This Dutch oven beef stew is classic comfort food in a bowl! It doesn't get more cozy than slow cooked chuck roast in a rich gravy with potatoes, carrots and peas.
Slow roasting makes melt-in-your-mouth tender beef taking this classic beef stew recipe to the next level. This tasty recipe can be made in the oven or on the stove top, I have directions for both below.
Add my gluten free dinner rolls or a batch of garlic bread to make the perfect meal for a chilly day! And if you like this recipe, you should also try my hearty meatball stew, which shares the same flavor profile.
Ingredient Notes
This delicious stew uses simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store. It is both gluten free and dairy free as written.
- Chuck Roast - I prefer to buy a whole beef chuck roast and cut it into pieces myself. I find the pre-cut stew meat to usually be too large in size and lacking in enough fat to really leave the beef juicy and tender. Because chuck roast is a tougher cut of meat, it really benefits from the long cook time here.
- Coconut Aminos (or Worcestershire Sauce) - I personally prefer coconut aminos, because they are always gluten free. Worcestershire sauce can sometimes contain hidden gluten. Either will work fine here as it just adds a little umami flavor to the stew.
- Double Concentrated Tomato Paste - The broth isn't tomato based here, but adding a little tomato paste adds a little sweetness and acidity to the stew.
- Gluten Free Beef Broth (or Beef Stock) - If you're following a gluten free diet, make sure to buy a beef broth that is marked gluten free as many store brands contain hidden gluten. I like Pacific Foods brand or Kitchen Basics brand - both are gluten free.
- Potatoes - I like to use baby yukon gold potatoes, sometimes called Dutch baby potatoes. New potatoes or red potatoes will also work well.
- Tapioca Starch - A little starch is added at the end of cooking to thicken the broth. I prefer tapioca starch because is creates a silky smooth broth that doesn't separate when it's refrigerated. If you don't have tapioca starch on hand, corn starch is a suitable replacement.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- No Coconut Aminos - Replace with Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. The measurements will be the same.
- No Tapioca Starch - Replace with an equal measure of corn starch.
- Hate Peas? Simple leave them out. No other adjustments are needed.
- Add Red Wine - If you prefer, you can deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red wine in place of the beef broth.
- Use Fresh Herbs - If you prefer to use fresh thyme and rosemary, you will need to triple the amount used (so add 1 ½ teaspoons of each)
How to Make Homemade Beef Stew
The hands on work for this Dutch oven beef stew recipe is pretty easy as most of the magic happens during the long cook time.
I like to use my 4.5 quart enamel cast iron Dutch oven pot for this recipe. If you don't own a Dutch oven, you can use a large pot with a tight fitting lid, but you will need to follow the stove top directions.
STEP 1: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the chuck roast pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Brown the meat on two sides, then remove it to a foil covered plate.
You will need to work in batches in order to leave enough space around the meat.
STEP 2: Once all of the browned beef
cubes have been removed, add the onions to the same pot. You may need a little more oil if your pot is dry. Saute the onions until they are softened, stirring occasionally.
STEP 3: Add the minced garlic, coconut aminos, tomato paste, dried thyme, and dried rosemary to the pot. Continue to cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute.
STEP 4: Pour in half a cup of the beef broth and use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
STEP 5: Return the meat and any juices to the pot. Add the remaining beef broth and the bay leaves. Cover with a lid.
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Place the Dutch oven in a preheated oven and roast for 2 hours.
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS: Leave the lid slightly open. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the stove to medium-low heat. Cook for 1-1 ½ hours.
STEP 6: Once the cook time has elapsed, add the potatoes and carrots to the pot. Replace the cover.
Cook for 60 minutes more in the oven or 30 minutes more on the stove top.
STEP 7: Once the potatoes and carrots are fork tender, stir in the frozen peas.
STEP 8: Create a starch slurry by combining the tapioca starch with cold water. Stir it into the beef stew. Since the broth is very hot, it should thicken almost immediately.
Remove the pot from heat and cover. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes to warm the peas.
Expert Tip
When making this on the stove top, you do save at least an hour of cooking time. But some of the cooking liquid will evaporate during the process. I recommend adding an additional cup of beef broth to get the perfect consistency to the stew.
Storage
I think this hearty beef stew is even better the next day! Allow any leftover stew to cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days.
More beef soup recipes to try:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Chuck Roast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon Black Pepper divided
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos or Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- 4 Cups Gluten Free Beef Broth
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 pound Baby Potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 Cup Carrots cut into thick slices
- 1 ¼ Cup Frozen Peas
- ¼ Cup Tapioca Starch or Corn Starch
- 3 Tablespoons Cold Water
Instructions
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 °F (149 °C)
- Sprinkle the beef with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.2 pounds Chuck Roast, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¾ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the beef pieces leaving space between. You will have to work in batches. Brown the beef on two sides, then remove it to a plate covered with foil. The meat will not be fully cooked - you are just looking for some browning on the outside.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Once all the beef is removed, add the onions to the same pot. You may need a little more oil if your pot is dry. Saute the onions until they are softened. Since the pot is already hot, it should take about 5 minutes.1 Cup Yellow Onion
- Add the minced garlic, coconut aminos, tomato pasta, thyme, rosemary, and remaining salt and pepper. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute.3 cloves Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos, 2 Tablespoons Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme, ½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- Pour ½ cup of the beef broth into the pot and use a spatula to deglaze the bottom of the pan.4 Cups Gluten Free Beef Broth
- Return the chuck roast along with any juices to the pot. Add the remaining beef broth and the bay leaves.2 Bay Leaves
- Cover with a lid and bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 90 minutes - 2 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and add in the potatoes and carrots. Replace the lid and return to the oven for another hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.1 pound Baby Potatoes, 1 Cup Carrots
- Once the vegetables are tender, remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the frozen peas.1 ¼ Cup Frozen Peas
- Create a slurry of the tapioca starch and water. Pour it into the stew while stirring. It should be hot enough to thicken almost immediately. If it does not, you can put it over medium heat on the stove top until it does thicken.¼ Cup Tapioca Starch, 3 Tablespoons Cold Water
- Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes to warm the peas. Then serve.
Stove Top Instructions
- After the beef and broth have been added to the pot. Bring the stew to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cover and reduce the heat to med-low. Cook for 60-90 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes and carrots and cook covered for 30 minutes more or until they are fork tender.
- Add the peas and the starch slurry, as indicated above. Continue to cook until the stew thickens. Note: When cooking on the stovetop, some of the broth will evaporate leaving a thicker soup. I recommend adding another 1 cup of beef broth or reducing the starch to only 3 Tablespoons.
Notes
- No Coconut Aminos - Replace with Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. The measurements will be the same.
- No Tapioca Starch - Replace with an equal measure of corn starch.
- Hate Peas? Simple leave them out. No other adjustments are needed.
- Add Red Wine - If you prefer, you can deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red wine in place of the beef broth.
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
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