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Beef Stew Recipes

Beef Stew RecipesBeef 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. 

A collage of beef stew recipe pictures.

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

A scoop of Rindsgulasch shown over the Dutch oven filled to the brim with the same.

Thick cuts of boneless short rib cook Viennese-style in a dark and flavorful gravy until the beef is fork-tender. Flavored traditionally with hot and sweet paprika and peppery caraway- this recipe is everything you expect from Rindsgulasch.

2. Beef and Guinness Stew with Crispy Onions

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Photo Credit: Kitchen Sanctuary

Rich, melt-in-the-mouth Beef and Guinness Stew is made with crisp ale and topped with crispy fried onions.

3. Beef Carbonnade

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Photo Credit: Chef Not Required

Beef, mustard, and onions slowly cook in beer to make tender, melt-in-you-mouth Beef Carbonnade Stew that you want to eat all year round!

4. Nihari

Nihari on a plate garnished with ginger, onion, and chilis with naan in the background.

Enjoy our easy nihari recipe made with succulent beef shanks and marrow bones spiced with homemade nihari masala to create a silky and flavorful broth to serve with the meat.

5. Beef Cheek Ragu

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Photo Credit: The Cooking Collective

Deliciously cozy Beef Cheek Ragu is rich, hearty, and packed with big, bold flavors. It features melt-in-your-mouth tender beef, simmered in a tomato sauce and served over fresh pappardelle pasta or creamy mashed potatoes.

6. Beef Shank Bulalo

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Photo Credit: Low Carb Yum

Craving something hearty and warming that doesn’t require much prep time? Learn how to make easy Filipino Beef Bulalo made with beef shank.

7. Best Instant Pot Beef Stew

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Instant Pot beef stew is the ultimate comfort meal; tender beef pressure cooks in an umami-rich broth resulting in a savory stew that’s ready in a little over an hour!

8. Chili Con Carne

A single serving of chili con carne topped with jalapeños.

Warm up with a heaping bowl of this savory, southwest-style Chili Con Carne. Our authentic recipe is my take on an old classic with hearty beef chuck, black beans, and a satisfying combination of Arbol, guajillo, and chipotle en adobo.

9. Cuban Ropa Vieja

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Photo Credit: Somebody Feed Seb

This rich beef stew is one of Cuba’s most popular and beloved dishes – filling and hearty Cuban Ropa Vieja is a perfect meal!

10. Dutch Oven Mediterranean Beef Stew

Beef stew garnished with parsley.
Photo Credit: It’s Not Complicated

This Mediterranean Beef Stew is the epitome of comfort food. With delicious flavors, it is a one-pot meal, with cubes of beef simmered until meltingly tender in a rich tomato sauce with fresh vegetables and herbs.

11. Beef Pares

Tender beef pares served in a bowl with clear beef broth.

Beef pares is a popular Filipino street-food comprised of tender braised brisket served with a savory clear beef broth.

12. Easy Beef Daube

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Photo Credit: Two Sleevers

This Beef Daube, or French Beef Stew, is an elegant yet familiar dish! Make it quickly and easily in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker!

13. Easy Beef Stroganoff

Easy beef stroganoff served over buttery egg noodles.

Tender beef and a creamy mushroom gravy come together for this easy Beef Stroganoff we serve over buttery egg noodles.

14. Instant Pot Irish Stew

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Photo Credit: Feasting Not Fasting

Hearty Irish Beef Stew is easily made in the Instant Pot! Guinness adds a unique richness and depth of flavor that can’t be beat and the carrots, peas, mushrooms and potatoes make it filling and satisfying. 

15. Instant Pot Ground Beef Stew

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Photo Credit: Instant Pot Eats

This Instant Pot Ground Beef Stew with potatoes uses inexpensive ingredients for a hearty and delicious stew that will feed the whole family. This one-pot dish is super easy to make, so it’s great for busy weekdays.

16. Italian Beef Stew

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Photo Credit: Maricruz Avalos

Italian Beef Stew features comforting and delicious flavor; serve it with crusty bread or pasta- this stew is the perfect prep meal for any weeknight dinner.

17. Beef and Chickpea Stew

A single serving of beef and chickpea stew topped with yogurt and ready to be served.

Beef and Chickpea Stew is layered with warm spices to capture the savory taste of Morocco. Fragrant spices highlight the hearty chuck roast, chickpeas, and carrots in our mouth-watering stew.

18. Simple Beef Stew

When it comes to beef stew recipes, its all about this classic beef stew in a bowl garnished with fresh thyme.
Photo Credit: Tabetha’s Table

Enjoy this classic and Simple Beef Stew made with quality ingredients. When it comes to the classics, it’s all about technique.

19. Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew

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Photo Credit: Slow Cooker Club

Tender pieces of beef and sumptuous ale gravy are the building blocks for Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew.

20. Paya Soup

A bowl of paya soup topped with fresh cilantro.

Stew beef trotters to create our nutritious Paya Soup recipe, a delicious comfort food popular in Pakistan for its health benefits.

21. Beef Trinchado

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Photo Credit: Foodle Club

Beef Trinchado is a Spicy Beef stew and is popular at numerous Portuguese restaurants in South Africa. It’s a spicy stew made with peri peri chilies; serve it traditionally with fresh french fries. 

22. Vietnamese Beef Stew

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Photo Credit: Peachy Plate

This Vietnamese Beef Stew is hearty and rich with authentic Vietnamese flavors like lemongrass, fish sauce, star anise, and five spice powder.

23. Vietnamese Beef Stew with Lemongrass

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Photo Credit: Delightful Plate

Fragrant Vietnamese Beef Stew with lemongrass, also called Bo Kho is hearty and flavorful; serve it with banh mi or noodles.

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.

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.

YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY:

A Pinterest pin for beef stew recipes.

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?!