Best easy Dutch oven beef stew recipe! This homemade beef stew has meltingly tender pieces of beef chuck roast, carrots, and potato in a rich broth.
Growing up, beef stew was one of my favorite cold-weather dinners. The tender chunks of beef, soft carrots and potato, and rich broth are pretty much the perfect winter comfort food.
There are a few ways to make beef stew. It can be made on the stove, in a crock pot/slow cooker, Instant Pot, or in the oven.
This Dutch oven beef stew recipe is an oven-braised beef stew. The great thing about making the stew this way is that you can get it going and then let the oven do all the work.
Also, braising it in the oven allows the broth to cook down and really makes it rich and flavorful.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Beef - A roast with good marbling is best - like a chuck roast. If you'd like to see an example of good marbling, check out the picture below in the step-by-step photos.
TOP TIP>> I prefer chuck roast to stew meat because stew meat can be composed of various cuts of meat that can cook at different rates. - Salt - If you don't have kosher salt, you can substitute sea salt. If you would like to use table salt, use 1 teaspoon salt.
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Balsamic vinegar - The vinegar helps to add flavor and tenderize the meat.
- Tomato paste
- All-purpose flour
- Herbs: You can use fresh if you prefer. You'll need about 1 tablespoon each.
- Beef broth - Beef stock also works well.
- Water
- Bay leaves
- Carrot
- Baby Yukon gold potatoes
How to make beef stew in the oven
Pat the beef dry and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Brown the meat in batches and then remove to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the now-empty pot.
Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste; cook, stirring regularly, for about 1-2 minutes. You'll want to get all the brown bits on the bottom mixed in. Add the flour, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.
Return the beef cubes and their juices back to the pot. Add the beef broth, water, and bay leaves, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Cover, and bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours. Carefully remove the pot from the oven, and add the carrots and potatoes.
Cover, and return to the oven for 1 hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the liquid has thickened, and the meat is tender. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired, before serving.
Tips
- Dutch oven - If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a similar large oven- and stove-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Makes great leftovers! Beef stew is one of those dishes that tastes even better the second day after it has had a chance to sit and chill overnight.
Sides that go well with beef stew
Beef stew is great with some sort of bread to help sop up all of the delicious liquid in the stew.
No-knead bread, skillet bread, or even garlic knots all go well with beef stew.
Storage
The beef stew can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. The stew makes great leftovers, and I think the flavors improve after it has had a chance to chill overnight.
The stew also reheats really well.
How to reheat
I just microwave it to reheat it. One of the great things about this recipe is that it tastes as good or better the next day.
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Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 medium yellow or white onions cut into 1-inch chunks
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
- 5 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large carrots peeled and cut into one-inch chunks
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes cut in half
- Fresh chopped parsley for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
- Pat the beef dry and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Brown the meat in batches and then remove to a plate. You won't want to crowd the pot. If the meat doesn't have enough room, it will steam and won't want to brown.
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the now-empty pot.
- Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste; cook, stirring regularly, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the flour, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Return the beef and its juices back to the pot.
- Add the beef broth, water, and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cover, and bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven, and add the carrots and potatoes.
- Cover, and return to the oven for 1 hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender.
- Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, before serving.
Notes
- Beef: A roast with good marbling is best - like a chuck roast. If you'd like to see an example of good marbling, check out the picture above the step-by-step photos above the recipe.
- Salt: If you don't have kosher salt, you can substitute sea salt. If you would like to use table salt, use 1 teaspoon salt.
- Herbs: You can use fresh if you prefer. You'll need about 1 tablespoon each.
- Dutch oven: If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a similar large oven- and stove-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Originally published 10/8/18. Updated with new tips and photos 12/31/20. Updated again with additional information and new photos on 1/4/22.
Barb
The stew was delicious! Loved the stew gravy. Never would have thought to put balsamic vinegar in a stew recipe, but wow, the results were amazing.
David O'Berry Jr.
Thanks for the Oven Beef Stew. I made this and it was the best beef stew I have ever eaten!
Kate
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!
Linda
Wonderful recipe! This is the best beef stew recipe I've ever made. The beef melted in our mouthes! Thank you for the recipe. It's a keeper.