ribs meat).
Serving Suggestions
We love to eat beef stew as is, but it’s fantastic over a bed of homemade mashed potatoes (yes that’s double the potatoes, but it works!), with some roasted cabbage on the side, or with a slice of this buttery beer bread to pick up all that amazing sauce.
More Beef Recipes
- Epic Taco Salad
- Fall Off the Bone Baked Beef Ribs
- Juicy Grilled Steak
- Shredded Beef Tacos
- Browse all of our beef recipes
Tender Beef Stew
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- COOK
- TOTAL
Our melt-in-your-mouth tender beef stew with potatoes and root vegetables is so good that I just know you’ll want to make it again and again! The beef is incredibly tender, the vegetables are perfectly cooked, and the sauce is rich and flavorful. Consider serving this with some crusty bread, homemade flatbread, or this buttery beer bread to soak up some of that delicious gravy.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds well-marbled beef chuck roast, cut into large pieces (680 g)
3 pounds beef short ribs (1.3 kg)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (30 ml)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large parsnip, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter (42 g)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced, stems removed and discarded (110 g)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (42 g)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (45 g)
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine, see notes
6 cups beef stock or rich vegetable stock (1.42 L)
2 bay leaves
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, left whole
1 bunch fresh thyme
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the oven rack in the middle of your oven so your Dutch oven fits.
2Sear the beef: Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the beef. Add oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef (both the beef chuck roast and short ribs) on all sides. If needed, do this in two batches to avoid crowding the pot. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl.
3Start the veggies: Remove some rendered fat from the pot, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons. (Watch our video to see me do this!) Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, two-thirds of the garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside. They will continue cooking in the stew later.
4Start the gravy: Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Then add the shiitake mushrooms and the remaining garlic. Cook for about one minute. Stir in the tomato paste and flour, breaking up any clumps.
5Add the wine: Slowly pour one-third of the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. A few small lumps are okay. Pour in the remaining wine and bring it to a simmer. Cook until the liquid reduces by half.
6Bake: Add beef stock, all of the browned beef, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring everything to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours, stirring after the first hour.
7Prepare the potatoes: About 10 minutes before the 2 hours are up, peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
8Add the potatoes and veggies: After 2 hours, add the potatoes and reserved vegetables to the stew. Top with thyme, cover, and return to the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the beef is incredibly tender and the vegetables are tender.
9Finish and serve: Throw away the thyme stems. Skim off excess fat from the stew’s surface (recommended). Leave a small amount for flavor. Serve the beef in large chunks or pull it into bite-sized pieces, removing any extra fat or gristle as you go.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Short ribs: Look for meaty, English-cut short ribs with bones, not thin, or Korean-style short ribs. The meat becomes incredibly soft and tender, and the bones fall into the stew, making them easy to remove after cooking.
- Wine: Look for dry French wine like Bordeaux and Côtes du Rhône, or use Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. We recommend using the wine, but you can substitute it with more beef stock for a slightly less rich but still delicious option.
- Slow cooker directions: This beef stew recipe works great in a slow cooker! Here’s how to adapt it. Follow our recipe below until the wine is reduced by half. Transfer everything but the veggies and potatoes to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until the beef is incredibly tender. Add the potatoes and veggies during the last hour of cooking to prevent them from getting too mushy.
- Thicken the Stew: I usually don’t need any thickener, but you can thicken the stew if needed. When finished cooking, combine ½ tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Then, slowly whisk this mixture into your simmering stew. As it simmers, it will thicken.
- Storing: Leftovers can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I made this stew and it was absolutely delicious! I thought it would be too much for the two of us, but it didn’t go to waste. We couldn’t stop eating it.
Wondering what is purpose of 5 tablespoons flour? Can I leave out or sub for GF? Can’t use cornstarch either.
Hi Jennifer, the flour helps to thicken the sauce. I’ve not tried gluten-free flour in this recipe. As an alternative, you can skip the flour, then take about a cup of the vegetables (once tender) and blend them. Then, stir this back into the stew to help thicken it.
Ty his recipe looks delicious. Would the flavor change if I don’t add the mushrooms? My family will divorce me. Lol maybe I can add something else to give it that hearty flavor. Thank you
Hi Shari, The mushrooms do add a lot of savory/umami flavor, but you can leave them out and the stew will still be lovely.
I often bake Cornbread – mine has not come close – your tastes like my mums’ (sadly departed). Brown sides and all 🙂 now I know what she used – I have often experimented and tried many ways to emulate her recipe which I so enjoyed as a child. Yours is the BEST to what my darling mother would have wanted me to have. THANK you THANK YOU for sharing it – Much appreciated. A
I made this stew for dinner last night and it was so delicious!! A keeper for sure! I used chuck roast only and cut it into larger chunks, but kept the recipe the same with the exception of a little less wine. Added frozen peas at the end. I will definitley make again as we have few cold weeks of winter remaining! Thanks!
Hi Adam and Joanne! I just wanted to say first off that you both are awesome, and secondly I have a question concerning this recipe, can you use a regular stove pot for this stew (without a dutch oven)? If so, which pot would you recommend? Also, the only beef I can find in my area is called (stewing beef), which come in cubes, is that still good for this recipe? Thanks – Isabelle
Hi Isabelle, since the pot will need to go into the oven, it needs to be oven-safe. If you do not have an oven-safe dish, you can transfer the stew to a large baking dish and cover with foil for the oven portion of the recipe.
What size dutch oven?
We used a 5.5 quart size dutch oven for this recipe.