Savory Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Savory Dutch Oven Beef Stew – tender chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes braised in a flavor-packed red wine beef broth.

Savory Dutch Oven Beef Stew

A simple flavor-packed tender beef stew that goes from stovetop to oven, all in your favorite dutch oven. Fork tender chunks of beef simmered in a red-wine beef broth flavored with pancetta, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. Rustic chunks of carrots and baby potatoes with a sprinkle of tender peas round out the stew and make it a complete one-pot meal without using an extra bowl. The ultimate cozy comfort food dutch oven recipe with just one dish.

Ingredients for Dutch Oven Beef Stew

• Olive Oil – or any neutral oil. This helps get the pancetta rendering more quickly.
• Pancetta – we use the rendered fat from the pancetta to brown the beef and flavor the stew and the crispy pancetta adds extra flavor and texture to the stew. You can substitute bacon which will lend the stew a smokier flavor.
• Beef Chuck Roast – For best quality, use a whole chuck roast instead of precut beef stew meat. Cut the roast into 1 1/2-inch chunks. This ensures you have the best flavor and most tender meat.
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Onion – a large onion diced into large pieces.
• Garlic – freshly minced for best flavor.
• Tomato Paste – to add depth of flavor.
• Dry Red Wine – You can use any dry red wine that you plan to drink. I usually use Pinot Noir or a Cabernet blend. If you prefer to skip the wine, use additional beef broth.
• Beef Broth – use low-sodium beef broth and add salt as needed
• Canned Tomatoes – To brighten the stew and add acidity. I used a small can of baby Roma tomatoes but have used diced tomatoes as well in this recipe.
• Potatoes – to save a little time and avoid peeling potatoes, I like to use baby potatoes sliced in half. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Carrots – fresh carrots cut into rustic chunks add flavor and texture.
• Fresh Herbs – fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
• Frozen Peas – frozen peas sprinkled in at the end to keep them tasting fresh and sweet.

Tips for Dutch Oven Beef Stew Recipe

1. Dutch Oven – For this recipe, you will need a 5.5 quart, or larger, enameled cast iron dutch oven.
2. Season with plenty of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. With 3 pounds of beef and 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes, in addition to the carrots, you want enough salt and pepper to season all the elements of the stew.
3. The size of the beef, potatoes, and carrots in this recipe allows them to cook at the same rate. Leaving the potatoes and carrots in larger rustic chunks ensures they aren’t overcooked when the meat is tender.
4. Reducing the fat. To reduce the overall fat in the recipe, you can spoon out all but two tablespoons of fat before browning the beef. Additionally, after stew has braised you can use a spoon to skim any fat that rises to the top and discard. Another option to really reduce the fat is to make the stew ahead and refrigerate and remove fat as desired once it solidifies.

More Soups and Stews Recipe

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Thick and Hearty Turkey Chili