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Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Old fashioned beef stew with deep-browned chuck, a thick gravy, and tender potatoes and carrots simmered until everything melds. Brown the beef in batches, build flavor with onion, garlic, and tomato paste, then simmer until rich and hearty.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and seasoning
  • 3 lb beef chuck
  • 0.3333333333 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Aromatics and flavor base
  • 1 onion
  • 4 clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
Vegetables
  • 2 lb russet potatoes
  • 5 carrots
  • 1 cup frozen pearl onions

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper until the cubes are evenly coated. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering, then brown the beef in batches until deep brown on all sides.
  2. Return all browned beef to the Dutch oven. Scrape up any browned bits left in the pot while you finish the batch browning.
Build the stew base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and add chopped onion, stirring to coat in the remaining fat. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, dried thyme, and bay leaves. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, then bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
Simmer
  1. Return to the beef, cover, and simmer gently for 2 hours. Keep the stew at a steady low simmer so the meat stays tender.
  2. Add russet potatoes, carrots, and frozen pearl onions. Simmer for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the gravy has thickened.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove bay leaves from the stew. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper if needed, then serve hot.

Notes

For the best color and flavor, don’t crowd the pot when browning—brown in batches so the beef can actually caramelize. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months for best texture. For a lighter option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt as needed (the stew will still thicken well with flour-coated beef and simmering).