Hearty Dutch Oven Beef Stew

This recipe is also easy to make in your slow cooker or the Instant Pot, Slimming Friendly and gluten free.

You will also love Slow Cooker Prime Rib

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Old fashioned beef stew that slow cooks in your Dutch Oven and fills your kitchen with a mouthwatering scent… It’s just the comfort food I crave on chillier days or whenever I am feeling a bit worn out.

I already have several beef stew recipes on Nusde and each one brings a little something new to the table! This is possibly the most traditional stew recipe with an incredibly rich gravy – it is also very easy to make.

This recipe is Slimming World friendly if you using cooking spray instead of the oil and extra stock instead of the red wine.

Here’s What You Will Need

Essential tools: A Dutch Oven (a deep casserole pot), an Instant Pot or a slow cooker. Traditional Dutch Ovens are made of cast iron and can be a bit heavy. A great alternative is this GreenPan Dutch Oven which has all the same great qualities but is very light.

Beef: the best cuts of beef for stew is chuck steak (braising steak in the UK). This is a relatively tough beef cut that requires slow cooking to tenderize it. You can also use beef cheek (a.k.a ox cheek) or beef shin or a mix of chuck steak and beef cheek.

Secret ingredients (for loads of flavor!): I used beef consommé (clarified beef soup such as Campbells or Baxters) in addition to beef broth in this recipe and it adds so much yumminess. I also added a packet of dried onion soup after a friend told me all about her beef stew with onion soup mix!

Cooking liquid: Red wine will add richness and flavour but you can substitute red wine with additional beef broth, ale or stout instead of the red wine if you prefer.

Vegetables: onions, carrots, celery and garlic are the staples in stew recipes. I also added butternut squash and potatoes. I left peas out because my son dislikes them but feel free to add some if you like!

Let’s not forget: tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce plus bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.

Need to Thicken Your Beef Stew?

This stew will thicken on its own as the squash and potatoes break down. But you can also thicken beef stew in several ways.

• Toss the beef cubes in 3 tablespoons of flour before browning them
• Stir in cornstarch slurry at the end of the cooking time
• Add Xanthan Gum (it works in same way as cornstarch)
• Blend some of the gravy and vegetables using an immersion blender

How to Make Dutch Oven Beef Stew

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in your Dutch Oven and sear the beef, in batches if necessary, until nicely browned on all sides. The meat doesn’t have to be cooked through at this stage. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate.

Deglaze the pot with a splash of wine, scraping any browned sticky bits loose. Add a splash of oil if needed and cook the onions, garlic, carrots and celery over low heat for five minutes or until softened, stirring frequently.

Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Add the potatoes, squash and beef.

Pour in the consommé, broth and red wine and bring to a rolling simmer. Stir in the dried onion soup mix if using and herbs. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 90 minutes or two hours, until the meat is fork tender. If you wish to simmer your stew on the stovetop you will need to stir it once in a while to check on liquid levels.

Return the pot to the stovetop. If you are adding peas you can stir them in now and cook for a few minutes. If your beef stew needs thickening then add the cornstarch slurry or Xanthan gum and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Discard the bay leaves and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or my fluffy dinner rolls and plenty of chopped fresh parsley. Pair with a rich red wine like Apothic or 19 Crimes “The Banished” Syrah.

Beef Stew in Your Slow Cooker

Brown beef and cook the vegetables as above (this is easiest if your Crockpot allows for searing). Cook on the LOW setting for 8-10 hours or until the potatoes and beef are tender.

You will need to adjust the liquid quantities if cooking in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker – see recipe notes below.

Make It in Your Instant Pot!

Brown the beef and cook the vegetables using the Sauté function – you will probably need to brown the beef in batches. Follow the same method for Dutch Oven and cook for 35 minutes on high pressure. Allow for 15 minutes natural release then manually release any remaining steam.

HAVE YOU MADE MY DUTCH OVEN BEEF STEW RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day!