This time of year is the perfect time to cozy up with a tasty bowl of soup and today I’m showing you how to make an Easy One Pot Classic Tender Beef Stew. Tender chunks of beef stew meat are braised in flavorful beef broth and hearty veggies for a stick-to-your-ribs meal that is the epitome of hearty comfort food.

We received all the vegetables for this dish in a recent CSA box delivery so I knew this was going to be the perfect way to use those veggies with tougher cuts of meat to make a cozy winter dinner. Scroll down to see how we make this classic beef stew recipe and get the recipe card to print today.

A bright white ceramic bowl cradles a generous portion of an Easy One Pot Classic Beef Stew complete with tender beef chunks, carrots, potatoes, celery, and beef broth.

Table of Contents

Ingredients for This Classic One Pot Beef Stew Recipe

The best beef stew is made with classic winter vegetables and diced chunks of beef chuck roast. Here is what we’ll need to cook up this simple recipe:

Diced Chunks of Stew Beef: For the slow cooking process for this stew, we’re looking at diced chuck roast. You can use any cut of beef you can find that can be diced into chunks. You can also use chuck steak, round roast, beef shoulder, short ribs, even brisket can work. I’ve often found that the best kind of meat to use here has been chuck or round roast. The wonderful thing about this type of meat: the inexpensive bulkier cut of meat tends to be the best cut of meat compared to the expensive kind. This hearty stew is incredible economical as a result. Shopping beef tips: when buying your beef at the store, look for cuts with lots of marbling. This indicates the presence of fat in the meat’s connective tissues. When the fat cooks down, it creates the tender juices we know and love that lead to delicious results.
Carrots, Onions, Celery: The trifecta of vegetables are used in this one pot stew recipe. I like to give the onions a rough chop while dicing larger chunks of the carrots and celery to match the size of the beef chunks.
Potatoes: This affords a steak and potatoes like feel with the slow simmer stew and rounds out a heart meal. This recipe is using the Russet potatoes we received in our CSA box but you can also substitute with baby potatoes sliced in half or quartered.
Aromatics: Garlic and fresh herbs along with umami accents like tomato paste all help to add a little bit of flavor this our stew. For the herbs, I like to use a mix of fresh thyme, roasemary, and sage. Dry or fresh bay leaves will work well here too.
Beef Broth: Either beef broth or beef stock work well in this recipe. You can use homemade or store bought. We will need one quart, or 4 cups, for this stew recipe.
Red Wine: During the searing process, brown bits form at the bottom of the pan after we sauté our vegetables. I love using red wine to help deglaze the bottom of our large dutch oven and pick up those brown bits that will help flavor our stew during the longer cooking times.

Preparing the Classic One Pot Tender Beef Stew Recipe

The slow cook time on this easy beef stew makes this the perfect recipe to prepare on a Sunday for a delicious family supper. While you can make this using a high pressure cooker, Instant Pot or slow cooker, my preferred method is through searing beef on the stove top and then letting the stew roast in the roast. Here’s how we make it:

First, begin by preheating your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Place rack in the center of oven.
Pat the meat dry with an unbleached paper towel. Preheat a Dutch oven or oven-safe heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beef cubes. Cook, undisturbed at first, until the beef develops a golden brown crust. Season the seared meat with a generous pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper. You’ll know when they’re ready to turn when the each piece of meat releases easily from the bottom. Flip the pieces over and cook until browned on all sides, around 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl and set aside. If there is any excess fat, drain off a tablespoon of it before adding the vegetables.
Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, around 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Add the red wine to help deglaze your pot and scrape up any brown bits. Add the potatoes followed by the beef stock.
Stir until everything is well combined. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and remaining fresh herbs to a square of cheese cloth. Wrap it up and tie it together with a bit of kitchen twine. Add to the pot to allow the flavors to steep during the slow cook.
Return the browned beef to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, seasoning with another pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook until the meat is fork-tender, around 1.5 hours. If the meat is still tough after 1.5 hours, return the pot to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes, then check again.
Discard the garlic, bay leaves, and herbs. Taste the stew for seasoning and adjust with kosher salt and pepper as desired. If the stew is too thick, add some more beef broth to thin it out. If the stew is too loose, continue to simmer over a medium heat on the stove with the lid off until it thickens to your desired consistency.
Ladle the beef stew into individual serving bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before enjoying.

More Cozy Comfort Recipes

When winter arrives we are all about those recipes that elicit cozy comfort that match the season. Here are a few of our favorite soups and stews we keep in frequent rotation during this time of year:

This slightly creamy Turkey Chili Recipe is super easy to make and freezes well too!
This Roasted Carrot Soup with maple and harissa is a beautiful balance of sweet and spicy warmth that is the perfect antidote to a chilly winter night.
Caldo de Pescado, or Mexican Fish Soup, is one I always love to make during winter using fresh fish from our local fish monger.

If you make this Classic Tender Beef Stew, please let me know how it goes! You can share in the comments below or on social media! Tag me on Instagram or on my Facebook page.

Cheers to the next nourishing meal. 🧡

Easy One Pot Classic Tender Beef Stew

Frances Kellar

A comfort food classic. This One Pot Beef Stew has tender chunks of beef and hearty vegetables for a one-bowl meal that is cozy, comforting, delicious.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Equipment

1 4 quart dutch oven

Ingredients

2 pounds stewing beef – cut into 1″ cubes such as chuck shoulder, bottom round, or rump
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion diced
3 celery stalks roughly chopped
3 large carrots chopped into large chunks on a diagonal
3 small russet potatoes peeled and diced into large chunks
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
6 cloves garlic peeled
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 bay leaves – fresh or dried
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in the center of oven.
Pat the meat dry with an unbleached paper towel. Preheat a Dutch oven or oven-safe heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beef cubes. Cook, undisturbed at first, until the beef develops a golden brown crust. Season beef with a generous pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper. You’ll know when they’re ready to turn when the beef chunks release easily from the bottom. Flip the pieces over and cook until browned on all sides, around 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl and set aside.
Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, around 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat. Add the red wine to help deglaze your pot and scrape up any brown bits. Add the potatoes followed by the beef stock.
Stir until everything is well combined. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and remaining fresh herbs to a square of cheese cloth. Wrap it up and tie it together with a bit of kitchen twine. Add to the pot to allow the flavors to steep during the slow cook.
Return the browned beef to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, seasoning with another pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook until the meat is fork-tender, around 1.5 hours. If the meat is still tough after 1.5 hours, return the pot to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes, then check again.
Discard the garlic, bay leaves, and herbs. Taste the stew for seasoning and adjust with kosher salt and pepper as desired. If the stew is too thick, add some more beef broth to thin it out. If the stew is too loose, continue to simmer over a medium heat on the stove with the lid off until it thickens to your desired consistency.
Ladle the beef stew into individual serving bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before enjoying.

Keyword winter recipes, comfort food, beef stew

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