Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew
This Chunky Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food, full of tender beef, hearty potatoes, and vegetables. This hearty brisket stew is a family favorite and is great to make and freeze for easy meals all winter long.
This Hearty Beef stew is the perfect stew to meet the cravings of anyone wanting the ultimate cold weather comfort food and who also wants to stay healthy. There are three components to a good beef stew, in my opinion. First and foremost, the cubes of beef need to be so tender they practically melt in your mouth. Secondly, the veggies should hold their shape and not be too mushy (I don’t think there is anything worse than mushy carrots, ugh!). The final component is the broth, which should be rich in flavor, causing you to slurp every last drop or soak it up with a delicious slice of crusty bread. I can confidently say that this comforting dish ticks all the boxes. Whether you’re serving it to your family or doubling the recipe to serve to a lot of people, everyone is going to love this stew recipe with its amazing, rich flavors.
Why You Will Love This Chunky Beef Stew
- This delicious stew is packed with tender meat, chunky potatoes, carrots and celery all cooked in a rich and flavorful broth. The fall apart tender beef is the star of this brisket stew recipe
- I like making big batches of this cozy recipe, taking some of it to work for lunch, and freezing the remainder in small portions for an easy weeknight dinner.
- This hearty beef stew takes a bit of time to cook perfectly, but it’s super quick and easy to have in the pot in less than 15 minutes.
- A simple recipe and a total crowd-pleaser that is perfect for when you have company over or to serve to the family.
- This one-pot meal requires simple ingredients that you can find at any local grocery store.
- This homemade beef stew recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30. It is easily adjustable to be Keto and Specific Carbohydrate Diet legal.
Ingredients You Need For This Hearty Beef Stew
- Chuck roast or Brisket: I like to cut it into 1 ½ inch-sized cubes into easy small pieces. Buying pre-cut beef stew meat is also super convenient. You can also use round steak or brisket, especially if you use the slow cooker.
- Seasonings and Herbs: Salt and black pepper are used to season the beef, and then dried thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf are used for a delicious herby flavor.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil or avocado to sear the beef pieces. It has a high smoke point and is neutral in flavor.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and fresh garlic cloves give a delicious sweet and savory flavor to this traditional beef stew recipe.
- Vegetables: Diced celery, carrots, halved baby potatoes, and frozen peas are the perfect hearty vegetables for this classic beef stew recipe.
- Tomato paste: This is used to give a delicious tangy flavor and to give you a thicker stew.
- Balsamic vinegar: A rich, acidic addition that gives a deep and rich flavor. Check your labels for a clean balsamic and ensure there are no added sugars.
- Red wine: I like to use a dry red wine like Pinot Noir, merlot, or Cabernet, but you can use your favorite red wine. The wine not only adds flavor and depth, as well as acidity and complexity, but it also helps to tenderize the beef as it sits and simmers.
- Beef stock: I love using Pacific foods because they have clean ingredients. You can also use beef broth if you don’t have beef stock.
How To Make This Chunky Beef Stew Recipe
- Pat the beef with a paper towel and then season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or large Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add half of the cubed beef and sear until golden brown on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the beef and transfer it to a large plate. Then, repeat this by searing the second batch of beef before removing it. Searing the meat is key!
- Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the pot and saute for 3 minutes before adding the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits up. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the herbs, bay leaf, red wine, and beef stock.
- Bring to a boil, add the browned beef, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer for 90 minutes. Add in the potatoes and carrot, increase the heat to medium, and leave to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes (if there isn’t enough liquid, add in another ½ cup beef stock). Remove the bay leaf and add in the frozen peas.
You can find all of the cooking instruction in the recipe card below
Ways To Modify This Beef Stew Recipe
- Although I prefer using brisket in this beef brisket stew, you can use a different type of meat. Chuck roast is a great substitute or alternatively you can buy pre-cut beef stew meat for ease and convenience. You can also use round steak for a delicious slow cooker option.
- For the potatoes, you can use small red potatoes or russet potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces, just not too small, or they will overcook. Sweet potatoes would also be a delicious option.
- If you are Keto or on a Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I recommend using butternut squash instead of potatoes in this comforting stew. That is actually how I originally made my stew before I modified it.
- Add more veggies, like thinly sliced leeks or mushrooms, for a delicious added flavor. Or swap the green peas for green beans for a color pop.
Can I Make This Delicious Stew In The Slow Cooker?
Slow cooker beef stew is amazing! To start, season your beef with salt and pepper and brown the beef pieces to a perfectly seared perfection in stages. Chop all your veggies while you watch your beef closely. Transfer all the ingredients except the peas to the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Add your frozen peas in the last 30 minutes and stir to combine. If there isn’t enough liquid, add about 1/2 cup of stock.
Can I Make This Chunky Beef Stew in The Instant Pot?
Making instant pot beef stew quickly and easily prepares a delicious, hearty meal that takes a lot less time. Using the saute setting, saute your seasoned beef pieces in olive oil in batches to get delicious browned pieces. Remove the beef from the instant pot and add in your veggies to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add your herbs, bay leaf, red wine, and beef stock. Add your veggies and return the beef to the instant pot. Close the lid and set the pressure cooker on high for 35 minutes. After the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes naturally, then carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to venting. Add peas and allow to sit for a few minutes and enjoy!
Can I Make This Beef Stew Recipe in Advance?
This is the best stew to make in advance when you are meal-prepping for the week. You can make this 3-4 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freezer for 3-4 months. This is the perfect recipe to store in individual containers for quick and easy single-serve meals throughout the week.
What About Leftovers?
Allow the beef brisket stew to cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. Leftover stew can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for 3-4 months. Reheat the stew on the stove top over medium heat, stirring to ensure even reheating. You can also warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Here are a few more soup and stew recipes you may enjoy:
- Hearty Chicken Stew
- Mexican Beef Stew
- Spiced Lamb and Lentil Stew
- Beef and “Barley” Soup
- Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
If you make this beef brisket stew recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Chunky Beef and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds brisket (or boneless chuck roast) cut into 1 ½ inch sized cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 ribs celery cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup red wine pinot noir, merlot, cabernet
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved or quartered
- 3 large carrots peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Pat the beef with a paper towel and then season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven on medium high heat. Add in half of the cubed beef and sear until golden brown on both sides. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the beef and transfer to a plate and then repeat, searing the second batch of beef and setting aside.
- Add the onion, garlic and celery to the pot and saute for 3 minutes before adding in the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, red wine and beef stock. Bring to a boil, add the beef in, reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 90 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes and carrot, increase the heat to medium and leave to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes (if there isn’t enough liquid, add in another ½ cup beef stock).
- Remove the bay leaf and add in the frozen peas. The stew should be thick, if not, increase the heat and continue to cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Nutrition
This beef brisket stew post was originally published on January 11, 2016 and updated with new copy and photos on December 12, 2024.
Hello, thank you for this recipe. It looks super yummy. It is it possible for you to post the nutrition information? Thanks so much.
This was delicious and easy. thanks for all SCD recipes without dairy.
Hello, I made this stew yesterday and made a couple of changes as I didn’t have all the ingredients, I substitute the beef broth for vegetable and I add pomegranate juice instead of red wine, I add rosemary and thyme (pinch of rosemary, not same quantity), I used rice flour and onion, and I halved the recipe as well. It was absolutely delicious! I thoroughly recommend this recipe, it was just so yummy that I had two serves for dinner.
I am definitely going to buy all the ingredients and make it as per recipe (still substituting the red wine for pomegranate). Great recipe, thank you!
What could I use instead of wine in this dish to give it that same hearty taste?
I would increase the amount of beef broth by 1/2 cup and then for acidity add in a splash of red wine vinegar. I hope you enjoy! The end result should be the same.
Please help with a recommendation for cuts of beef that you use. I seem to buy the wrong kind and they invariably disappoint me. Do you prefer typical roast cuts or sirloin or WHAT? To me that is the most important ingredient and I don’t seem to have found the perfect cut of beef. I love your style, it’s so well executed and am looking forward to what you will be doing in the kitchen. Regards, Kathy
I’m so sorry for the slow response Kathy, I completely missed your comment! I find that chuck is the best cut of beef because it has a good amount of fat which results in tender chunks of stewed beef that are full of flavour. Chuck is also one of the most affordable cuts of beef and can be found in the majority of grocery stores. If you are unable to find chuck then brisket is another good option. Thanks for the great question!
Nice recipe. I just love paleo. It’s the best diet I have ever tried. I lost weight, and feel so much better and healthier. And the meals don’t suck,
like in most diets. I’m using the paleo grub cookbook, you can check it out, google lookingupstuff/weightloss/paleogrubs