Dutch Oven Beef Stew

This classic beef stew recipe has step-by-step photos to teach you how to cook this heartwarming dinner. This hearty dutch oven beef stew starts by searing the beef for extra delicious flavor then the majority of the cooking is done in the oven. Full of tender meat, potatoes, carrots, and the best, flavorful almost gravy-like broth!

Living in Southern California we are blessed with "great" weather all year long. Super chilly nights are few and far between, but that doesn't stop us from wanting a warm, hearty dinner once in a while. That is exactly what this Dutch-oven beef stew is.

The recipe comes together quite easily, you do a bit of cooking on the stovetop then you transfer it all to the oven to slow-cook this is where the meat will tenderize to melt-in-your-mouth perfection!

Ingredients

For this tasty stew recipe you will need:

• Olive Oil. You can use your favorite cooking oil to sautee the beef. I always use olive oil or avocado oil, both work perfectly!
• Beef Stew Meat. Most butchers or meat counters will have a "stew meat' prepared or you can buy something like beef chuck and chop it into 1" beef cubes. Stew meat is usually tougher pieces of meat, with lots of tough connective tissue that when cooked down for hours becomes incredibly tender and great flavor.

• Salt and Pepper. I have a guided amount in the recipe but with any recipe you should salt and pepper to taste. If you taste something and it tastes as if it needs a little something extra it probably needs a little more salt!
• Onions. Just good old workhorse yellow or brown onions are needed. My favorite trick is to slice them next to the stove with an open flame so you don't cry like a baby cutting them!!
• Garlic Cloves. I use six garlic cloves in the recipe but feel free to add a couple more if you love garlic.
• Tomato Paste. Talk about flavor bomb.
• All-Purpose Flour. The flour helps give the stew a base to thicken up nicely.
• Dry Red Wine. I use whatever I have open or open a new bottle for the stew and keep drinking while it cooks! Haha. Pinot Noir or Cabernet are perfect choices. I do not advise using boxed "cooking wine."
• Broth. You can use any beef, veggie, or chicken. For this recipe when I photographed it I used low-sodium chicken stock.
• Water. I prefer filtered water, but you do you!
• Bay Leaves. Can't have stew without bay leaves!
• Carrots. I usually take carrots and peel and chop into ½" pieces, but when I photographed this recipe I had a ton of baby carrots in the fridge that needed using up so I just cut those in half.
• Potatoes. Baby potatoes are ideal because you only need to cut them in half but for this recipe when I photographed I had a bag full of yellow Dutch potatoes to use so I cut into ½" chunks, just something roughly bite-sized.
• Balsamic Vinegar. I find adding a few splashes at the end to bring all of the flavors together.
  

Sometimes I add in frozen peas at the end- when I take the stew out of the oven and let it sit for ten minutes.

I use a Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven but this Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven is a great deal.

Instructions

This stew starts off by cooking on the stovetop and then finishes cooking in the oven which is what makes using the Dutch oven so perfect! One dish, less mess!!

Start by preheating the oven to 300F/148C and place a large Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. When the pot has warmed add one tablespoon of oil. 

While the pot is warming season the stew meat with salt and pepper then add ⅓ of the meat into the hot pan to sear the beef, let it cook for a couple of minutes then flip, you want a nice dark brown sear on all edges.

Then transfer the cooked meat to a large bowl. Repeat this step two more times until all of the meat has browned. You need to cook the meat in batches because if the pan is too crowded the beef will not brown properly. 

Once you remove the final batch add the onion to the pot and reduce heat to medium and let the onions cook for 5 minutes or so to soften, stirring occasionally. I like to use the back of my spatula to scratch the bottom of the pan and help move around some of those dark spots from the beef, these are super flavorful!! Once the onions have softened add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring once.

Now add the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two, making sure to mix everything together well. 

Add the browned beef and its juices back to the pot then sprinkle the flour on top of the beef, mix the beef and flour together with the onion mixture and let cook for 2-3 minutes, until no flour streaks remain. 

Now add the wine and again use your spatula to scrape up any dark bits on the bottom of the pan, this is called deglazing the pan.

Finally add the stock, water, and bay leaves. Mix to fully combine then cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. 

After two hours add the chopped potatoes and carrots and mix to fully immerse them in. Return the Dutch oven to the oven and cook for about another hour, the potatoes should be fork-tender and the meat tender too. 

Let the stew cool for at least ten minutes and serve or let cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

There you have it easy Dutch oven beef stew.

How to freeze

Let the stew cool for an hour or so then transfer to a freezer safe container, allow an inch or two at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to three months.

To thaw the stew place the container in the fridge overnight then transfer to large pot and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through.

You can also take the frozen container and run it under hot water to loosen the stew and transfer to the pot and cook over low-medium heat- this will take a lot longer since the stew is still frozen, ideally let it thaw in the fridge overnight.

Can you double

I would not advise doubling the recipe unless you had a very large dutch oven. I use a an oval Le Creuset 6 ¾ qt size.

More comfort food recipes

This time of year I am always in the mood for comfort food.

This Cottage Pie Recipe is what I grew up on, I absolutely love it and it always disappears when we make it!!

My Guinness Stew is also a favorite of mine.

For a slow-cooker beef stew option try my friend Ashleys Honey and Balsamic Beef Stew!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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