This beef stew is prepared with a delicious red wine broth that isn't too thick for a lightened up take on the classic comfort dish. Loaded with fresh vegetables and tender beef, it’s an easy meal in a bowl that will fill you up and keep you warm. Store a batch in the freezer and warm it back up when you need a cozy dinner ASAP.
This Stovetop Beef Stew is Classic Comfort
Nothing says comfort food quite like a homemade easy beef stew recipe! It’s one of my favorite meals when the weather gets cold, and it doesn’t hurt that it comes together in one pot with minimal prep time. Once the ingredients are combined, they simmer long and slow, meaning the end result features soft veggies, tender beef, and a savory broth.
A cross between classic vegetable soup and a traditional gravy-like stew, this beef stew recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, uses simple ingredients, and is fairly budget-friendly, too. It can even be adjusted to be alcohol-free and have a sweeter flavor for an option that’s perfect for the whole family. Serve it on its own or with your favorite sides for a cozy meal that will fill you up and keep you warm!
Jump to:
- This Stovetop Beef Stew is Classic Comfort
- The Secret to Making Beef Stew on the Stove
- Ingredients For Gluten Free Beef Stew
- Beef Stew Stove Top Instructions
- Beef Stew Recipe Stove Top Variations
- Stove Top Beef Stew Recipe Tips
- How to Store and Reheat Stovetop Beef Stew
- What to Serve with Gluten Free Beef Stew
- Beef Stew Recipe Stove Top FAQs
- More Popular The Fit Peach Recipes
- Recipe
- Reviews
The Secret to Making Beef Stew on the Stove
The secret to a good stew is three fold:
- Make sure you’re using good meat. For beef stew, this is a chuck roast that is well-marbled. The marbled veins create a depth of flavor and tenderness.
- Use strong flavors. The typical stew vegetables aren’t going to provide a lot of flavor themselves. Instead, you have to add them to the stew in the form of spices or marinades. I use red wine in this recipe which pairs well with the beef and onions and garlic and adds a pop of bold flavor. Some recipes will use Worcestershire sauce or umami for a savory kick.
- Cook it low and slow. A good stew is meant to, well, stew for a few hours so the meat and veggies can soak up the flavors as they cook. Unless you’re using an Instant Pot, allow the stew to cook for at least an hour on low heat.
Ingredients For Gluten Free Beef Stew
- Chuck roast - This is a thick, beefy cut of meat that is marbled with fat, which breaks down and becomes tender when cooked long and slow. If you can’t find a chuck roast, a bottom-round roast will also work.
- Sea salt and black pepper - Adjust to taste.
- Olive oil - I prefer the strong taste of olive oil, avocado oil works as well.
- Red wine - I recommend using a dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Onion - I use white onions, but yellow onions will also work.
- Garlic - Whole, fresh cloves instead of pre-minced varieties will give the best flavor.
- Tomato paste - This helps thicken the broth and creates a richer flavor.
- Carrots - Use large carrots, not baby carrots.
- Potatoes - I use baby potatoes, but any small potatoes will work.
- Broth - Use low-sodium beef broth. If needed, chicken broth can be substituted, the flavor of the stew just won’t be quite as rich.
- Thyme sprigs - Adds a vibrant, earthy flavor that rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes - Not to be confused with regular diced tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes are roasted before being canned, which gives them a sweet, smokey flavor.
What is the Best Meat for Gluten free Beef Stew?
Boneless chuck roast is the best cut of meat for beef stew and is traditionally used in most recipes. It has the perfect amount of marbling and cooks well in a “low and slow” fashion. Opt for a cut that is well-marbled with white veins.
Most butcher counters carry chuck roast but you can also use round roast if desired. Again, opt for a cut that has some marbling in it.
Beef Stew Stove Top Instructions
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Season the beef. Add the salt, pepper, and arrowroot starch to the chuck roast cubes and toss well, ensuring every side is coated.
Step 2: Sear the roast. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chuck roast in batches so that each side is browned. Transfer the meat to a plate, and set it aside.
Step 3: Deglaze the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and pour in part of the wine. Use a spatula to gently scrape the leftover meat pieces from the bottom.
Step 4: Add the veggies. Add the onions and garlic to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Then, let them cook until soft and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, and continue to cook.
Add the carrots, potatoes, broth, thyme, and fire-roasted tomatoes, and gently stir to incorporate.
Step 5: Simmer the stew. Place the lid on the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the gluten free beef stew to simmer until the beef is tender and cooked through. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
Beef Stew Recipe Stove Top Variations
- Thicker beef stew - Feel free to toss the beef chunks in ¼ cup arrowroot starch before searing for a thicker gravy-like sauce.
- Vegetable beef stew - Add more vegetables like green beans or corn or peas for more color. It’s as simple as adding them to the pot with the carrots and potatoes and cooking as directed.
- Apple cider beef stew - Swap the wine with apple cider for a sweeter flavor that’s kid-friendly too.
How to Make Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is also a great way to make beef stew. The stew comes together in under an hour so it’s much quicker than any other method. Here are the steps:
- Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE. Cut and season the beef as directed. Add the olive oil and begin browning the meat in batches. Add a little more oil if needed in between batches. Once browned on all sides, transfer to a separate plate.
- Complete steps 3 - 6 below.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and pressure cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Then, naturally release the pressure once done.
- Set the Instant Pot to KEEP WARM, and serve as directed!
Stove Top Beef Stew Recipe Tips
- Sear the meat until it’s brown on all sides. This will take a few minutes depending on the thickness of the meat and how hot your oil is.
- Deglaze the pan well with the red wine. This means using a spatula to scrape the bits and pieces off the bottom of the pot.
- If your baby potatoes are bigger, you may want to cut them into quarters. The potatoes should be bite-sized so you can easily get a spoonful of a little potato, beef, and broth.
- Taste test when you think the stew is done. The beef should be very tender yet cooked and the potatoes should be able to be pierced easily with a fork.
Can I Thicken Up the Broth?
I opted for a more brothy red wine-infused sauce in this recipe so it won’t be as thick as traditional beef stew. However, if you want a more gravy-like consistency, simply toss the beef chunks in ¼ cup arrowroot starch before searing them in the pot and the sauce will thicken up nicely as the stew comes together.
How to Store and Reheat Stovetop Beef Stew
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. When ready to enjoy, warm them up in the microwave in 20-second intervals until warmed through. Add a splash of water if needed to thin the broth up a bit.
Alternatively, you can store the stew in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
What to Serve with Gluten Free Beef Stew
Some great side dishes to pair with a warm bowl of stew are savory muffins, a simple orange salad, or Caesar salad (minus the shrimp). You can even serve it over mashed potatoes for an extra hearty meal.
You can also whip up a batch of apple cider punch, red wine sangria, or a chai old fashioned.
Beef Stew Recipe Stove Top FAQs
First, use a chuck roast that has a good amount of marbling. This provides flavor and tenderness to the meat. Second, after searing the meat, allow it to cook through low and slow. As it cooks it will absorb all the flavors in the pot and will be fall-apart tender after a while.
Yes! The caramelization will add flavor to the entire dish and will make the pieces of meat tastier when cooked through.
I prefer to salt the meat so it soaks into the meat when cooked. The salt will also dissolve into the liquid which will also season the stew.
If you want a thicker gluten free beef stew, toss the meat in flour or starch before browning. This will add a little crust to the meat and thicken up the liquid later on.
For more soup and stew recipes, check out my:
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Recipe
Beef Stew On The Stove
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast - trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup red wine - divided
- 1 white onion - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 large carrots - peeled and cut into rounds
- 1 lb baby potatoes - halved
- 4 cups beef broth - any broth will work
- 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon thyme
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add the chuck roast cubes to a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, and arrowroot starch and toss well to combine, ensuring the chuck is coated on all sides.3 lb chuck roast, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- Heat a large dutch oven (mine is 7 quarts) over medium heat with the olive oil. Once hot, sear the chuck roast in batches so that each side is browned. This may take 2 to 4 batches. Transfer the chuck to a plate and set aside.3 tablespoon olive oil
- Reduce the heat to medium and pour ½ cup of the red wine into the dutch oven to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the bits and pieces.1 cup red wine
- Add the onions and garlic to the pot and stir to incorporate into the red wine. Let it cook until the onions and garlic are fragrant and soft.1 white onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir the tomato paste into the onions and garlic until it’s fully incorporated and allow it to cook for 1 - 2 minutes.3 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the chuck roast back to the pot along with the carrot rounds, halved baby potatoes, beef broth, remaining ½ cup red wine, fire roasted tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Gently stir everything together to incorporate.3 large carrots, 1 lb baby potatoes, 4 cups beef broth, 14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoon thyme, 3 bay leaves
- Place the lid on top of the dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium low and allow the stew to simmer for 75 - 90 minutes until the beef is tender and cooked through. Taste test and adjust with additional sea salt and/or black pepper if needed.
- Remove the bay leaves, serve while warm with toasted bread, if desired, and enjoy!
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