Hearty Stovetop Beef Stew Without Wine or Tomatoes

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down to enjoy a hot bowl of soup on a frigid winter day. The warm bowl warms your hands, and the coziness of a hearty stew with homemade biscuits warms your heart. This hearty beef stew is made with generous chunks of vegetables, smaller bites of beef, and a slightly thickened broth. It leaves you feeling full and satisfied, with nary a thought of the ugliness outside.

We recently spent a few weeks in Florida, only to return to a nasty winter rainstorm in South Dakota. The tropical vacation made it even worse to come home to temperatures in the 40s with awful wind and rain. The chill worked its way into all of us almost immediately, and I knew I needed to make a big pot of beef stew.

This stovetop beef stew makes about 16 one-cup servings. For our family of seven, that means supper and enough leftovers for another meal when I serve it with biscuits.

A Simple Beef Stew Without Wine or Tomatoes

I have read a lot of different beef stew recipes. Many call for red wine, tomato paste, tons of different herbs, or a cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth. My recipe does not use any of those ingredients.

This is meant to be a simple pantry-staple beef stew. It creates depth through cooking techniques rather than adding extra stuff to the pot. Browning the floured beef, saving the browned bits, and slowly cooking three onions gives the broth a rich flavor.

Worcestershire sauce is probably the most “special” ingredient in this recipe, and you can omit it if you do not have it. It is no big deal. It just adds a little pizazz.

What’s in This Hearty Beef Stew?

This chunky beef stew combines beef bone broth, stew meat, carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, and a few basic herbs and seasonings. I prefer to cut the vegetables in larger chunks because it feels rustic and makes me feel like I am eating a nice, hearty meal.

Sometimes soup can seem a little underwhelming or unfilling, but the bigger chunks in this stew help combat that feeling. I cut the meat smaller than usual, though. Smaller pieces help stretch the beef and make the stew more budget-friendly.

Many recipes call for cutting beef into 1½-inch chunks. I like something closer to ½-inch pieces. When I buy precut stew meat, I cut each piece into halves or thirds. The beef pieces should be small enough to get two or three of them in a spoonful of stew.

Stew meat or chuck roast

I usually use a family pack of stew meat weighing about two pounds. If a whole chuck roast is less expensive, I buy that instead and cut it myself. Cutting the roast at home makes it easier to trim away excess gristle and create evenly sized pieces. In my experience, the chuck roast also turns out especially tender.

Red potatoes

I use six or seven medium red potatoes, which works out to about one potato per person at our table. Red potatoes hold their shape well and look pretty in the stew. You can adjust the number to fit your family and the size of your pot.

Bone broth

I prepare two quarts of beef bone broth. It can be homemade, store-bought, or regular beef stock if you do not have bone broth. I use Zoup beef bone broth, but you can use the broth you keep on hand.

Different broths contain different amounts of salt. I use one tablespoon of Redmond Real Salt with my usual broth, but you may need less if yours is heavily salted. Taste the broth before adding the full amount when you change brands.

The Two Secrets to Flavorful Beef Stew

Secret #1: Brown the beef and save the fond

I flour the beef and brown it to create the little crispy bits on the bottom of the pot, known as fond. Fond is the flavorful browned residue that sticks to a pan after meat or vegetables are seared or sautéed.

Do not scrub those bits away. When you add liquid and scrape them into the broth, you are deglazing the pan.

The beef needs room to brown rather than steam. I use a wide, oblong, 8-quart enameled Dutch oven, and two pounds of beef fits in one layer. My exact pot is no longer available, but this similar enameled Dutch oven is the closest option I could find. If your pot is narrower, brown the beef in two batches.

Secret #2: Caramelize the onions

The second secret takes time, but it is absolutely worth it. Caramelize the onions before adding the broth.

After removing the browned beef, I add butter and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. I use wooden utensils because they can loosen the flavorful bits without scratching the enameled coating. This six-piece wooden spoon set includes several shapes for stirring and scraping.

Add the onions, cover the pot, and cook them over medium-low heat. Stir about every five minutes. Mine take about 30 minutes to become soft, reduced in size, and deep golden brown. Three onions may sound like a lot, but they cook down so much that you will barely see them in the finished stew.

Prepare the Beef and Vegetables

This is not a quick 30-minute meal. It is a labor of love that takes patience. Prepare everything first so you are not chopping vegetables while the beef burns.

Cut six or seven medium red potatoes into roughly 1-inch pieces—or whatever shape you can come up with. Sometimes I think recipes are absurd because potatoes are round and we are always being told to cut them into squares. Just eyeball it. I imagine that one bite of potato should fit on each spoonful.

Wash and chop three stalks of celery. I run my knife lengthwise down the center of each stalk to make thinner sticks, then chop them into ½-inch pieces. I do not love celery, so if you are like me, do not be concerned about it. It gets thoroughly cooked, and you will not have to chew it 127 times to eat it.

Wash and chop four large carrots. I do not peel mine unless they are really dirty. I like to leave them in big rounds because they are pretty. If a carrot is more than about an inch thick, I cut it in half lengthwise so the pieces are semicircles. The goal is to have big pieces—remember, one piece per bite. I cut mine about ½ inch thick.

Peel and roughly chop three medium yellow onions. Yes, three. If you absolutely hate onions, you can dice them finer. They will reduce so much during cooking that the large pieces will not remain obvious.

Cut the stew meat or chuck roast into ½-inch pieces. This is the one time to break the one-piece-per-bite rule. Place the meat in a bowl, pour the Worcestershire sauce over it, and toss until coated.

If you plan to serve biscuits or cheddar bay biscuits with your stew, preheat your oven according to that recipe now.

How to Make Stovetop Beef Stew

Brown the meat

Preheat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of beef tallow. Toss the Worcestershire-coated meat with ⅓ cup all-purpose flour until the pieces are lightly coated.

Do not add the salt, pepper, garlic, or rosemary yet. Those seasonings can burn against the hot bottom of the pot.

Add the beef and spread it into one layer. Then leave it alone. Let it sizzle without stirring for about three minutes so it can brown and develop crisp edges. Flip the meat and brown the other side. It does not need to cook completely at this point, but the outside should have good color.

Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.

Caramelize the onions

Add two tablespoons of butter to the pot. As it melts, scrape the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the onions, stir everything together, and cover the pot.

Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring every five minutes. They are ready when they are soft, deep golden brown, and greatly reduced in size.

Sauté the vegetables

Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the caramelized onions. Sprinkle in one tablespoon salt, two teaspoons black pepper, two teaspoons granulated garlic, and one teaspoon dried rosemary.

Return the browned beef to the pot and stir well. Cover and let everything cook together for about five minutes. This brief sauté gives the vegetables a chance to pick up the flavor in the pot before you add the broth.

Add the broth and simmer

Pour in two quarts of beef bone broth. Stir well and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any fond that remains. Make sure the meat and vegetables are covered with liquid.

Slowly raise the heat and bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes.

The flour on the beef and the starch released from the potatoes will lightly thicken the broth. This is still a brothy stew rather than a heavy gravy, but it should have more body than a thin soup.

The small pieces of beef will be cooked through and easy to eat, rather than shredded like a crock-pot roast. For softer vegetables or more tender meat, continue simmering and check every 10 minutes. Add broth or water if the liquid reduces too far.

Make the biscuits and rest the stew

While the stew simmers, prepare and bake your biscuits. They should be ready at about the right time if you put them in the oven when you remove the lid from the stew.

After the uncovered stew has simmered for 10 minutes, turn off the burner and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. The broth will continue to settle and thicken slightly, and you are less likely to burn your tongue—although my family has been known to ignore this advice.

What to Serve With Beef Stew

Our favorite side dish for this hearty stew is a cheesy sourdough cheddar bay biscuit. The soft biscuit soaks up the savory broth, while the cheddar and garlic butter make the meal extra cozy.

The stew is also delicious with a toasted and buttered slice of sourdough bread, a leftover bagel, or regular sourdough biscuits. You could top each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream or a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

My little boys always want their soup served in parfait glasses for fun. It may not be the most traditional beef-stew dish, but they think it makes an ordinary family meal feel fancy.

How We Use the Leftovers

In our house, this stew never lasts beyond the next meal. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened.

For the second meal, I sometimes spoon the leftover stew over mashed potatoes. It stretches the remaining beef and broth and turns it into a different kind of supper. A smaller serving of stew also makes a filling soup-and-salad lunch.

If you need to store it longer than we normally do, divide the stew into shallow containers and refrigerate it promptly. The USDA recommends refrigerating cooked leftovers within two hours and using them within three to four days.

Troubleshooting Your Beef Stew

Why is my stew broth too thin?

Make sure you used the full amount of flour and simmered the stew uncovered for the final 10 minutes. You can also let it rest longer before serving. The broth thickens slightly as it cools.

Why is my stew too thick?

The potatoes and flour will continue absorbing liquid as the stew sits. Stir in a little more broth or water until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Why did my beef steam instead of brown?

The pot was probably crowded, or the surface of the meat was too wet. Use a wide pot and keep the beef in one layer. If necessary, brown it in two batches.

What if the vegetables are still firm?

Keep the stew at a gentle simmer and check it again after 10 minutes. Large vegetable pieces and different potato varieties may need more time.

What if the stew tastes bland?

First, check the salt. Broth brands vary widely, so a recipe that tastes right with one brand may need adjusting with another. A small additional splash of Worcestershire sauce can also deepen the flavor, but taste before adding more.

A Family-Favorite Tradition

I have been making my beef stew this way for almost 10 years now, and my family adores it. When I made it to take the photos for this blog post, everyone ended up crowded around the kitchen island, anxiously awaiting their meal.

We actually skipped the cooling-off period that day. Everyone started slurping their stew and nearly burned their tongues. It was just that good, and they could not wait. Scott ate four bowls!

I am sure your family will love this hearty stovetop beef stew as much as we do. Maybe it will become a cold-weather tradition in your home, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does beef stew need wine or tomato paste?

No. This recipe gets its depth from browned beef, fond, caramelized onions, bone broth, Worcestershire sauce, and simple seasonings. It does not need wine, tomatoes, or tomato paste.

Why coat stew meat in flour?

Flour helps the outside of the beef brown and contributes to the fond on the bottom of the pot. Once the broth is added, that flour also gives the liquid a lightly thickened texture without a cornstarch slurry.

Can I use regular beef broth instead of bone broth?

Yes. I use beef bone broth, but I have also made simple soups and stews with regular stock. Check the salt level before adding the full tablespoon of salt because every brand is different.

What is the best beef for this stew?

Packaged stew meat is convenient. A whole chuck roast can be more economical and lets you trim the gristle and control the size of the pieces. I have used both successfully.

How long does stovetop beef stew take?

Plan on about 15 minutes of preparation and roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes for browning, cooking, simmering, and resting. The total time is approximately 1½ hours. Continue simmering if you prefer softer vegetables or more tender beef.

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