Traditional Beef Stew made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
A Slow-Simmered Classic for Cozy Nights
This old-fashioned beef stew turns humble ingredients—browned chuck, red wine, tomato paste, and root vegetables—into a glossy, comforting bowl that practically makes itself.
Think of this stew as the dependable dinner you call on when the week has been long and you want something warm, unpretentious, and deeply satisfying. The goal here is big, fork-tender cubes of beef and a sauce that’s savory, slightly tangy from the wine and tomato paste, and just thick enough to cling to every spoonful. It’s the sort of stew that fills the kitchen with a slow, comforting perfume all afternoon.
The small, patient steps at the start are what turn simple ingredients into something special. Trim excess fat, pat the chuck dry, then season and lightly dredge in flour—this helps build a caramelized crust when you brown the meat in olive oil. Browning in batches creates those deep, nutty notes; deglazing the pan with red wine and stirring in tomato paste pulls up all the fond and adds acidity and umami. Those browned bits, carried into the slow cooker, are the backbone of the final broth.
Add the yellow onion, carrots, celery, russet potatoes and garlic so they can soften into the sauce—russets break down into a silky texture that thickens the stew, while carrots and celery keep a little body. Use low-sodium beef broth so you can control the final seasoning, and let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting: low and long (about 8 hours) melts connective tissue into a rich, velvety sauce and leaves the beef shreddably soft.
This is a fantastic make-ahead meal: flavors marry overnight and it reheats beautifully (or freezes in portions for another cozy night). If the sauce needs tightening, a quick simmer on the stove or a cornstarch slurry will do the trick. Serve with crusty bread, buttered egg noodles, or mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of chopped parsley to brighten each bowl.
Ingredients
How to Make Traditional Beef Stew
- Trim excess fat from the beef chuck and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes; pat the pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl or plate and lightly dredge the beef cubes, shaking off excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; working in batches, brown the floured beef on all sides (about 3–4 minutes per side) to build flavor, then transfer the browned pieces to the slow cooker.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the red wine to the same skillet and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon; stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Roughly chop the onion, carrots, potatoes, and celery into bite-size pieces and mince the garlic; add all the vegetables and garlic to the slow cooker with the beef.
- Pour in the low-sodium beef broth, add the Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, bay leaves, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours) until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- If the stew needs thickening, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth, stir it into the stew, then cook on HIGH for an additional 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened; remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed, then serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or crusty bread if desired.
Recipe Card
Traditional Beef Stew
Traditional Beef Stew made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 8 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the beef chuck and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes; pat the pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl or plate and lightly dredge the beef cubes, shaking off excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; working in batches, brown the floured beef on all sides (about 3–4 minutes per side) to build flavor, then transfer the browned pieces to the slow cooker.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the red wine to the same skillet and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon; stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Roughly chop the onion, carrots, potatoes, and celery into bite-size pieces and mince the garlic; add all the vegetables and garlic to the slow cooker with the beef.
- Pour in the low-sodium beef broth, add the Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, bay leaves, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours) until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- If the stew needs thickening, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth, stir it into the stew, then cook on HIGH for an additional 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened; remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed, then serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or crusty bread if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 30
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Sodium
- 560
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 22
- Protein
- 27
- Fat
- 35
- Cholesterol
- 106
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 560
- Sugar
- 6