In my humble opinion, beef stew is a staple recipe that everyone should have. And that recipe should be easy, delicious, and not take all day to make. Bonus points if it can be made in one pot. The good news is this stove top beef stew recipe is just that.
It is easy to make and can be made in under two hours. It takes simple ingredients and turns them into something tasty, hearty, and comforting, and it all comes together in one pot on your stove top. No need for a fancy pressure cooker or a day’s worth of waiting for a Crock Pot to cook it.
PS – this stove top beef stew leftovers (if there are any) make the perfect base for a shepard’s pie.
PPS – if you’re having a hard time finding stew meat at your local grocery store, just grab a roast (rump or chuck) that’s on sale and cut it into 1-inch cubes. 😉
Don’t forget the rules of food safety! Here is the short list:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Never thaw meat on the counter – instead thaw in the refrigerator, microwave or cool water bath.
- Always wash cutting boards and plates after having been in contact with raw meat.
- Always cook to appropriate internal temperatures. Safe internal temperatures vary based on cut. Hamburger must reach a safe and savory 160 degrees, while steak is safe at 145 degrees.
Stove Top Beef Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 adult servings 1x
- Category: Stew
Description
An easy way to make a classic beef stew
Ingredients
4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Tom’s Steak Rub, or your favorite season salt
1 pound beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups frozen or canned green beans
1 cup sliced carrots
Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Mix your flour and Tom’s Steak Rub or season salt together. I use a small mixing bowl for this, but you could use a ziploc bag. Add the stew meat to the flour mixture and toss it around until all the pieces are evenly coated. Take the coated meat out of the mixture, shaking off any excess flour, and set it aside.
Grab a large stockpot or Dutch oven, pour in the oil, and heat it over medium-high heat until the oil is shiny. Add 1/3* of the stew meat to your pot and sear on all sides. Remove the seared meat from the pot and set it aside yet again. Repeat the searing process for the remaining 2/3 of the meat.
After all the stew meat has been seared to perfection, pour the broth into the hot pot and deglaze it. Deglaze is just a fancy way to say, “get all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.” Bring the broth up to a boil. Add the seared stew meat back to the pot, reduce the heat (on my cooktop I reduce to medium low to low), cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Once the meat has simmered alone for a bit, it’s time to add the veggies. Dump in all the veg and sprinkle in the basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Give the stew a stir and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes more or until the veggies and meat are fork tender. Remove the stew from the heat and serve as soon as it is cool enough to eat without scalding your mouth. Enjoy!
Notes
- Depending on the size of your pot, 1/3 of the meat should allow enough room for each piece of stew meat to get seared and not steamed. If your meat isn’t getting a good seared crust, try putting fewer pieces in the pan to give the beef more room to let off steam.
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.