This healthy beef stew recipe is so easy and simple to make and yet tastes so good! All you need for making this classic stovetop beef stew is a few basic ingredients and some time to let it cook on the stove. The result is a hearty and aromatic beef stew with the most amazing sauce ever! It is thick, tasty, super flavorful and absolutely gorgeous.
For some people, beef stew (or goulash) is what grandma served on Sunday. For me, it is what I got to eat at school. No matter where you got to eat your favorite beef stew, we all know how an amazing beef stew has to taste. And let me tell you, I got you covered with this recipe! I know, nothing will taste like grandmas cooking, but this beef stew comes pretty darn close to it.
My favorite part of cooking this beef stew is having it on the stovetop and letting all of the different flavors develop. I simply love the smell of food, and this is especially true for this beef stew recipe! It smells slightly spicy, very aromatic and somewhat sweet. You absolutely will know what I am talking about when letting this beef stew cook on your stovetop.
How to make a classic beef stew
So, let's get into how this gorgeous classic stovetop beef stew is prepared. As I said, preparation is very simple. And it truly is. All you have to do is chop the veggies and the beef. Then, you first sear the beef. When it is brown you set it aside and sauté the veggies in the pot. Next, you add the tomato paste and sauté them some more. Now, add the beef, red wine and beef bone broth to the pot. Use the different spices and add the bay leaves to the pot. And that's it! Now, all that is left to do is letting the beef stew simmer with the pot closed for approximately 2.5 hours.
I know, this is a long time. But it is absolutely necessary to get this amazingly soft beef we all love. What I like to do is make this beef stew on a weekend. While it cooks, I most of the time clean my flat, read a book or watch my favorite Netflix show. No need to stand in front of the stove and watch this beef stew cook! I also love to prepare a lot of this beef stew and then freeze some servings of it. That way, there is always something healthy in your refrigerator.
You will also notice that I use quite a few onions for this recipe. Don't be afraid to use that many! It gives the beef stew flavor, but it does not make it taste like pure onions. The onions are also great for thickening the sauce naturally. Therefore, you should absolutely use them when making this recipe. Trust me, you will love this beef stew.
Combining the beef stew
Since this beef stew recipe uses less veggies, I also love to serve a salad with this recipe. I absolutely love this cucumber dill salad. You can also go for a mixed salad. The options are endless, just make what you love most. As for sides, I love to eat this beef stew with potatoes, rice or pasta. Just go for what you feel like. It always tastes great!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #bitesofberi on Instagram, friends!
Classic Stovetop Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1.3 lb beef stewing meat trimmed and cut into cubes
- 1 lb onions approx. 4-5 onions
- 2 carrots medium-sized
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cup beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a pot with the avocado oil using medium-high heat.
- Cut the onions, carrots and celery stalks into small dices. If the beef is not pre-cut, cut it into chunky dices.
- Add the beef to the pot and sear it until it browns. Set the beef aside. Next, add the onions, celery and carrots to the pot and sauté them shortly. Then, add the tomato paste and sauté for approx. 2 more minutes.
- Add the beef, red wine and the beef bone broth to the pot. Put the bay leaves into the pot. Add the paprika powder, salt and pepper.
- Bring the beef stew to a boil, then cover the pot with the lid and let the beef stew simmer on low heat for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- Test if the meat is soft enough. If it is not, let it simmer for 30 minutes longer. Add more spices or salt and pepper if you need to. If the consistency is not thick enough, let it simmer some more without the lid.
Peggy Puett
I don't usually use avocado oil and don't want to purchase it if I can use something else. Is olive oil a.good substitute?
Beri
Vegetable oil would be a good substitute as it has a high smoke point. Any oil that can be used for high-heat cooking can be used as a substitute for avocado oil. 😊
Rebecca L Sauer
What can I substitute for the wine?
Beri
You can use beef broth. Just know that the taste will be different without the red wine. It will still taste delicious, just a little different. 😊
Nerak
Simple easy and delicious
I substituted 1/4 of a cup of red wine vinegar instead of the wine realizing I didn't have paprika I used a tablespoon of adobo along with a tablespoon of Mrs dash original it turned out spectacular
Beri
Sounds delicious! Happy you liked the recipe. 😊
Kathi
This stew is absolutely delicious! Normally I am not a huge fan of beef stew ( but my kids are).
Tried this recipe and I went back for seconds. 😊
Beri
Hi Kathi, I'm really happy that you loved this stew! Hope your kids liked it, too! 😊
Debra
Sounds great but being on a low potassium diet, I couldn't eat it. Tomato paste is extremely high in potassium, could I substitute canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce? Or better yet, no tomatoes, I love them but tomatoes are not good for my levels of potassium. Is there something else I could use?
Beri
Hi Debra, I usually wouldn't recommend omitting the tomato paste as it really adds to the flavor of this beef stew. But if you can't eat it, then just skip it or use a small amount of tomato sauce (only if possible). I think it's still going to be delicious! Turkish red pepper paste is usually a great substitute for tomato paste, but it might be too high in potassium for you. So I'd say skip the tomato paste and maybe add a little more paprika powder, I think it's going to taste good. 😊
Michelle
I used Kroger Private Selection 5 pepper peppercorn bbq sauce in place of tomato paste. It is so smooth
Beri
Hi Michelle, it's great to hear that you liked the recipe! 😊
Cheryl
Rich flavor, very nice
Beri
Thank you, Cheryl! 😊
Jewell
I have used this recipe 50+ years. People always go back for seconds and ask for the recipe. I make a large pot full to have enough. Thank you for publishing the recipe.
Beri
It's a delicious beef stew, I'm happy that you love it, too! ❤️
Macey
Hello have you ever tried adding potatoes to this recipe? Any tips?
Beri
I haven't added them to this beef stew yet, but you can certainly add potatoes! Just add them 20 minutes before the beef stew finishes cooking. I recommend using yellow potatoes like Yukon Gold. You can also take a look at my Hungarian Goulash recipe as it uses potatoes and other vegetables. Hope that helps! 😊
paula
I loved your recipe and made a few minor changes which were adding mushrooms and not having paprika, using smoked paprika, and was wonderful. Will make it again! Thank you very much!
Beri
Hi Paula, adding mushrooms sounds really good! I'm glad that you liked the recipe. 😊
Sabrina
Made this for dinner tonight and everyone in my house LOVED it thank you so much!
Beri
Hi Sabrina, I'm so happy that everyone loved it! It really is perfect for this time of the year. 😊