A delicious Stovetop Beef Stew that’s rich, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make. Tender beef, aromatic broth, and hearty vegetables come together for the ultimate comfort meal.

This stovetop Beef stew is an easy and delicious meal that can be made quickly on the stove in a pot or Dutch oven.

Few things are as comforting as a well-made beef stew. It’s one of those meals that feels like a warm hug—hearty, rich, and packed with deep, savory flavors.

I love making this stovetop version because it’s straightforward, yet the long, slow simmering process brings out an incredible depth of flavor.

This beef stew has everything you want in a classic: tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, a velvety broth, and perfectly cooked vegetables that soak up all those delicious juices.

The soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce add an extra layer of umami, while the garlic, rosemary, and thyme infuse the broth with aromatics that make your kitchen smell absolutely incredible.

I often make this stew on a lazy Sunday when I have time to let it gently simmer on the stove. It’s just as perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner as it is for feeding a crowd. You can serve it on its own, but I highly recommend pairing it with warm bread (try Outback Steakhouse Bread) to soak up every last drop of that rich sauce.

Serving this Irish stew for St Patrick's Day? Why not also make some Buttered Cabbage, Corned Beef with Cabbage, Guinness Barbecue Sauce, and Guinness Glazed Chicken Drumsticks!

If you love stew recipes, be sure to also try Venison Stew, Zucchini Stew, Spanish Chicken Stew, or Irish Slow Cooker Beef Stew!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Storage, Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips
Recipe Tips
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This stovetop beef stew is a delicious and hearty meal.
It's an easy meal that can be cooked on the stovetop.
This meal is inexpensive and can feed a large family. Scale it up for a crowd or to make extra for the freezer.
It's packed with nutrients like protein, iron, vitamin B12, and zinc.
You can use up leftover beef or vegetables.
It can be frozen for later use.
Stew is a perfect dish for cold weather.
It's a great comfort food.
Customize the flavors to suit your tastes.

Ingredients

Beef Stew Meat: Cubes of beef stew meat (chuck steak, braising steak, gravy beef), are perfect in this recipe.
Beef Broth: Aka beef stock. Use store-bought in the carton, or bouillion cubes. Alternatively, make your own beef broth.
Red Wine: Wine gives a lovely depth of flavor to the sauce, and the alcohol cooks away. You can leave it out and just use water.
Potatoes: Potatoes help to thicken the stew slightly and make it hearty. Use baby potatoes, or other potatoes (such as Yukon gold) cut into bite-sized pieces.
Celery, carrot onion: These three vegetables add bulk, flavor and texture to the stew.
Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce: These ingredients add lots of big umami flavor.
Garlic: For this recipe, I use a whole unpeeled head of garlic and just cut the top off of it. You can substitute 2 minced cloves of garlic.
Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaves: These classic herbs add lots of flavor. If you don't have fresh rosemary and thyme, use ½ teaspoon dried of each.
Oil: Use your regular cooking oil, olive oil or canola.
Cornstarch: Stirring a little cornstarch (cornflour) into water and then stirring into the stew helps to thicken it with no clumps.
Salt and Pepper: To season the stew. You may not need any salt if your beef broth is quite salty.

See the recipe card for the full method and quantities.

Instructions

If you're wondering how to make this easy stovetop beef stew recipe, don't worry, it's easy!

Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.

Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes, then place them into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper and stir.

Heat a skillet over medium/high heat. Add the beef (you may need to cook it in batches) and cook, stirring often, until browned on the outside. Transfer the beef to a large pot or Dutch oven.

Add the red wine to the pan you cooked the beef in (don’t clean it out first) over high heat and let it bubble and reduce for a few minutes. Then add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce and bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Pour the beef sauce into the large pot that the beef is in. Add the head of garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Place over low heat and stew for 1 + ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft.

When the hour of stewing is up, add the sauteed vegetables and potatoes. Stir and simmer on low for 15 minutes with the lid on.

Mix the cornflour into 2 tablespoons of water, then stir it into the stew. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Thickening the beef stew with cornflour.

Check that the beef is tender. If necessary, cook for a little longer.

Discard the bay leaves and head of garlic. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

You can leave out the red wine.
Add other chopped root vegetables along with the carrots - parsnips and rutabaga work well.
For extra vegetables, add some frozen green beans and/or peas towards the end of the cooking time.
Add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Add sliced mushrooms for extra umami.
Stir in a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
Replace the red wine with a dark beer or Guinness.

Storage, Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips

Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Make-ahead: Stew tastes even better the next day!

Recipe Tips

Sear the beef well – This step builds flavor, so don’t rush it.
Deglaze the pan – The wine (or broth) picks up those browned bits, adding depth.
Don’t rush the simmering process – The longer it cooks, the better.
Adjust consistency – Add more broth if it gets too thick.
Taste before serving – Adjust salt and seasoning at the end.

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