Easy Homemade Beef Stew with Tender Chuck Roast and Savory Sauce
By Ava Mitchell
Prep
15 min
Cook
150 min
Total
165 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
Browning the floured beef in batches creates a dark crust, while scraping those browned bits into the broth builds the stew’s savory sauce. This homemade beef stew braises chuck roast with Yukon Gold potatoes and carrots until the meat is tender and the vegetables are soft.
Seasoned chuck roast gets a light flour coating before it meets olive oil, which helps form the browned surface. Onion, fresh garlic, and carrot cook briefly in that pot, then potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme make the braising liquid. Fresh garlic rather than garlic powder is specified for fuller flavor. The broth loosens the flavorful browned residue from the base.
After the liquid reaches a simmer, the browned beef returns to the Dutch oven for a covered 325°F cook. Look for meat that yields readily to a fork and vegetables that are soft rather than relying on the clock alone. A frequent mistake is leaving the browned residue stuck to the pot instead of scraping it into the broth, where it seasons the sauce. Remove the bay leaf before final seasoning.
Serve the stew warm on its own or with rice, couscous, cornbread, mashed potatoes, salad, crusty bread, naan, dinner rolls, or broccoli casserole, all suggested in the article. For a brothier bowl, add water or extra beef broth halfway through cooking or about 30 minutes before it is done.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Browning the floured chuck in separate batches builds a darker crust because crowded beef steams, giving the finished sauce more savory depth.
- The broth deglazes the Dutch oven after the vegetables cook, so browned residue dissolves into the tomato-and-Worcestershire sauce rather than staying stuck.
- A covered oven braise gives the beef chunks time to become very tender while the potatoes and carrots soften in the same pot.
- Keeping the beef partly uncooked after searing prevents an overdone exterior, since it finishes gently during the long covered cook.
- Adding thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and Worcestershire before simmering seasons the liquid throughout, so each spoonful carries the same savory character.
- The recipe includes practical thickness control: add broth or water for more liquid, or simmer uncovered near the end for a denser sauce.
Ingredients
- •2 lb beef chuck roast (cut into 2-inch chunks, excess fat removed)
- •1 tsp kosher salt
- •0.5 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- •2 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- •2 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)
- •0.5 large yellow onion (chopped)
- •4 garlic cloves (minced)
- •1 large carrot (cut into 2-inch chunks)
- •2 Yukon Gold potatoes (diced into 2-inch pieces)
- •2 cups beef broth
- •0.25 cup tomato paste
- •1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- •1 bay leaf
- •2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (to garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- 2
Season the beef chuck roast on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
- 3
Sprinkle the flour over the seasoned beef and toss to coat all sides.
- 4
Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
- 5
Brown the beef in batches on all sides for 3–4 minutes per batch.
- 6
Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- 7
Add the onion, garlic, and carrot to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes or until lightly browned.
- 8
Add the potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme leaves, and Worcestershire sauce.
- 9
Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- 10
Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, then return the beef to the pot.
- 11
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the preheated oven.
- 12
Cook for 2–2½ hours, or until the beef is very tender.
- 13
Remove the bay leaf, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- 14
Serve warm.
FAQ
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
