This Beef Stew is flavorful, hearty, delicious, quite easy to make, and is perfect for feeding a crowd! This recipe serves 8 people, possibly more if you serve the beef stew over rice. It freezes well too, if you're concerned about leftovers. It's meaty and so satisfying, and I hope you love it as much as we do!
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Related recipe: Leftover Corned Beef Recipes
Beef stew for a crowd
A thick stew loaded with ingredients is one of my go-to meals for when we have people over for dinner in the winter. It's so easy to make a large batch and serve it over rice, with a baguette and a quick salad on the side. It doesn't take much more effort to make a large batch of beef stew than it does a small batch of stew, so this beef stew is the perfect answer when you are planning on having people over for a good meal.
Even if you're not cooking for a crowd, this beef stew recipe is worth making because it makes GREAT leftovers and freezes well. Cook once, eat twice?? Yes please!
Related recipe: Guinness Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 lb chuck roast or stew meat, cubed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ cup water* (see notes)
- 4 cups beef broth* (see notes)
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 golden potatoes, scrubbed clean and diced
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced or diced
- 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with the juices (or 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste + 2 cups water)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
You'll also need: A large Dutch oven pot, or another heavy-bottom pot.
More hearty stews: Instant Pot Gumbo
Ingredient notes and cooking tips
Beef broth + water notes: The exact amount of liquid you need might vary depending on the size/shape of your pot and how soupy you like your beef stew. Make sure that the cubed roast is covered by the beef + water before you simmer it for 2 hours, and check on it to make sure the liquid did not evaporate. If you need to add more liquid, add broth if you prefer more salty stews, or add water if you want to cut down on the sodium.
Time saving tip: Get the potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, and peas ready later while the stew simmers.
Related recipe: Spicy Ethiopian-Inspired Chicken Stew
Instructions
Step 1: Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the olive oil, cubed roast, and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat 2-3 minutes per side, then set aside (it’s OK if it’s not fully cooked yet).
Step 2: Turn the heat down to medium, add the butter and chopped onions to the pot and sauté until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 more seconds.
Step 3: Add the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to keep from burning. Add ½ cup water to the pot and whisk to remove any lumps of flour.
Step 4: Stir in the beef broth. Bring mixture to a simmer and add cubed roast back to pot, along with the bay leaves, cloves, and thyme.
Step 5: Cover and let simmer for 2-2.5, stirring every once in a while to prevent burning on the bottom. Add potatoes, carrots, canned diced tomatoes and peas to the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for another 20 minutes and remove from heat. Carefully taste and see if it needs any more salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Related recipe: Jambalaya with Kidney Beans
What to serve with beef stew
This beef stew is fantastic on its own as a soup, with just a toasted baguette or a chunk of air fryer focaccia for dipping. If you want to make this stew stretch or want a heartier meal, serve it over rice.
Related recipe: Quick and Easy Chickpea and Chorizo Stew
How to freeze beef stew
This beef stew freezes well, so even if you are thinking "what the heck am I going to do with 8 servings of stew?!" this is still worth making. Just let the stew cool completely, then transfer 1-2 portions to a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. You can also freeze bigger amounts, but it would take a long time to thaw.
To thaw the beef stew, move the frozen stew bag or container to the fridge 24 hours before you want to eat the leftovers. It might still be a little frozen, but you can reheat in the microwave or in a small pot/saucepan on the stove. If using a freezer bag, place it in a bowl to thaw in the fridge, just in case the bag has a tear from being frozen. You don't want thawed beef stew all over your fridge!
More beefy recipes to try: Sous Vide Corned Beef
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 lb chuck roast - or stew meat, cubed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ cup water* - (see notes)
- 4 cups beef broth* - (see notes)
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 golden potatoes - scrubbed clean and diced
- 2 medium carrots - thinly sliced or diced
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes - with the juices (or 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste + 2 cups water)
- 1 cup peas - fresh or frozen
Special equipment
- Large Dutch oven or other large heavy bottom pot with a lid
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the olive oil, cubed roast, and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat 2-3 minutes per side, then set aside (it’s OK if it’s not fully cooked yet).
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the butter and chopped onions to the pot and sauté until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 more seconds.
- Add the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to keep from burning. Add ½ cup water to the pot and whisk to remove any lumps of flour.
- Stir in the beef broth. Bring mixture to a simmer and add cubed roast back to pot, along with the bay leaves, cloves, and thyme.
- Cover and let simmer for 2-2.5 hours, stirring every once in a while to prevent burning on the bottom. Add potatoes, carrots, canned diced tomatoes, and peas to the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for another 20 minutes and remove from heat. Carefully taste and see if it needs any more salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.