Hearty, rich, thick, meaty, and delicious! This beef stew will feed a crowd. It also makes great leftovers and freezes well, so you can cook once and eat twice!
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
Beef broth + water: 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 prep tip: Get the potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, and peas ready later while the stew simmers.