Nothing better than a hearty beef stew for this cold weather! This Dutch oven beef stew is seriously comforting. The beef stew is cooked in the oven for about 2 hours to ensure it is tender and ultra flavorful.
Here in Michigan temperatures are dropping like crazy and…honestly, I’m totally okay with that! Call me crazy, but I love cold weather. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons of the year, and that’s because 1) I get to bundle up in a cozy blanket with a cup of warm apple cider, and 2) I get to eat all the comfort food I can. Can you relate?! Anyone?!
This hearty Dutch oven beef stew is my favorite winter comfort food. It is in our regular dinner rotation because it is that good! My easy oven baked beef stew is hearty, tender, and ultra flavorful. The gravy is perfectly thick, and the vegetables are tender and filling.
And today I’m spilling all the secrets so you can make the most satisfying classic beef stew ever. So let’s get started!
Ultra Flavorful
The flavor profile in this easy Dutch oven beef stew is fantastic! The flavors are deep yet so simple. It all starts with the cooking method (hint: browning the meat) and the choice of ingredients for the flavor base.
Here are the secrets:
- Brown the meat: This is a must! Browning the meat adds depth and complexity. Plus, the brown bits left behind are packed with flavor. When deglazed, the brown bits get released, enhancing the dish.
- Flavor boosters: Aside from the caramelized brown bits, the flavor base for this hearty beef stew includes Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine, and minced garlic.
- Add herbs: I used fresh thyme and dried bay leaves.
- Cook in the oven: This easy beef stew finished in the oven at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 45 minutes. This allows all the flavors to come together and gives enough time for the meat to become tender and delicious!
I mean, look at that beautiful caramelization from browning the meat!
I swear, guys, the flavors in this hearty Dutch oven beef stew are amazing! You’ll love it.
Cooking Beef Stew in the Oven
These are so many methods for making beef stew: slow cooker, stovetop, pressure cooker, etc. I’ve tried them all and my absolute favorite method is by making it on the stovetop first (in my Dutch oven) and then cooking it in the oven for about 2 hours.
Dutch ovens retain heat really well, so it’s a great vessel for cooking large batch dishes, such as beef stew.
First, using a Dutch oven creates flavor development. From browning the meat to cooking all the flavor boosters in one pot, making beef stew in the Dutch oven is perfect. You just can’t get the same type of flavor depth and complexity by, say, throwing everything into a slow cooker.
Second, baking the stew in the oven for about 2 hours really helps the flavors come together and make the beef ultra tender.
Hearty Dutch Oven Beef Stew Ingredients
Now, the most exciting part: the ingredients!
- Boneless beef chuck roast: Don’t even bother getting expensive cut of meat for stews! For stews, you want tough cuts of meat because these contain more connective tissue, which result in that melt-in-your-mouth bite when slowly cooked for hours. My favorite beef stew cut comes from the shoulder, also known as the chuck.
- Yellow onion: Adds flavor for the base.
- Minced garlic: Adds aromatic flavors.
- Carrots: A classic vegetable for stews!
- Yukon gold potatoes: Use firm potatoes, such as Yukon gold or red potatoes. Avoid Russets since these break down easily.
- Worcestershire sauce: A great flavor booster!
- Tomato paste: Another great flavor booster! Adds depth.
- Red wine: The acidity from red wine adds complex flavors. You’ll add the wine to release the brown bits from the meat, so it’s like a double flavor enhancer!
- All-purpose flour: To thicken the stew. Watery and thin stews are a no-no!
- Beef broth: Just the regular kind is fine.
- Bay leaves: These will add a subtle aromatic flavor profile.
- Fresh thyme leaves: Adds flavor and a distinguishable aromatic flavor profile.
- Parsley: I add chopped Italian parsley for color and vibrance. You can add peas too.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
The great thing about these ingredients is that they are very easy to find, and I already keep a lot of these stocked up in my pantry.
How to Make It
Making beef stew is very simple! Active cook time is about 30 minutes, and the rest is oven time.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Brown the meat: Season the beef first, and brown over high heat in 2-3 batches to ensure that each chunk of meat has space to sear and brown properly.
- Make the flavor base: This is when you build the flavors with onions, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Incorporate the red wine: This will add depth, slight acidity, and tons of flavor. And don’t worry, the alcohol will evaporate.
- Add the beef broth and flour: The flour will help thicken the beef broth. For 4 cups of beef broth, I incorporated 1/4 cup of flour and it was perfect!
- Add the rest of the ingredients: Cubed potatoes, the seared beef, and bay leaves. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
- Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes: Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. This will also make the meat tender.
- Add parsley: I love incorporating parsley in my beef stew at the very end. If you want to add peas, do so 10 minutes before the bake time is over.
I really love this easy Dutch oven beef stew recipe! It’s pretty straightforward and makes a big batch, enough for about 6 people.
I hope you really like this easy and hearty beef stew. It’s my go-to comfort food recipe during winter!
Here are awesome side dishes for your stew:
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
- Super Soft Honey Dinner Rolls
- Roasted Garlic Bread by Girl With The Iron Cast
And for dessert, check out my classic apple pie (with pre-cooked apple filling!), apple bundt cake, or sea salt chocolate chip cookies!
Thank you stopping by and please don’t forget to pin this recipe!
Tips for Tender and Flavorful Beef Stew
- Brown the meat in batches and over high heat. They key to a beautiful sear is to leave it alone until beautifully browned – try not to flip the meat too soon.
- Allow the “flavor base” ingredients to develop by not rushing the stovetop cooking steps. The main flavor booster ingredients are Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, wine, and minced garlic. Herbs (fresh thyme and bay leaves) also add tons of flavor.
- Use fresh thyme. Dried thyme is just not the same.
- Use firm potatoes, such as Yukon gold or red potatoes. Stay away from Russets since they break down and disintegrate easily.
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Hearty Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 3 pounds whole boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Stew
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup red wine (or beef broth)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 4 cups beef broth, plus more as needed
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (see note below)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Chopped parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Frozen or fresh green peas (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season beef chunks with 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat some olive oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven or a heavy oven-proof pot, and sear beef on all sides until nicely browned. Do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan and to prevent steaming. If you notice that it begins to steam up, remove the excess liquid and continue browning.
- Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside. It will not be fully cooked at this point. Leave the brown bits, don’t wipe the pot clean.
- Over medium heat, add some olive oil, onion, garlic, and carrots to the same Dutch oven and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fresh thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add red wine, scraping the browned bits, and cook until reduced, about 3 minutes. If you don’t want to use wine, you can use beef broth. Quick tip: use a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the Dutch oven or pot.
- Add flour and stir to coat. Add 4 cups of beef broth, and stir until the flour is incorporated and starts to thicken. Add the seared beef, cubed potatoes, and bay leaves. If too thick, add more broth as needed. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5-7 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper at this point if needed.
- Cover with an oven-safe lid. Finish cooking in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until the meat is tender. If desired, stir in peas 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
- Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve with some chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Special equipment: A large Dutch oven with a lid. I use a 6 qt Dutch oven.
- Quick tip: Wooden spoons work like a charm for scraping the brown bits from the pot. It will not scratch the Dutch oven's coating.
- Potatoes: Avoid Russets since these break down easily. Use Yukon gold or red potatoes.
- Storing leftovers: Store in the refrigerator using airtight containers for up to 3 days.
- Freezing leftovers: Freeze in freezer-friendly containers for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Made this tonight, adding some butternut squash. It was delicious! I will definitely make it again.
So happy to hear, Kristi! Thank you for making my beef stew 🙂
Delicious! Added balsamic vinegar since I didn’t have any red wine. Will definitely make again
Made this tonight…everyone loved it!!
Hi Theresa! Thank you so much, happy to hear that everyone loved it!
I made this and was the best beef stew recipe I have made in years! Than you for sharing !!!
My go to stew recipe. It’s delicious. I usually add celery and rutabaga to this also. I also usually add my potatoes into the stew. Just put a pot of this in the oven now. Can’t wait for lunch.
This was delicious! I followed the exact instructions except for the salt. I reduced the salt and only used 1 tsp instead of 1.5 tsp, and still found it to be a little salty. This could be because of the Better than Bouillon beef base I used. If I use the beef base again I will decrease the amount of salt a little more. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers today because I’m sure it will be even better. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Best stew recipe we have found. Fantastic flavors.
Thank you, Katie!
Do you cover the dutch oven in the oven with the lid on or keep it open?
Hi Agi! You should cover the dutch oven with the lid.
Hi! I was wondering what kind of red wine you use? I’m not a wine drinker and really have no clue where to start for something like this. Thanks!
Hi there, Jenn! I like to use Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon! You could also use just beef broth instead of red wine.
Made this tonight. BEST stew ever. Husband loved it. This will be my go to from now on. Easy steps to follow and loved the extra tips.
Thanks.
So happy to hear, Diane!
Delicious… made exactly as recipe written.!
Thank you, Denise!
How many peas?
Up to you! I’d say 1 cup is enough.
Loved it! Yes, even on a hot summer July day! I followed your recipe as you have posted, just added rutabaga which my family likes. I used Cabernet Sauvignon which was just right for this hearty stew. Thanks for making me look good Tania!
Thank you for making my beef stew recipe, Janice! So happy to hear!
This was a hit last night! Typically, this is a comfort food we would eat in the winter, but I had a taste for it and wanted to try something different than our norm. I discovered your recipe after I made my food purchases so I had to tweek this recipe a bit.
Lessons:
I purchased meat labeled “stew meat” and discovered beef chuck roast is really best, because the long, slow cook time leaves stew meat tough and chewy, while tougher cuts, like chuck, break down and become really tender. And, yes, my meat was a bit tough. I do wish I had pre seasoned the meat a day before as well because I felt it was a bit bland for my taste. Your tip not to crowd the pan gave me a really good sear.
I used a 5 qt cast iron dutch oven instead of 6 qt. I discovered an enamelled cast-iron Dutch oven is the best stew pot.
Tweeks:
I used 4 large carrots instead of 3. I had no Worcestershire sauce on hand so I made a substitute with (2 tsp Tamari soy sauce, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1 tsp hot sauce). I had no bay leaves on hand, so I added 1 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp caraway seeds. I used yellow potatoes, but next time I will use red potatoes for a more rustic flavor. **For my potatoes, I added them 45 minutes before my stew was finished to ensure they were not mushy. (Didn’t mind my carrots being soft). I waited until the last minute to add precooked frozen mixed veggies.
I used red wine and I really think it gave this recipe a bang! We are a big rice family, so we covered rice with the stew. A lot of starches, I know, but it was sooo good.
All in all, a really good recipe. Everyone was nearly licking their plates.
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear that you all loved it!
Did you add the flour directly into the stew instead of making a paste? Just wondering how well the flour gets incorporated into the stew without lumping as would occur in making gravy.
I add it directly and never had any problems with it, but certainly feel free to dissolve the flour with some beef broth first in order to prevent any lumps.
Best stew recipe I’ve ever made! Everyone loved it. Def a 5 star!
I made this last night, and it was one of the best dishes I’ve ever made! SO delicious over egg noodles! Even my picky 6 year old raved about it and ate every bite! Contemplating eating my leftovers at 10:00 am…:)
So happy to hear, Lindsey!
made this today, it is the best beef stew I have ever made. So easy and so delish. I didn’t have tomato paste but still tastes amazing. Only difference I did was have the peas on the side as all in my family do not like them. This is a keeper and has gone into my recipe book!!!
Thank you for making it, Mary!
Hi Tania, I prefer to use a dried herb…could you recommend what to use and the amount? Thanks, Joanne
Use a 3:1 ratio. For every 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. Hope this helps!
Could you lower the heat of the oven and cook the stew longer? If so, what would you recommend setting the oven to and the max time in the oven.
Hi Amber! I haven’t tested the recipe this way, so I can’t say for sure, unfortunately.
This is the same recipe my mom taught me 50 years ago! We used vegetable oil though to brown since EVOO was not so common in rural Canada. Rutabaga or turnip was also added too. Txs!
Just wondering how many people the recipe feeds?
About 6!
Super tasty! I recommend making it clear in the recipe that dutch oven should be covered with the lid in the oven. Though it turned out tasty, I lost a ton of liquid so not much left for bread dipping (sad)
Great to hear, and thank you! I updated the recipe to specify that it needs to be covered with the lid. Thanks for pointing that out!
Are you kidding me?! This recipe is the absolute best beef stew recipe I’ve ever encountered. My 19 year old college student yelled, “Yes, sir! Get in my stomach!” I think that’s really the highest praise one can get for a recipe. Make this! No additions or changes! Do it today! Boom!
Thank you, Tania. I’m weeping with joy.
This comment made my day, John. Thanks so much for your kind words and for making my recipe!
That was by far the best stew I’ve ever made! I only had russett potatoes so I didn’t put them in the stew. I served it on top of the mashed potatoes. It was fantastic! Thank you so much for this great recipe and terrific instructions.
made this stew this evening and WOW it is awesome. thanks for the recipe and helpful hints, I will definitely be making this again, especially when the snow flies!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! We did make a few preference tweaks and it came out perfectly. When seasoning our beef we coated with our spices (salt, pepper, granulated garlic and paprika) and then coated the beef in the 1/4 cup flour before browning it. We substituted the red wine for beef stock. Then when it came time for the 4 cups of beef broth, we did one 15oz can of tomato sauce for 2 cups of the beef broth. Lastly we cooked for 2 & 1/2 hours and the beef was so so so tender! Definitely adding to the rotation.
Absolutely beautiful.
this is the 2nd time i made this just love it
This was actually the first meal ever made in our dutch oven. This is fantastic!! Recipe is easy to follow, all the tips make for a more flavorful stew, and our house smelled awesome while this was slow cooking in the oven!
I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce so used A1 Steak Sauce; what a flavor enhancer that was!
I can’t recommend this enough. We made it a couple weeks ago, and I’m making it again today. GET IN MY BELLY!!!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
Thank you so much for this beef stew recipe. It was a hit at home. Even though I had marinade my beef over night, it was still a hit. I will be looking for more of your recipes. Thanks again.
This was absolutely the best beef stew ever. I took a few shortcuts using beef stew meat, dried thyme, baby carrots, and tiny potatoes that I didn’t peel. The meat came out so tender. The base was flavorful. It even reheated well. I let the dog lick a tiny bit of broth off my finger. I think her eyes rolled back in her head in gastronomical bliss and she followed me around for hours. My husband shared her reaction 😉
Amazing recipe! My whole family loves it! Followed to a T and my modifications were: 1- coated the meat in flour prior to browning. 2- used oregano in place of tyme 3- Added brown sugar to balance flavor. Thank you so much for sharing.
Best recipe ever!
Made this a few weeks ago to rave reviews. So much so that my wife wants me cooking more. Might have played my hand wrong there 😉
Today – right now – I feel I’ve made a big error. We only had some cheap red wine that we didn’t like to drink. I feel like it has overpowered the flavor in a bad way. Going in the oven now. Fingers crossed
Very good, a touch salty so next time I may reduce the stock to 3.5 cups and add an extra half cup of wine. I added mushrooms in with the onions, garlic and carrots and used nuggets potatoes cut in half with the skin on. I’ll definitely use this as my stew recipe from now on, even my 3 year old liked it!
I just found and made this recipe and it turned out SO delicious! Everything came out so tender and flavorful. I used beef stock instead of the red wine so I think I’ll make it again and see if that enhances the flavors even more! I’m off to get another serving!
Love, love, love this stew. (3 “loves” is actually superior to 5 stars.) We had not the time to purchase fresh thyme. We also added 1 cup of mushrooms. Otherwise, the recipe was unchanged. I must say that my Polish wife prepares bigos (sometimes referred to as “hunter’s stew”), in which the main ingredients are various sausages and cabbage. She and I both agree that this is the best stew that we have ever tasted. So tender and flavorful. We are looking forward to enjoying the leftovers. Your recipe has been printed. Thanks, Tania!
A really good recipe for any cook. Loved it.
All of your reviewers seem to love it. We didn’t. It was a LOT of work and the result was just meh. I’m glad we didn’t love it because I wouldn’t want to have to do that much work again!
Wow I just made this and prep only took 20 minutes-very easy! And I added more vegetables and aromatics too
Making this for the first time today. Haven’t had dinner yet,…. but my house sounds AMAZING!
*SMELLS AMAZING!
Excellent recipe, thank you!
Ours was excellent, but we added an extra carrot, a few celery, extra wine, some harissa with preserved lemon, a few spicy Italian sausages, peas, and shiitakes sautéed in butter added at the very end. I also threw in a scoop of coffee grounds before it went in the oven. It ended up thick so we added 1/2 box beef broth at the end. Cooked it for 2.5h instead of 1.75h. Deeeeeelish!!!!
This was a huge hit with my family!!! SO flavorful and delicious. Searing the meat was a fair amount of work but for me it was worth it to have my husband send his friends pictures of the stew telling them how good it was.
Fabulous recipe! Added a cup of wine and stirred in peas after I pulled it out of the oven and let them warm on the stove while I warmed up a loaf of sourdough.. this recipe is a keeper.
This has become a monthly staple of our dinners. If I go too long without making it, the family reminds me! Excellent!
When I took it out of the oven I lost some of the juice. What can I do later to add a bit of juice before serving?
Made this stew. Very easy recipe 2 hours using oven after browning meat. Perfectly tender meat and vegetables. Nice gravy. Will make again.
This is my new recipe for beef stew, I’ve already made it several times. It’s seriously the best beef stew we’ve ever had. Today I’m using sweet potatoes. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.
Omgosh this was delicious, so easy and such a hit with husband and kids!
I only omitted the wine bc I didn’t have any on hand, and added celery and extra carrots. Ahhhh so good thank you!!
This stew is wonderful! For the potatoes I use sweet potatoes and it is great.
This is the BEST stew recipe I’ve made! I’ve made it with and without the wine. I’ve also used Marsala cooking wine or just extra broth. It’s wonderful every time. I add raw mushrooms to the pot sometimes before I put it in the oven and at the end I sometimes add peas. I’ve yet to try the fresh thyme, but just because I didn’t have on hand. The ratios and cooking times are perfect as written. Wonderful recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
We followed the recipe, but did add an extra carrot and extra potato … we subbed beef broth for the wine as the recipe suggested.
Our kids devoured this! They are 13 and 9, and our 13 yo is a very picky eater. We bought a crusty bread from the bakery and warmed it up to go with the stew.
It was a perfect meal. We will absolutely have this again and again. Living in Minnesota, we are always looking for comfort foods like this. It was perfect today because it was rainy and chilly outside!
Thank you so much for sharing this gem with us!
Thank you, Shannon!
This is an easy to make classic beef stew recipe. Really fool-proof. Thanks for your thorough instructions and added tips! My taste buds are screwed up due to Covid : (
so I doubled up on the seasonings/herbs/tomato paste/Worchestershire. I left the wine/beef broth liquid amounts the same. I can’t wait till it comes out of the oven! I’ve sneaked a taste, and it’s really delicious. I went the quickie route & used “stew meat”. It’s going to still be good, but I’ll trim my own chuck next time because I’m sure I’ll be making it again. : )
Perfect!! Smells so good when cooking that even my extremely picky Grandson ate it and gave it a 👍thumbs up!!!
I’ve been making beef stew for over 40 years. My husband recently gave me a Dutch oven which I’ve always wanted. Happily I found this recipe and tried it today. My husband says it was the best beef stew I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly and based on the photos I made it with mashed potatoes (I usually make noodles as a side dish). Thank you for this recipe, it will become one that will be prepared often.