This Homemade Beef Stew Recipe is the perfect comforting stew for chilly nights or Sunday dinners. This stew is filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and peas for the perfect cold weather meal.
The perfect cold night stew, this Beef Stew goes perfectly with some Artisan Bread or my favorite Dinner Roll Recipe.
The cold has definitely moved in here. I feel like we are already in the middle of winter. (Although I am still holding out for a few good mild fall days!) Even though I’m more of a warm weather person, there are a few things I always look forward to when the cold has struck – warm sweaters, cuddling by the fireplace, the holiday season, and of course –
the comfort food!
And you really can’t find a better comfort food than a good beef stew recipe. And this one here definitely gets all the thumbs up.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make this beef stew recipe:
- Flour, pepper and vegetable oil – for browning the meat.
- Beef – I discuss some options for this below.
- Vegetable juice – I use V8, or something similar.
- Beef Broth – this is the other half of the liquid you’ll need to make the stew.
- Onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and peas – these are the veggies I use for the stew. You can always switch things up here if you’d like, as well!
- Worcestershire sauce, thyme and a bay leaf – all for flavoring.
What Kind of Beef Should you use for Beef Stew?
Because you are letting this stew cook low and slow, you can use a beef that may be a little bit tougher. If you are in a rush, you can pick up the package that is labeled as stew beef at your local grocer. This is typically round roast or chuck. But you need to remember that you’ll pay a higher price tag to have it cut for you. Plus, sometimes, you don’t know what cut of beef it is.
If you are willing to trim and cut the beef yourself, you’ll save a few dollars. The best cuts for this are any roasts that come from the front shoulder or the rear end. I think that chuck roast is the perfect beef for this easy beef stew recipe. It is what I always use when making this recipe.
How To Make Beef Stew
- Start by coating the beef in a flour and pepper mixture. You do this by putting the flour and pepper in a resealable bag, add the beef and shake to coat it.
- Heat some oil in a large Dutch oven and add half of the beef. You don’t want to crowd the pan, which is why you are only adding half right now.
- Once the beef is browned on that side, flip to another side. Continue to cook until all of the beef is browned.
- Add vegetable juice, beef broth, onions, celery, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and salt to the pot. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Add diced potatoes and carrots, stir to combine and let it simmer longer, until the vegetables are tender.
- In the last couple minutes of cooking, add the peas and cook until heated through.
Storing
How long can you save leftover beef stew?
If you have leftovers, you can transfer them to a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. When reheating, you may need to add a little bit of extra beef broth to bring it to the right consistency.
Can you freeze beef stew?
To freeze, let it cool and then transfer to a freezer safe container. I like to use ziplock bags, because I can store them flat in the freezer. You can also store them in single serving sizes.
Once you are ready to eat it again, reheat on the stove top or in a slow cooker. If heating on the stove top, you may need to add extra beef broth to get it to the best consistency.
More soup recipes for a cold night
Crock Pot Chili
Slow Cooker Beef Noodle Soup
Baked Potato Soup
Lasagna Soup Recipe
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Homemade Bean and Bacon Soup
Tools Used:
- One of the things I use all the time in my kitchen is my enameled Dutch Oven. It is a must have in the kitchen!
- This recipe is very minimal, so besides the Dutch oven, all you will really need is a good knife for cutting the veggies and the meat. This really is an easy beef stew recipe!
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Homemade Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lb. chuck pot roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4” pieces
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cups vegetable juice, such as V8
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices on a bias
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Instructions
- Place the flour and the pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the beef, seal the bag, and shake until all the pieces are coated with the flour mixture.
- In a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat half of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the beef to a plate, add more oil, and cook the remaining beef.
- When the beef is browned, return all of the beef to the pot. Stir in the vegetable juice, beef broth, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover and cook for 1 hour.
- Stir the potatoes and carrots into the stew. Return to a boil, reduce the heat and cover and cook for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the peas and cook until heated through. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Rhonda says
I really liked this recipe. It had a really good flavor.
Linda Nugent says
Great recipe !!! So easy and delicious, this will be my Beef Stew recipe from now on.
Dana says
I don’t have a Dutch oven, can I use any pot?
Deborah says
Yes, any soup pot will work.
mary roberson says
Did not like it.
Sam Roberts says
Great recipe beef stew, very gladGreat recipe beef stew, very glad to have found your blog, you have a lot of mouth-watering recipes that I want to demonstrate to my students! And you are very good at taking pictures of your dishes. What camera do you use? to have found your blog, you have a lot of mouth-watering recipes that I want to demonstrate to my students! And you are very good at taking pictures of your dishes. What camera do you use?
Al Robbins says
I was looking for a recipe for beef stew .I’ve made stew several times and just thought I should consult a recipe. Turns out I make my stew just as the recipe says. And it’s just delicious every time . Must be a good recipe 😂😂
Robink says
It was so good!!! Perfect for fall day!
Linda Davies says
I didn’t add the v8 as I didn’t have any but followed the rest of the recipe to the letter, It’s delicious and such an easy recipe to make. Will definitely be making my stew like this again. Thanks for sharing.
Nico says
I made it with plant based meat substitute cassava flour and it was still delish and easy to follow thanks
Ellis says
Me and my bro have been hiding from everything, I’ve been doing the cooking. This recipe. Was the best I’ve tried on line so far, Give it a try you’ll like.
Lisa Anne Meredith says
This is the first time since I left Canada and moved to Turkey, that I’ve tasted the flavor of REAL beef stew! I am in heaven!!! This is the perfect beef stew. I made it exactly as the recipe said and WOW, double-WOW, it’s fantastic. It’s not even finished and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you sooooooo much for this recipe, it’s EXACTLY the taste I remember! :)))))
Sam Tornatore says
Not familiar w “vegetable juice” as your recipe ask,for. Beef or chicken broth, or even V-8 I get but what Is vegetable juice….give me a brand name please….thanks
Deborah says
Yes, V8 is what I use. 🙂
lorrie says
The UPS driver brought my package to the door. He say I was walking up to the door. Ms. Lorrie I could smell your food. It was still cooking. That was the first sign that it was going to be GREAT. I can not wait until it’s done. THANK YOU
John Hendra says
Very good! Super simple! It’s now my go to stew recipe! We all loved it.
Daniel E. says
Just made this stew. I did however put a twist on it and poured a bottle of dark beer in with the meat before I added juice and I used half beef and half chicken stock for the broth. Deliciously satisfying.
Caitlin says
I loved this stew recipe. It wasn’t difficult and it tasted great. My whole family loved it.
Toast says
Made this recipe yesterday. It’s an easy recipe to follow as it is my first time to make beef stew. I used green beans instead of peas.