Stove Top Beef Stew
When you’re in the mood for a hearty comforting dinner, make this one pot classic Stove Top Beef Stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas in a rich, savory gravy! Plus learn which cut of beef is best for beef stew for two.
Sometimes when it’s cold and dreary outside, all you want is a bowl of classic beef stew.
That’s why I’m sharing my hearty Stove Top Beef Stew recipe with potatoes, carrots, and peas in a rich, savory gravy with you!
It’s the exact same recipe as my Instant Pot Beef Stew but simmered low and slow on the stove in a Dutch oven.
Before the Instant Pot, I made my easy beef stew recipe on the stove. It wasn’t something I made often due to time (roughly 2 hours or so), but sometimes when it’s dreary and rainy out, you need that big bowl of comfort food to get you through the evening.
Because you cook it low and slow to break down the meat’s fat, this beef stew for two is more of a Sunday supper recipe but the good news is most of the cooking time is hands off.
Just make sure you don’t fall asleep on the couch under some nice, warm blankets while waiting for dinner to finish!
Ingredients For Stove Top Beef Stew
Here are the ingredients you need to cook your simple beef stew recipe:
- Beef chuck roast: This is the cut of beef preferred for stew (see more below)
- Salt and pepper: Seasoning for your meat
- Vegetable oil: Used to sear your beef
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics to build your base
- Beef stock or broth: Liquid needed to cook your stew
- Worcestershire sauce : Adds some umami taste
- Brown sugar: A touch of sweetness to balance the flavors
- Carrots, potato, and peas: Vegetables that pair well with beef
- Thyme or rosemary: A hearty herb that adds freshness
- Lemon juice: Acidity that cuts through the richness
- Cornstarch and water: If your liquid is a little too thin, you may need to use cornstarch to help thicken it for a gravy
Looking to add a little more oomph to your beef stew? Check out my Guinness Beef Stew recipe where I use beer in addition to broth to flavor the gravy.
What cut of beef is best for stew?
The best cut of beef for stew is boneless chuck roast because it won’t dry out after cooking and is more affordable than a more tender cut. The marbling breaks down during the long cooking process, making the meat fork tender.
I highly recommend cutting a chuck roast yourself. If you buy the pre-cut stew meat, they usually don’t have enough fat on them for stew. You definitely need some beautiful marbling for flavor.
Since this beef stew for two recipe is scaled down, you only need 1/2 pound of meat. However, most chuck roasts are larger than this. You can either ask your butcher for a smaller cut or buy what you can and freeze what you don’t use.
I like to portion my meat into half pound sizes before freezing. That way I can grab only what I need to defrost in the future.
How To Make Stove Top Beef Stew
Here’s how to make your easy beef stew recipe on the stove:
- Sear beef in Dutch oven until brown on both sides.
- Cook onion and garlic.
- Whisk in broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil then add beef and thyme.
- Simmer until beef is tender, about 60-90 minutes.
- Add carrots and potatoes then cook another 30 minutes.
- Stir in peas, lemon juice, and cornstarch if needed.
Refrigerate leftover beef stew in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze beef stew?
Yes, you can freeze stovetop beef stew with some adjustments.
First – If you know ahead of time you’re freezing it, you’ll want to undercook the carrots and potatoes, about 15-20 minutes instead of 30 minutes. The vegetables in stew tend to be softer after freezing, so undercooking will help with that.
If you didn’t plan ahead and freeze it after fully cooking the vegetables, the stew will still be fine. Sometimes I find myself picking out the potatoes if they’re too soft, but you’ll have to use your best judgment when reheating.
If they’re still a bit crunchy after thawing, you can reheat the stew until they’re more tender. It’s better to cook it more later than to overcook it in the beginning.
Second, because I use cornstarch to thicken it, there’s a chance the gravy may separate when reheating.
If you’re meal prepping and not eating the stew right away, you can leave out the cornstarch altogether then add it when reheating.
However, if you already ate dinner and want to freeze some leftovers, you can still freeze it with cornstarch.
If the gravy does separate after reheating, you can take some of the separated gravy, whisk it in a separate bowl with cornstarch, then add it back in. That should smooth the sauce again.
More Comfort Food Recipes
If you enjoyed your stovetop beef stew, check out these other comfort food dinners:
- Small Meatloaf Recipe
- Small Pork Roast
- Instant Pot Pork Roast
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- Mac and Cheese For Two
- Kielbasa Mac and Cheese
Stove Top Beef Stew
When you’re in the mood for a hearty comforting dinner, make this one pot classic Stove Top Beef Stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas in a rich, savory gravy! Plus learn which cut of beef is best for beef stew for two.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3/4 cup - 1 cup beef broth or stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) Russet, yellow, or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 sprig thyme or rosemary + 1 teaspoon fresh leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional - see recipe)
- 1 tablespoon water (optional - see recipe)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper then add in a single layer. Cook until brown, about 3–5 minutes. Flip and cook until brown again, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
- In the same pot, add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. If the pot is dry, add more oil. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in 3/4 cup beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest simmer possible. Add the beef and any juices from the bowl and herb sprig. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If the pot is dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup broth. - Add carrots and potatoes. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in peas, herb leaves, and lemon juice. Cook until the peas are hot, about 1 minute. Remove the herb sprig.
- Optional - If there's still liquid left in your pot: Mix together cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the pot then bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Refrigerate leftover beef stew in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Do you own a pressure cooker? Learn how to cook this dish faster with my Instant Pot Beef Stew.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my Guinness Beef Stew.
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Oh that does look amazing! Can’t wait to dig in! Thank you :-)
Enjoy!
I just made this stew, with about 20 variations. It gave me great ideas and the incentive of what and how much, so, it turned out wonderful. There is more than enough for the wife and I tonight, so I will put a hotwater pastry on the top, and call it dinner, tomorrow night. Thanks, Reg
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Oohhh I bet this would freeze well, wouldn’t it? I’m looking for stew recipes to freeze for when my twins arrive in January – thanks for the great recipe!
Yes you can, but two things you need to be aware of so you’re not frustrated after reheating. One – Because I use cornstarch to thicken it, there’s a chance the gravy may separate when reheating. If this happens, you can take some of the separated gravy, whisk it in a separate bowl with cornstarch, then add it back in. That should smooth the sauce again. Two – You will also want to undercook the carrots and potatoes, say 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes. The vegetables in stew tend to be softer after freezing, so undercooking will help with that. And if they are still a bit crunchy after thawing, you can reheat the stew until they’re more tender. Hope that helps and congrats on the twins!
Really appreciate all the tips!
Love the addition of the peas in this beef stew! I’m all for adding more veggies whenever I can.
Me too, especially in the winter when I don’t exercise as much and need to be extra healthy. Not that stew is healthy, but any time I can add a green vegetable I do!
I really needed to learn which cut of beef is best for stews. I live in a country where you get the cut you get and that is it. However, we found a butcher who can really help get the cut you want (it’s a miracle). My last beef stew was a chewy mess. I also appreciate you telling us to cook the beef for two hours first. I will try this next week for sure!
Thankfully you have a butcher to work with! If you can’t get chuck roast specifically, you want to look for a cut of meat with lots of marbling. The fat is needed when cooking meat for a long time. If you used a leaner cut, it won’t hold up after the long cooking time.
Gosh I haven’t had beef stew in a long time!! I would probably eat both servings HAHA Looks delicious
Ha if you’re hungry enough I bet you could! I sometimes do LOL
TThank you, thank you, thank you for posting a two-person beef stew recipe! As someone who lives on my own, I genuinely appreciate finding recipes that aren’t for 6 to 8 people. It’s such a waste of food and expense for me. And yes I know, I could possibly freeze it, but honestly, I dislike the taste of defrosted previously cooked meals – that’s just me :)
Glad you’re happy with the recipe! I hate freezing meals too, especially with tricky ones like beef stew where you have to undercook the vegetables so they aren’t too mushy when reheated.
Could you make this surhchicken instead of beef? What other ingredients would you substitute and would anything need to be changed to the cooking directions?
I’m sure you can tweak it to use with chicken, but the recipe is designed to cook down a tough piece of beef where as chicken doesn’t need as much time. I haven’t tested it, but if I had to guess: Cook cut up chicken breast 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle. Continue cooking the vegetables and skip cooking the meat for 90 minutes. Use chicken broth instead of beef and leave out the Worcestershire sauce. You may need lemon juice at the end to help brighten up the dish, depending on how heavy the stew is at the end. Again, I have not tested it with chicken, so please let me know how it goes. If you decide to use bone-in chicken pieces like drumsticks or thighs, the cooking time will need to be longer.
Is there something else i can use I if I don’t have cornstarch in the house and to lazy to go out into the cold to buy it?
You can use all purpose flour to thicken. Start with 2 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water. If that’s not thick enough, you can add another tablespoon mixed with more water or so until it reaches your desired thickness.
Making this right now! I’m a bit confused though, it says 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in the ingredients but I don’t see in the directions where to add it in.
Add it with the broth and Worcestershire sauce.
In Dallas….I am making your beef stew as we speak. Wondered if I could also add frozen pearl onions and if so at what point would be best. Love your Blog!!!!
I haven’t personally tried it, but I’d probably add it with the peas then cook about 5 minutes or until cooked through. They shouldn’t take too long.
Thank you so much for your advice.
The recipe says four cloves peeled garlic. Does that mean you put them in whole and don’t minced them or chop them?
Yes, leave them whole.
I just made this tonight and we all loved it. I made no changes and I was perfectly delicious. I plan to share this with my sister.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I rarely comment but this was delicious. My husband raved. Used stew meat from Farm Story Meats, which is so much better than grocery store meat. Doubled recipe but followed exactly. So glad I found it !
So glad you enjoyed the stew!
Wonderful. Just what I was looking for.Easy. quick and tasty.
Thank you
Happy to hear that!
Since I’m making this recipe for the 20th time I thought I should leave a comment. Quite simply…it’s delicious! I double/triple the recipe for a family of 5. We all love it. Freezes great too! Thanks so much for posting…
Thanks for sharing! So glad everyone enjoys it.
Question: could this be made in a slow cooker? On high or low? I’m thinking to brown the meat on high first then add ingredients according to recipe and cook on low for the 2 hours.
To clarify – slow cookers don’t brown meat, even on the high setting. You would have to brown it on the stovetop first (but not all inserts are stovetop friendly so you’ll have to check your manual). If you’re using the slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot, then you can also brown it inside an IP first then switch to slow cooker. With that said, I haven’t tested this in the slow cooker. In theory you can add everything up to the potatoes and cook for the full amount (high is 4-6 hours, low is 6-8 hours). Then afterwards you can add the peas, thyme, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Again, that’s just a best guess without testing it, but it should get you close.
Do you have other delicious receipes for 2
Yes! At the top of the page should be a link labeled “Recipes”. Click that then have a look around. If you’re looking for a specific recipe, you can type into the search bar.
Thank you for the 2 person recipe. It really helps. I am going to try this tonight. Yum!
Let me know how it turned out!
I was trying to find a Stew for two but this seems more like a roast recipe. I figured to make a soup I could use this as a base and add more liquid of either broth or tomato juice and celery. Thanks for the helpful hints of freezing for later as well . ❤️
Sounds like we have different definitions of a stew because this is 100% beef stew. Maybe it’s hard to see the gravy in the bowls but is nowhere near being a roast.
I love to make this stew! I thicken it with potato flakes though. otherwise I make it exactly as it says. so delicous and filling!
You can certainly use potato flakes instead of cornstarch to thicken! Glad you enjoyed the stew.
I haven’t made beef stew in a few years because it doesn’t come out very flavorful in the crockpot. Today I made this recipe. Freaking delicious! Super easy, simple ingredients, the best! This will be in the regular rotation going forward.
Glad you love the stew recipe!