Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Beef Stew 3.2 (2,257) 104 Reviews Our easy beef stew recipe minimizes prep and maximizes flavor. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 30, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Servings: 6 Our comforting, classic beef stew recipe is easy to make. It uses a streamlined technique that skips browning the meat, the usual first step in a beef stew, and doesn't use any broth. Instead, we use tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to amp up the flavor of the beef chuck. It's packed with onions, carrots, and potatoes, which add to the flavor and make it a full meal. The recipe starts on the stovetop, then cooks low and slow in the oven until the meat is fork tender and the vegetables soft. Wondering how to make beef stew in a slow cooker instead? Great news: This recipe is easy to adapt. See the slow cooker instructions at the bottom of the page for everything you need to know. Julia Hartbeck 19 Cold Soup Recipes to Chill Out With This Summer What Cut of Beef to Use (and Why) Beef chuck is the ideal cut for stew. It's flavorful and richly marbled, and it tastes best when it cooks in a moist environment for a long time at low temperatures—which perfectly describes a stew pot. You also can substitute other cuts of beef that contain plenty of collagen and fat, such as brisket. Using Other Vegetables Onions, carrots, and potatoes are the reliable little troopers of the vegetable world. They are used in this beef stew because they are economical, hearty, flavorful, and they stand up well to long cooking times. You should absolutely feel free to add other vegetables as the seasons inspire you. Just be mindful of their ideal cooking times and add them to the stew pot accordingly. Cubes of winter squash can go into the pot at the beginning, whereas delicate, quick-cooking vegetables like peas, corn, and spinach should be stirred in near the end. The Technique We use a streamlined method for making this beef stew recipe. It makes prep quicker and easier but doesn't skimp on flavor. Not Browning the Meat We developed this recipe to have maximum flavor with minimal fuss, so we skipped the usual step of browning the meat and used tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to build and enhance the flavor instead. If you prefer to brown the meat when making this stew, go right ahead! Using Water, Not Broth This recipe calls for water instead of broth because the stew essentially makes its own broth while it cooks. The water is richly flavored with generous amounts of beef, onions, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves—the same ingredients you would use to make a good beef stock. Cooking on Both the Stovetop and in the Oven This recipe gets started on the stovetop in order to evenly combine the beef with its essential seasonings and thickening agent. This is an extra step, but it doesn't dirty any extra dishes! And it’s worth the extra few minutes to get the most delicious results. Ingredients 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes ⅓ cup tomato paste 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 pound medium onions (about 2), cut into 1-inch chunks 1 pound small white or red new potatoes (about 6), well scrubbed, halved if large 1 pound carrots, cut into 1 ½-inch lengths 6 garlic cloves, smashed 2 bay leaves Directions Julia Hartbeck Preheat oven, combine beef and flavorings: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a Dutch oven (5-quart) with a tight-fitting lid, combine beef, tomato paste, vinegar, and flour; season with salt and pepper. Julia Hartbeck Add vegetables: Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and 3 cups water. Julia Hartbeck Bring to a boil. Julia Hartbeck Transfer to the oven and cook: Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Julia Hartbeck Remove bay leaves and serve: Remove bay leaves and, if desired, season with salt and pepper before serving. Julia Hartbeck Slow-Cooker Variation Place the beef in a 5-quart slow cooker. Distribute tomato paste, vinegar, and flour over beef; season generously with salt and pepper. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover slow cooker; cook on high until beef is fork-tender, about 5 hours (or cook on low heat 8 hours). Julia Hartbeck Freeze individual-size servings of the beef stew for lunch or dinner later. What to Serve With Beef Stew 20 Buttery, Flaky, and Satisfying Dinner Roll and Biscuit Recipes 23 Golden Cornbread Recipes That You'll Fall in Love With Sesame Crunch Sticks Cornmeal Poppy Seed Twists Martha's Cheese Straws Crispy Parmesan-Marjoram Toasts Easy Crisp Garlic Bread Storage and Reheating First allow the stew to cool completely, then transfer to glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Leftover stew will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, only heating up as much as you plan to eat in one sitting. Cooling and reheating the same food multiple times is a food safety issue. Freezing Stew can be frozen for up to three months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating, or pop it in the microwave on the defrost setting until it's thawed enough to scoop into a bowl and continue reheating at full power. Frequently Asked Questions: What is the secret to good stew? While there isn't one single secret to thick, flavorful, tender stew, you'll have great success if you allow it to cook low and slow—if you try to speed up the process by cranking up the temperature, you'll end up with thin, under-flavored stew full of tough meat. And, as always, don't forget to salt it to taste at the end of cooking time. How to make a tender stew? Tender stew starts with the right cut of meat. Lean meats are the wrong choice for this cooking method. Instead, use well-marbled cuts from heavily exercised muscles, which are high in collagen. Then, set aside enough time and patience to let the stew cook at a low temperature for a long time— the only way to make the meat tender and tasty. What can I add to beef stew to make it taste better? It's best to adjust the seasonings when the stew is just about done, since flavors can change during the course of cooking. Our go-to additions to balance out flavors in savory dishes are salt and acid. If the stew tastes a bit bland, stir in salt gradually, tasting with each addition until it's just right. A splash of something acidic, such as vinegar or lemon juice, can also work wonders to balance out the flavors. Why put vinegar in a stew? Vinegar—and other acidic ingredients such as lemon juice and wine—adds brightness and balance, cutting though some of a stew's richness. More Beef Stew Recipes to Try: Boeuf Bourguignon Irish Beef and Stout Stew Quick Beef Stew with Cauliflower Puree Healthy Beef Stew North African Beef-and-Carrot Stew with Mint Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2006 Rate It PRINT Updated by Jennifer Anderson Jennifer Anderson Jennifer is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.