Simple Beef Stew Recipe - Old Fashioned Winter Dinner

This simple beef stew recipe is super easy to make on the stove top, in the instant pot or in a slow cooker! It's healthy and filling, and warms you right up on cold winter days!

Beef Stew

This tender beef stew recipe is an easy weeknight meal and satisfies the toughest critics with warm rolls!

A traditional Sunday dinner around the farmhouse is Roast beef, and we usually have enough leftovers to make a nice pot of beef stew for dinner on Monday night. If I have pan drippings leftover (when I don't make gravy) I save them for soup the next day too.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced or pearl onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth or beef stock
• *Optional - ½ cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5 lbs red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for slurry)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Tools

You only need a couple of tools, that you probably already have around the kitchen, to make this simple recipe!

1. Large Dutch oven or large pot
2. Large Chopping Knife
3. Large Soup Pan
4. Whisk
5. Measuring Cup
6. Large Wooden Spoon (for stirring)

Instructions

1. Brown the Beef: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Season the beef stew meat with salt and pepper, then brown the pieces in batches. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
2. Sauté Aromatics: To the bottom of the pan, add diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.
3. Deglaze the Pot: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add beef broth, dry red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Combine Ingredients: Return the browned beef to the pot. Add bay leaves and dried thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Mix well.
5. Slow Cooking: Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add quartered red potatoes, peeled pearl onions, and trimmed green beans. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours or until the beef is tender.
6. Make Cornstarch Slurry: About 30 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch with a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the stew.
7. Serve and Enjoy: Discard the bay leaves. Ladle the hearty beef stew into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve this classic beef stew recipe with crusty bread.
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container... They make a great lunch the next day!

Instant Pot Directions

1. Sauté Aromatics: Set your Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode. Add olive oil and sauté diced onions until translucent. Add minced garlic and continue sautéing until fragrant.
2. Brown the Beef: Add the beef stew meat to the Instant Pot and brown on all sides. This may need to be done in batches to avoid overcrowding.
3. Deglaze the Pot: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in beef broth, dry red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Combine Ingredients: Add bay leaves, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
5. Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to the sealing position, and select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" setting. Cook on high pressure for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your beef pieces.
6. Release Pressure: Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes, then perform a quick release for any remaining pressure.
7. Add Vegetables and Thicken: Open the Instant Pot and add quartered red potatoes, peeled pearl onions, and trimmed green beans. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the Instant Pot.
8. Finish and Serve: Discard the bay leaves. Stir the stew gently, allowing it to thicken. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve.
9. Enjoy: The Instant Pot beef stew is ready to be enjoyed! The meat will be tender, and the flavors will be rich and savory.

Crockpot Beef Stew 

1. Sauté Aromatics: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Sauté diced onions until translucent. Add minced garlic and continue cooking until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to your slow cooker.
2. Brown the Beef: In the same pan, brown the beef stew meat on all sides. Once browned, transfer the beef to the crock pot.
3. Deglaze the Pan: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add beef broth, dry red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer this liquid to the slow cooker.
4. Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Add bay leaves, dried thyme, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Mix everything well.
5. Slow Cooking: Set your slow cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours or until the beef is tender. About 30 minutes before serving, add quartered red potatoes, peeled pearl onions, and trimmed green beans.
6. Make Cornstarch Slurry: Mix cornstarch with a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the stew.
7. Finish and Serve: Discard the bay leaves. Stir the stew gently, allowing it to thicken. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve.

FAQ's

Recipe Card

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Sources

National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Culinary Institute of America