Thick Beef Stew

This Thick Beef Stew recipe is easy to make and budget friendly. A hearty one-pot meal that is loaded with tender chunks of beef, creamy potatoes, delicious carrots and a thick, rich sauce.

Ingredients needed:

• Stew Meat: an inexpensive beef chuck works great for this recipe. You can also find pre-cut beef cubes at your grocery store. The pre-cut beef stew meat is typically a bit more expensive than a whole beef chuck roast.
• Oil: I prefer to use avocado oil for my recipes. You can also use vegetable oil if that is what you have on hand.
• Water: if you’re trying to make a budget friendly meal, then water works great. If you have beef broth on hand, you can substitute the water for beef broth.
• Red Onion: red onion gives the perfect flavor to this dish. You could also substitute a yellow onion or white onion.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves chopped up are ideal. But you can also used minced garlic from the jar.
• Lemon Juice: You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or pre-squeezed lemon juice.
• Salt
• Sugar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Black Pepper
• Paprika: regular paprika is what I recommend. If you want to add a little depth and heat to your beef stew, you can always add in smoked paprika as well.
• All Spice: the all spice adds the the perfect hint of coziness to this dish. Don’t leave it out! It adds to the flavor profile of the dish.
• Bay Leaf: a few bay leaves in the pot add a little earthiness to the beef stew.
• Potatoes: red potatoes or russet potatoes work well in this recipe.
• Carrots
• Corn starch: don’t skip the corn starch if you are wanting a thick beef stew. If you leave out the cornstarch you’ll end up with a vegetable beef soup.

Why you’ll love this Thick Beef Stew Recipe

This Beef Stew recipe is a budget friendly meal that will fill up your entire family. It has tons of flavor and is one of those old-fashioned recipes that your entire family will ask for time and time again.

• Hearty and warm during the winter months
• Inexpensive and budget friendly
• Quick and easy
• Basic ingredients
• Comfort food

The best cuts of meat to use for Beef Stew

The great thing about Beef Stew is that you can use an inexpensive cut of beef. It doesn’t matter if the beef is tough because of how you slowly cook the stew.

Look for chuck roasts or rump roasts to use in your beef stew. Both cuts of meat are an economical cut that becomes tender when cooked on low for a longer period of time.

You should be able to find a pre-cut package of stew meat which helps to make meal time a breeze. If you’re not able to find pre-cut stew meat, you can cut a roast (look for a chuck roast or rump roast) into 1-inch, bite-sized cubes.

Variations

If you prefer to add in other vegetables you could add in green beans or frozen peas. The cooking time will not vary a ton if you choose to use frozen vegetables or fresh vegetables. Just make sure to cook your beef stew on a slow simmer.

Two ways to cook the Thick Beef Stew

This recipe can be cooked in your Instant Pot or on your stove top in a Dutch oven (or a large pot). The recipe card of this reflects the Instant Pot Beef Stew directions. You can also follow along with the Dutch oven directions if that is your preferred method of cooking.

Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew Instructions

Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté. Add in a tablespoon of avocado oil (or whichever oil you prefer).
Add in your stew meat, red onions and garlic. Sauté until the meat is browned.

While the stew meat browns, chop up your potatoes and carrots. Add in the potatoes, carrots and the rest of your ingredients.

Stir well and place the Instant Pot lid on top. Push the Stew button.

Let the Instant Pot naturally pressure release. Once the pressure has released from the instant pot, take the lid off.

Take out one cup of the liquid and put it into a small bowl. Whisk a tablespoon of corn starch into the liquid.

Once the corn starch is mixed in, slowly mix that liquid back into your beef stew. Let the beef stew sit for a few minutes to thicken up.

The longer it sits, the thicker it will become.

Dutch Oven Beef Stew Instructions

1. Use a large pot or dutch oven to make your beef stew. Add a tablespoon of your favorite oil to the bottom of the pot. I prefer to use avocado oil.
2. Turn your pot to medium heat and add in your stew meat, red onions and garlic. Saute until the meat is browned.
3. Add in the potatoes, carrots and the rest of your ingredients.
4. Stir well and place the lid onto your large pot.
5. Turn the stovetop to low heat and cook on low for around an hour or until the potatoes are tender.
6. Take out one cup of the liquid and put into a small bowl.
7. Whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the liquid in the small bowl.
8. Once the cornstarch is mixed in, slowly mix that liquid back into your beef stew.
9. Let the beef stew sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
10. The longer it sits, the thicker it will become. Enjoy!

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