Easy Stovetop Beef Stew

Easy Stovetop Beef Stew

Easy beef stew recipe made on the stovetop! Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef chucks simmered in a red wine based herb sauce, combined with tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and celery. It's the ultimate comfort food for the Fall and winter!

4.90 from 134 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 2 45

Total Time: 3

Servings: people

Calories: 423kcal

Author: MinShien

Ingredients

2 lbs beef chuck ~ 1 1/2-inch cubed
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper
4-5 cloves garlic
28 ounce canned whole tomatoes
2 stalks carrots 1-2 inch slices
1 lbs gold or red potatoes ~1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 large sweet onions sliced
1 large stalk celery 1/2 inch slices
4 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine pinot noir, cabernet, or merlot
1 bay leaf
1-2 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp corn starch more if needed

Instructions

Sprinkle cubed beef chunk generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat dutch oven with vegetable oil on the stovetop. Once oil is heated, bring beef to dutch oven to sear. Turn beef to make sure all sides are seared well. Do this in batches if you have a small Dutch oven so that beef do not overlap each other when searing.
Bring all seared beef back to the Dutch oven. Add beef broth, garlic, red wine, bay leaf, thyme, and smoked paprika. Bring to boil.
After coming to a boil, cover, bring Dutch oven to medium low heat and simmer for 90 minutes. Check at the 45 minute mark on dryness. If liquid level looks very low, add 1/2 cup of water at a time. (see Note 1)
Add 1 can of whole tomatoes (do not drain) and sugar. Break tomatoes into halves and stir.
Add potatoes, onions, carrots and celery. Stir. Add water until most of the items are submerged in liquid (Note 2).
Bring to a boil. Cover, and then take it to medium low heat and simmer for another 45 minutes, or until beef is tender (easily break apart with a fork).
Combine cornflour with 3 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve corn starch and then pour it back to the pot (see Note 3). Bring to boil and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
Taste, add more salt to open up the flavors if needed.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: Check every now and then during the 90 minutes to make sure pot isn't completely dry. Add water as needed.

Note 2: There's no need to submerge everything completely in the water but do make sure most of it is submerged for the vegetables to cook and soften.

Note 3: Do not add cornstarch directly into the hot liquid - it will not dissolved!

This recipe was originally published on Oct 17, 2017, and revised and updated on Feb 2, 2021.

Nutrition

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