Beef stew is comfort food at its best – succulent beef, fork-tender vegetables, and rich, flavorful broth warms the belly and the soul. As cooler months approach, we want to take the footwork out of looking for what to make next with this collection of savory beef stew recipes.

What is Stew?
Few meals are as satisfying as a stew, often consisting of meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a gravy-like liquid. Like soup, stew comes together using different methods and flavors from all over the world.
Warm, hearty stews are the perfect meal. You can’t go wrong with a one-pot dish loaded with flavor. Like our pozole rojo, stews often consist of pork, and vegetarian stews like moong dal feature plant-based ingredients like lentils. And it’s no secret that a great-tasting chicken stew hits the spot; don’t believe me? Try kedjenou from the Ivory Coast or sudado de pollo from Colombia! But for this article, we are ALL ABOUT THAT BEEF.
While the recipes differ from place to place and person to person, the building blocks for beef stew recipes are often the same. The beef cooks with hearty vegetables or beans in a savory broth flavored with water, wine, beer, or tomato juice.
Tools You Need to Make These Recipes
- Dutch Oven: You can’t go wrong with investing in a high-quality Dutch oven. The one I use is from Lodge, but many prefer Le Creuset.
- Slow Cooker: I don’t use these as much as I used to (I was obsessed), but there is something nice and homey about dumping all your ingredients into a Crockpot and leaving it to cook for hours, as the tempting aroma circulates through the house.
- Instant Pot: As I mentioned, I was a diehard slow cooker, but then the Instant Pot came along; this handy kitchen gadget might be one of the most-used kitchen tools in our home.
Beef Stew Recipes
Whether you prefer a more classic approach or something lighter, you’re sure to find a beef stew recipe or two that will fit into your dinner rotation.
- 1. Rindsgulasch
- 2. Beef and Guinness Stew with Crispy Onions
- 3. Beef Carbonnade
- 4. Beef Nihari
- 5. Beef Cheek Ragu
- 6. Beef Shank Bulalo
- 7. Best Instant Pot Beef Stew
- 8. Chili Con Carne with Beans
- 9. Cuban Ropa Vieja
- 10. Dutch Oven Mediterranean Beef Stew
- 11. Beef Pares
- 12. Easy Beef Daube
- 13. Easy Beef Stroganoff
- 14. Instant Pot Irish Stew
- 15. Instant Pot Ground Beef Stew
- 16. Italian Beef Stew
- 17. Beef and Chickpea Stew
- 18. Beef Stew
- 19. Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew
- 20. Paya Soup
- 21. Beef Trinchado
- 22. Vietnamese Beef Stew
- 23. Vietnamese Beef Stew with Lemongrass
1. Rindsgulasch

Thick cuts of tender beef simmers to perfection in a rich and flavorful gravy infused with traditional hot and sweet paprika and peppery caraway – this recipe is everything you expect from rindsgulasch; finish the meal with butter-infused egg noodles or mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort meal.
9. Cuban Ropa Vieja
Tender, juicy Cuban-style shredded beef stews in a tomato and sofrito base flavored with warm spices and salty green olives to make easy Instant Pot ropa vieja. Complete the meal with piping hot rice and frijoles negros.
Try more Cuban recipes, like boliche and beef picadillo.
12. Easy Beef Daube

Beef daube, or French beef stew, is an elegant yet familiar dish! Make it quickly and easily in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker!
20. Paya Soup
Stew beef trotters to create our nutritious paya soup recipe, a delicious comfort food popular in Pakistan for its health benefits. For another variation, try mutton paya soup with goat trotters.
22. Vietnamese Beef Stew
This Vietnamese beef stew is hearty and rich with authentic Vietnamese flavors like lemongrass, fish sauce, star anise, and five spice powder.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
Serve stew on its own or pour it over side dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, or mashed cauliflower to soak up all the tasty goodness of the broth. With tender beef stew recipes like those featured in this article, you also can’t go wrong with any of these sides.
- Baguette, Dinner Rolls, Biscuits, Pao de Sal
- Corn Bread, Corn Muffins
- Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Caesar Salad
- Tortillas
- Couscous
- Roasted Potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s are the best cuts of beef to make stew?
The secret to making delicious stew is selecting the best cut of meat. Being honest, my answer to this question changes based on what stew I am preparing and what’s on sale. Before I tell you what I recommend, I’ll share what to avoid. You may feel tempted to buy pre-cut stew meat, don’t! If you want to make these beef stew recipes and end up with tender, juicy beef, take the time to cut the meat on your own; it’s worth it in the end.
Here are the cuts I recommend for stew:
• Chuck Roast
• Boneless Short Rib
• Beef Shank
• Brisket
• Oxtail
• Sirloin Flap
In addition to cut, consider selecting collagen-rich meat with a good amount of marbling when you’re standing in front of the meat counter.
How do you make beef stew tender?
Preparing beef stew means setting aside the time for the beef to slow or pressure cook, allowing the collagen and fat to tenderize and render. Many factors can affect the meat’s tenderness; here are some variables to consider.
• Cut beef the same size to ensure it cooks evenly.
• Sear the beef to lock in the moisture.
• The cut of meat can impact the tenderness of the beef; for this reason, I recommend avoiding pre-cut stew meat. I have never had a good experience preparing it.
More Stew Recipes:
- Vegetarian Kimchi Jjjigae
- Instant Pot Pozole Rojo
- Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
- Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Veronica
Tuesday 16th of August 2022
Thanks for including my beef trinchado. There are some great looking stews on here - definitely going to be trying some as soon as the weather cools down. We're in the middle of a heatwave here in the UK :)
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 16th of August 2022
It's still hot here in North Carolina too! Maybe this round-up will bring on the cooler temps- here's to hoping.
Ieva
Monday 15th of August 2022
A wonderful collection of recipes! This will be my go-to list for inspiration for those cozy chilly evenings when the weather starts getting cold again :)
Tressa Jamil
Monday 15th of August 2022
I am looking forward to cozying up with warm bowl of some these too.
Alexandra
Monday 15th of August 2022
What a great collection of Beef Stew Recipes! Thanks for including mine, and I look forward to trying some others :)
Tressa Jamil
Monday 15th of August 2022
Happy to include yours; don't they look absolutely delicious?!