Traditional Beef Stew made as a cozy, dependable bowl with balanced seasoning and practical prep.
A Slow-Simmered Classic: Beef Stew That Does the Heavy Lifting
A hands-off slow-cooker stew that delivers glossy, rich broth and melt-in-your-mouth beef with everyday pantry ingredients.
This is comfort in a pot the Ember Pot way: big, unfussy flavors that develop while you get on with your day. Cubes of beef chuck become tender and silky after hours in the slow cooker, surrounded by russet potatoes that break down just enough, sweet carrots, crunchy celery, and an aromatic base of onion and garlic. The finished bowl is savory and balanced — the tomato paste and a splash of red wine deepen the savory notes without stealing the show.
Technique is where this recipe earns its depth. Trimming excess fat, patting the beef dry, and seasoning before lightly dredging in flour helps the meat brown properly; those browned bits are what you deglaze with red wine to capture concentrated flavor. Browning in batches in olive oil and then stirring the tomato paste into the skillet before pouring everything into the slow cooker builds a foundation that slow heat converts into a rich, glossy broth.
It’s a very forgiving, hands-off meal: about 25 minutes of prep, then roughly eight hours on low. Brown the beef in batches to avoid crowding, scrape the fond when you add wine, and taste for salt near the end of cooking. The stew actually improves after a night in the fridge — flavors mellow and the texture firms up, so it’s ideal for make-ahead dinners. It reheats beautifully and freezes well in portions.
Serve it with thick slices of crusty bread, buttered noodles, or a scattering of chopped parsley to brighten each bowl. This version, from Cam Torres and the Ember Pot sensibility, is steady, dependable comfort — the kind of slow-simmered dinner that fills the house with a warm, savory scent and leaves you reaching for seconds.
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