Autumn All Year
Simple, Affordable, Delicious Culinary Creations
Hearty Beef Stew Recipe – Perfect Comfort Food for Cold Weather!
This easy and customizable beef stew recipe is ideal for cozy dinners, meal prep, and family gatherings. Packed with rich flavor, tender beef, and hearty vegetables, it’s a comforting and satisfying dish for any occasion.
Looking for the perfect cold-weather dinner idea? This hearty beef stew is the ultimate comfort food for chilly nights—guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out!
- Serves: 2
- Prep time: 30 mins
- Cook time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1 lb beef stew meat
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups broth/stock
- 4 button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp butter or rendered animal fat such as tallow or bacon fat or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup prepared tomato sauce, similar to Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the Beef: Preseason beef stew meat with salt and pepper, then let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Prepare Vegetables: While the beef is resting, dice 1/2 onion, mince 2 tablespoons of garlic cloves, and slice 4 button mushrooms. Set them aside.
- Brown the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter, rendered animal fat, or avocado oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned beef stew meat, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, and brown on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot, cover, and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add another tablespoon of butter, animal fat, or avocado oil to the pot. Scrape up any browned bits to enhance flavor. Add the diced onion, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Combine Ingredients: Return the browned beef and any juices to the stockpot, stirring to combine. Add prepared tomato (marinara) sauce and stock, then stir well.
- Simmer the Stew: Reduce heat to low and let the stew simmer, uncovered, for 1.5–2 hours. Add more stock as needed to keep the ingredients fully covered.
- Add Mushrooms: About 30 minutes before serving, add the sliced mushrooms and simmer until they reach your preferred texture.
- Final Seasoning Adjustments: Before serving, taste the stew and adjust seasonings (salt and pepper) as needed.
Pro Tip: Pair this hearty beef stew with our homemade biscuits for a complete, comforting meal.
Subs & Adds
- This beef stew recipe is highly customizable to match your personal tastes. Love carrots, celery, or other vegetables? Simply add them when cooking the onions. Prefer to skip an ingredient? Feel free to leave it out—whether it’s mushrooms, onions, or anything else you’d rather not include.
- For the base, I used homemade bone broth (stock) for rich flavor, but store-bought beef stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, or bone broth works just as well.
- I also incorporated a homemade marinara sauce similar to Rao’s, but a quality store-bought marinara, like Rao’s, makes an excellent alternative for convenience without sacrificing flavor.
