Description
This hearty Dutch Oven Beef Stew is a classic comfort dish featuring tender chunks of beef, robust vegetables, and a rich, savory broth. Perfectly browned beef simmers with carrots, potatoes, and peas in a flavorful mix of tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs for a fulfilling meal ideal for family dinners or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 ½ pounds stew beef, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
Vegetables
- 2 medium yellow onions, quartered and sliced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (3-4 potatoes)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Liquids & Sauces
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Other Ingredients
- 3 ½ – 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to prepare for the slow cooking process.
- Prepare Beef: Pat dry the stew beef chunks with paper towels and season thoroughly with salt and pepper to enhance flavor.
- Brown Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, searing each side for 1-2 minutes. Avoid overcrowding to ensure proper searing. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- Sauté Onions: Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add sliced onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until they soften and begin to turn golden.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Make Roux Base: Add another tablespoon of olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over the onions and garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring to avoid lumps.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen flavor.
- Incorporate Liquids: Slowly pour in beef broth while stirring constantly to combine flour and avoid lumps.
- Add Seasonings and Beef: Add diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, browned beef, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir to blend, then bring to simmer.
- First Bake: Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour to develop flavors and tenderize beef.
- Add Vegetables: Remove pot, stir in potatoes and carrots, re-cover, and return to oven to cook an additional hour until vegetables are tender.
- Finish with Peas: Remove pot from oven, discard bay leaves, add frozen peas, stir, cover, and let sit 5-10 minutes to heat peas through.
- Season and Serve: Adjust salt and pepper to taste before serving your classic beef stew hot and hearty.
Notes
- For a thicker stew, simmer uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes before adding peas.
- You can substitute beef broth with low sodium broth for a lower salt version.
- Use any stew beef cut, but chuck is ideal for tenderness.
- Frozen peas are added at the end to maintain color and texture.
- Leftovers store well and taste even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
