Dutch Oven Beef Stew is a comforting dish made with stew meat, potatoes, baby carrots, onions, garlic, and beef broth. It’s the perfect weekend dish that can be prepared and left to simmer on the stovetop until the meat is tender. Your family will love this stew with a side of warm crusty bread.

Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Name: Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound stew meat; ¼ cup flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; ¼ cup butter; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced; 2 cups baby carrot; 4 cups beef broth; 2 cups water

This beef stew in a Dutch oven is the perfect option for a weekend meal with your family. The ingredients are easy to prep and since the soup needs to simmer for an hour and a half, you can start in the afternoon when you have more time. It’ll be ready during the busier time of dinner when everyone is getting settled and the kids are doing homework.

Another great time to make this savory stew is while camping. It can be made over a fire or on a portable cooktop. You can prepare the beef, onions, potatoes, and garlic before leaving and store them in zip lock bags in the fridge of the camper or in a cooler packed with ice. Sauté the ingredients in a large Dutch oven or pot, pour in the beef stock, and simmer until the meat is tender.

*Pro-tip: Double bag the onions if you cut and store them to contain the strong onion flavor.

If you need a lower carb option, try this recipe for Keto beef stew! With tender cubed beef and healthy vegetables, this one pot hearty stew can be enjoyed on its own or with some keto bread or dinner rolls

How to Make Dutch Oven Beef Stew:

Toss the stew meat with flour, salt, and pepper.

Heat the butter in the Dutch oven until melted, then add the meat and flour mixture to the pan, along with the onion and garlic.

Sauté until the outside of the meat is brown.

Add the potatoes, carrots, beef broth, and water.

Stir to mix.

Cook over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tips for Success/Variations:

For added depth of flavor add some red wine or Guinness beer to deglaze the pan. Stir it in and try to get all the fond off the bottom of the pan for even more flavor.
If you need the stovetop to make other dishes, you can also make this in the oven. Place the lid on top, set the temperature to 350F, and simmer.
To make this stew gluten-free, leave out the flour meant to coat the beef and make the stew thicker. If it’s too thin, stir together with a slurry with cornstarch and some of the liquid from the pot.
To make this soup in a crockpot, sauté the meat and vegetables, transfer it to the slow cooker, add the liquid, cover, and set it to low for eight hours.

What to serve with Dutch oven beef stew:

To pair this stew with a side dish, here are some great ideas: Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon, Roasted Green Beans, or Sheet Pan Roasted Broccoli.

Bread goes great with soup and these are some great options: Angel Biscuits, Homemade Cornbread, or Sprite Biscuits.

How to store this dish:

You can store leftover instant pot potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

To reheat, put the soup in a pot and gently bring it to a simmer until it’s hot enough to eat. You might want to put a little water in the soup to thin it out a bit since it will become thicker in the fridge.

You can also reheat it in the microwave. Be sure to place a paper towel or a microwave lid on the bowl so it doesn’t splatter and make a mess of your microwave.

This soup doesn’t freeze well because the potatoes will fall apart and the cream may crystallize and won’t reheat well.

FAQs:

What else can I add to beef stew?

If you want to add some additional veggies or grains there are some great options you can try. You can use barley, farro, brown rice, wheatberries, mushrooms, parsnips, fennel, butternut squash, or acorn squash.

How can I make this stew spicy?

To make beef stew spicy add some diced jalapenos, chili flakes, poblano peppers, or hot sauce. Be sure to taste the peppers before adding them to make sure they match the level of spice you’ll want in your stew.

Can I use large carrots rather than baby carrots?

Yes, you can definitely peel and dice large carrots and add them to the stew.

Yield: 5 servings