The Best Beef Stew Recipe

This tender Beer Beef Stew has it all — tender chunks of beef, soft glazed carrots and potatoes, in a rich, amazing, robust beer and beef sauce. It’s the best! Slow cooked for extra tender goodness, it fills your home with wonderful, savory smells throughout the day, it’s a one pot meal and you can fix and forget it. The longer it stews, the more intense & tender it will be.

Tender Beer Beef Stew

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Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Nothing says curl up on the couch and wait for me like this wonderful beef stew. This is my all time favorite beef stew recipe and is inspired by none other than the Pioneer Woman’s Beef Stew.

COOKS TIP: Double or even triple this recipe and freeze leftovers and pull out for another wonderful comfort food kind of day and make Shepherd’s Pie or Beef Pot Pies!

STEW INGREDIENTS

• olive oil & butter
• beef (or bison) stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
• medium onion & garlic cloves
• 12 oz can or bottle of beer (substitute with beef broth if preferred)
• beef broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• tomato paste
• smoked paprika, kosher salt
• new, russet or red potatoes
• carrots
• Dutch Oven (my dream), but this one is just as great!

Any beer will do, though I like darker beers, they yield richer flavors.

Get out that old cast iron pot or dutch oven. My mom gave me the one she used while I was growing up — oh the stews, soups and spaghetti sauces we ate from this pot!

Why do you sear meat?

Getting a crispy golden sear on the outside of your beef is paramount for tenderness, juice and flavor! After cutting your beef into bite size pieces, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, then without crowding the pot, drop in beef cubes a few at a time, browning on both sides. Give bison a try as well, I’ve made it both ways, delicious BOTH ways!

As batches are crisp on all sides, remove each batch with slotted spoon to plate and repeat until all your meat has been browned.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe

Next, toss your onion slices into the hot pot and cook until soft and they start to caramelize; about 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add your chopped garlic and wait for it…oh that wonderful smell, stir around for a minute or so until you smell that beautiful, pungent fragrance wafting up to greet your senses.

Next pour in your beer, deglazing the bottom of your pot and getting all of those wonderful crispy bits of beef back into the stew, then add your beef broth. Have you ever made your own beef broth? Oh MY! Give it a whirl, easy recipe here.

Add in all of your spices (if you haven’t tried smoked paprika I highly recommend it), tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a good stir…

Pour your beef back into the mixture, making sure to get all of those juices that have settled onto the plate.

DUTCH OVEN OR STOVE TOP BEEF STEW

Stir well, COVER and return to a simmer. At this point, you can keep it on the stove on low and simmer for several hours, but personally, I like to throw it in my oven at 250 ° all day. Or you can put in your crock pot, I don’t think it’s quite as rich or tender, but if you aren’t comfortable, cook on low for 8 hours in your crockpot.

Isn’t that lovely, that harvest gold pot!? Let it bubble throughout the day, checking on the liquid levels every couple of hours. If needed add a cup or two of hot water or more beef broth.

About two hours before you are ready to eat, toss in several handfuls of baby carrots (or carrots cut into nice size chunks) and a small bag of fingerlings potatoes or another small potato cut into quarters. I have used all sorts, red potatoes, new potatoes, Yukon gold, assorted fingerlings potatoes. If you made enough to make a Shepherd’s pie or Beef Pot pie, you might want to cut your carrots a little smaller and give your potatoes a chop as well.

Give it another stir and put the lid back on and back in the oven it goes.

Remove from oven, remove about a cup of liquid. This part is optional, keep it gluten free and enjoy the lighter broth consistency. The longer it simmers, the more the liquids will reduce making an AMAZING rich, thick sauce.

Add flour to the reserved liquid and mix well. Got yourself a mini whisk? I love mine, they get into small corners better than a fork or spoon.

Stir back into your stew to thicken, you may omit this step if you prefer a thinner stew or prefer it gluten-free.

Spoon into generous bowls and serve with a hearty bread, such as this Beer Bread which pairs beautifully with this stew.

Consider tripling this recipe, because it makes a wonderful Shepherd’s pie or Beef Pot Pie or simply reheat and enjoy again.

How to make EASY Puff Pastry Triangles

Thaw one package of puff pastry (I love all butter puff pastry, available at WholeFoods, Natural Grocers, Trader Joe’s and gourmet stores).

Unroll and cut into 4×4 inch squares, then across diagonally for a triangle (or keep as squares). Cut as many as you need, reroll and seal any leftover dough and refrigerate. Lay triangles on a parchment lined cookie sheet and preheat oven to 400° oven.

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with your favorite herbs (try dill, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper) and sea salt, but personally I love Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning! Bake 10-12 minutes, until puffed and golden.

More Comfort Food Recipes

• Bacon Beef Minestrone Soup
• Tender Beef Brisket
• Sunday Pot Roast (aka Bread and Butter Roast)

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Tender Beer Beef Stew

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes

A tender, delicious, slow cooked beef stew loaded with tender carrots, potatoes, caramelized onions, swimming in a rich, savory gravy.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 lbs stew meat, cut into bit size pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12 oz can or bottle of beer (substitute with beef broth if preferred)
• 1 carton (32 oz) beef broth (additional if simmering all day)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 new or red potatoes, quartered or small bag of fingerling potatoes
• 4-6 carrots, roughly sliced or 2 cups baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (optional) for thickening, or a GF flour
• OPTIONAL | 1 package all-butter puff pastry, 1 egg for wash, Herbs or Everything Bagel spices.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 250°. Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in dutch oven or large pot. Brown stew meat without being crowded (may take a couple batches)
2. Remove with slotted spoon to plate, while browning the rest of the meat. Toss in sliced onions, stirring until soft and caramelized, about 7-10 minutes.Toss in minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Deglaze the pot by pouring in beer and stirring to get all those flavorful chunks off bottom. Pour in beef broth. Add spices, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar and stir to blend. Return meat, give it a good stir to incorporate spices and return to simmer
4. Place lid on dutch oven and place in oven. May keep on stove on low in place of putting in oven, but watch liquid levels. Cook 5-6 hours, less will work, but the longer you cook the more tender the stew meat. 2-3 hours before serving add carrots and potatoes and return to oven

OPTIONAL | Prior to serving remove 1 cup of liquid, whisk in flour, pour back into stew and stir to thicken.

Serve with a crisp salad, some Beer bread or other crusty bread or try these puff pastry triangles.

1. Thaw one package of puff pastry (I love all butter puff pastry, available at WholeFoods, Natural Grocers, Trader Joe's and gourmet stores).
2. Unroll and cut into 4x4 inch squares, then across diagonally for a triangle (or keep as squares). Cut as many as you need, reroll and seal any leftover dough and refrigerate. Lay triangles on a parchment lined cookie sheet and preheat oven to 400° oven.
3. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with your favorite herbs and salt, but personally I love Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning! Bake 10-12 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Notes

This may be cooked in a slow cooker, in my opinion you will not achieve the same richness and tenderness of the beef, but if you are more comfortable, place in slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 569Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 434mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 45g

The nutritional information is estimated and may not be entirely accurate, at times it pulls information for suggestions and options which may increase calories, etc.

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