Dutch Oven Beef Stew

** Updated: 8/25/2020 **

Dutch Oven Beef Stew, a slow cooked comfort food, made with fork tender chuck roast and hearty vegetables in a delicious red wine based broth.

Cold, cloudy and dreary weather reminds me of comfort food, and the weather in my town is just that... cold with a little rain.  So today, I  thought this would be the perfect time to share one of my favorite comfort foods.  Although it requires a slow and long simmer, it doesn't require much effort.  It's super easy and makes for the perfect meal on a Fall or Winter like day.

Come along as I walk you through how to make delicious hearty dutch oven beef stew that you can serve over creamy Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 

Ingredients:

• Chuck roast or pot roast
• Grape-seed oil (or other cooking oil with a high smoking point)
• Yellow or white onion
• Carrot
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Red wine (optional)
• Chicken broth (or beef broth)

How to make beef stew in a dutch oven

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
• Season the meat: Wash the chuck roast and pat dry with paper towels.  Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper unless you're on a low sodium diet otherwise do not be afraid to salt.
• Sear the meat: Add oil to your dutch oven over medium high heat and sear both sides of the chuck roast until nice and golden brown then place on a clean plate and set aside.
• Develop the flavor:  In the same dutch oven, add minced garlic and saute until fragrant add tomato paste and saute for another minute.  Then, add the red wine and chicken broth (or just chicken broth if you do not want to use wine).  However, if using red wine, the alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process.
• Add the chuck roast back to dutch oven and top with sauteed veggies (largely cut carrots, sliced onion, and minced garlic). Cover the dutch oven with the lid and place in the preheated oven.  Allow it to cook until the meat is fork tender.  Remove the dutch oven from the oven after 1 hour and spoon the juices over the meat.  Repeat this step again at the 2 hour mark.  Continue cooking until you're able to cut the chuck roast with a fork.

What's the best cut of meat for beef stew

The best cut of meat for beef stew is a well marbled chuck roast in my opinion.  Although it's a tougher cut of meat due to the tougher connective tissue, when cooked long and slow the connective tissues begin to soften creating fork tender meat which is perfect for dutch oven beef stew.

Why your pot roast might be tough

Pot roast or chuck roast is perfect for slow cooking and if not done properly can result in your meat being tough and hard to chew. For the perfect soft and tender bite, a slow simmer or braising is the cooking method of choice for beef stew.

Tips:

• For perfect dutch oven beef stew use either a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot
• For ultimate flavor, it's important to sear your chuck roast first on both sides before braising (SO IMPORTANT)
• If you prefer not adding red wine, that's perfectly fine chicken broth alone still adds incredible flavor to the pan juices
• Add a generous amount of kosher salt
• Building layers of flavor by seasoning each component of the stew for incredible flavor
• A slow and long simmer

Storing and freezing leftovers

When storing leftovers, place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  When ready to serve, place the leftovers in a pot on the stove-top over medium heat until warm.

Beef stew freezes really well.  Simply, place in a freezer friendly airtight  container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.  The day before you're going to serve or the morning of, thaw in the fridge.  Once thawed, place in a pot on the stove-top over medium heat until warm.

You may also like these other dinner ideas

Oven Baked Chuck Roast Recipe (Popular blog recipe) with these Oven Roasted Potatoes

Spatchcock Chicken Recipe with Cajun Spices with this Oven Roasted Broccolette Recipe

Oven Roasted Butterflied Chicken with Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked Chicken and Green Beans

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Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Dutch Oven Beef Stew, a slow cooked comfort food, made with fork tender chuck roast and hearty vegetables in a delicious red wine based broth. After a slow and long simmer, the chuck roast becomes tender in a flavorful sauce.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Calories: 710kcal

Equipment

• Dutch oven with a lid or heavy bottom pot with a lid

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chuck roast
• 2 tbsp grape-seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion sliced fairly large
• 1 carrot cut into chucks
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp salt salt generously
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup red wine Pinot Nior, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (optional)
• 3 cups chicken broth or beef broth

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash and cut vegetables: Cut onion into large slices, carrots into large chucks, minced garlic cloves. Add cooking oil to dutch oven over medium high heat, add onion and carrots saute for 30 seconds or so, add garlic and saute just until fragrant. Remove from dutch oven and place on clean plate. Set aside.
• Wash and pat dry chuck roast with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add more cooking oil to dutch oven if necessary and begin to sear chuck roast on both sides until a brown outer coating forms (about 8 minutes per side). Remove seared chuck roast from dutch oven and place on clean plate. Set aside.
• Add tomato paste to dutch oven and cook for a minute or so to cook out the rawness of the tomato paste. Deglaze the dutch oven with red wine, add chicken broth and give a big stir. *If not using wine, deglaze with chicken broth.
• Add seared chuck roast back to dutch oven and add the sauteed vegetables on top of the chuck roast. Cover with lid and place in oven and allow to cook for 2 hrs and 10 mins to 2 hrs and 30 mins. Oven times may vary. The pan juices will have reduced some and thickened at the end of the cooking time resulting in a rich and flavorful sauce.
• Using a fork or other utensil cut chuck roast into chucks. Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes or alongside vegetables.

Notes

**Please note: Nutritional values serve as a guide only as values may vary.

Tips:

• For perfect dutch oven beef stew use either a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot

 

• For ultimate flavor, it's important to sear your chuck roast first on both sides before braising (SO IMPORTANT)

 

• If you prefer not adding red wine, that's perfectly fine chicken broth alone still adds incredible flavor to the pan juices

 

• Add a generous amount of kosher salt

 

• Building layers of flavor by seasoning each component of the stew for incredible flavor

 

• A slow and long simmer

 

• When storing leftovers, place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days

 

• Beef stew freezes really well.  Simply, place in a freezer friendly airtight  container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.  The day before you're going to serve or the morning of, thaw in the fridge overnight.  Once thawed, place in a pot on the stove-top over medium heat until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 710kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 4421mg | Potassium: 1358mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2639IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 8mg