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My grandpa made the BEST old-fashioned stovetop beef stew! This hearty recipe makes for a perfect, cozy comfort food dinner. It makes a big batch, tastes even better the next day, and freezes beautifully. This tomato-based recipe has been a hit with Big Flavors readers for many, many years now.
I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child. It was in their kitchen in Indiana that I learned to cook and bake by doing it alongside them.
My grandma did most of the cooking and all of the baking (like these classic cut-out sugar cookies and this Dutch apple pie), but there were a few things that my grandpa made regularly that I loved. This beef stew was absolutely one of those things!
This recipe is one that I learned from him and then tweaked a bit to make it for my family. The main differences between my version and his are that he added cabbage and sometimes corn to his stew, and I add peas to mine.
If you're interested in learning more about modernizing old family recipes, check out episode 3 of my podcast where we dive deeper into this topic.
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🧡 Why we love this recipe
- It makes a big batch!
- The house smells incredible while it simmers away on the stovetop.
- It tastes better the next day.
- The components for this recipe can be prepped in advance, reducing the amount of hands-on time you need the day you plan to cook.
- Beef stew is one of those recipes that freezes beautifully, making a homemade dinner easy to have at a future point in time in just minutes.
- It reminds me of my grandpa, and my husband says it also reminds him of the beef stew that his grandma used to make.
📝 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this classic beef stew (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):
- Olive oil, for browning the meat
- Beef stew meat - I often buy a full roast, like a chuck roast, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. When buying pre-cut "beef stew meat", I typically cut it into even smaller pieces.
- Green bell peppers
- Carrots
- Onions - I usually use yellow onions here, but white onions would also work.
- Celery
- Tomato juice
- Beef broth - I like using an unsalted or low-sodium variety.
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Dark brown sugar - pack it into the measuring cup.
- Ground black pepper
- Hot sauce - Grandpa always used Tabasco hot sauce. I usually use Crystal hot sauce.
- Dried parsley
- Russet potatoes - up until recently, I'd use 3 in this recipe, but I've found that 2 is plenty.
- Pearl barley
- Frozen sweet peas
🥕 Root veggies: to peel or not to peel?
Many recipes, like this one, call for root vegetables. A lot of recipes indicate that these veggies should be peeled as part of the prep process, but is that really necessary?
Peeled veggies may look "prettier" when it comes to aesthetics, but in most cases, I recommend not bothering to peel them. Giving your root veggies a good scrub with a vegetable brush to get rid of any dirt or germs is sufficient.
The skins and peels of vegetables contain lots of nutrients and fiber that are good for your body. In my opinion, more nutritional value, less prep work, and a reduction of food waste makes leaving them unpeeled a win-win-win!
If your veggies are looking particularly sad or you don't enjoy eating the peel, go ahead and remove it. It all comes down to personal preference.
🥣 Substitutions
Feel free to switch up the veggies in this recipe. If you don't like potatoes, leave them out! You can replace them with another veggie that you like.
You can also add additional veggies that you have on hand to help use them up and minimize food waste.
My grandpa used to cut up green cabbage and add it to his beef stew. He also would sometimes add canned or frozen corn.
There's no right or wrong answer here - just be sure to give the veggies enough time to cook through while the stew simmers away.
📌 Tips
The exact size of the pieces you cut your beef stew meat into isn't important. I usually aim for somewhere around an inch and a half cubes.
This means they're small enough that they're bite-sized, and there are a lot of pieces throughout the pot of beef stew.
You could absolutely brown the meat in batches to really get a good sear on the outside of each piece of beef. I find this unnecessary, personally.
I like to just put all of the beef cubes into the hot oil in the pot and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is brown on all sides.
This is going to be simmering for a few hours, so it'll be super tender when it's done cooking. Getting a "crust" on the outside isn't something that I find worth the time it would take.
✅ How to make this recipe
- Brown beef in a large stock pot.
- Add bell peppers, carrots, onions, celery, tomato juice, beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, brown sugar, black pepper, hot sauce, and dried parsley and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes and barley and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed.
See recipe card below for full instructions.
📝 Streamlining beef stew prep
When prepping this beef stew, I like to do one of 2 things. I’ll either prep everything the day before or chop my veggies while the meat is browning. Both of these things save time in different ways.
If I’m prepping and cooking at the same time, I find that chopping the veggies while the meat is browning in the pan gives me just the right amount of time.
You don’t have to get your meat super brown – I don’t get finicky and do it in batches or anything. Just a few stirs until the outer edges are mostly browned before adding the other ingredients.
If I’m prepping the day before I plan to cook, I’ll go ahead and cut the beef into smaller chunks and put it all into a container, pop the lid on, and put it into the fridge.
I cut up all the veggies and put them in a sealed container in the fridge, too, keeping the potatoes separate since they go in at a later point in the recipe.
If you cut up your potatoes ahead of time, be sure to put them in a container and cover them with cold water before refrigerating them. This will ensure they don’t get brown and funky before you get around to using them.
When you add them to your pot of stew, be sure to drain the water off first. The liquid was just there to help keep the potatoes from oxidizing.
I find that this prep-in-advance method really helps when it comes to saving time. This beef stew recipe isn’t super involved, but the chopping takes a bit of time, and I’m all about making things easier for "future me" whenever possible.
💡 What to serve with beef stew
Beef stew is pretty much a meal all on its own. My grandpa always served it with bread and butter. He'd just use sandwich bread and it was delicious!
I'll often either buy or make a nice loaf of sourdough or ciabatta to go with the stew. It's great for dunking!
🥡 Storage recommendations
One of my very favorite parts of this beef stew is enjoying it as leftovers! It tastes even better the day after you've made it, and it freezes beautifully!
For freezing, I like using Souper Cubes - they're silicone trays that have portioned measurements on them. I have the one-cup size and they get a ton of use!
I typically fill the four portions with stew, freeze overnight, and then transfer the frozen stew into a freezer bag. Whenever I want to have beef stew again, I'll either thaw a portion in the fridge or just heat it up in the microwave or stovetop.
I vacuum-seal my bags of stew cubes with my Foodsaver, but you don't need to do that if you don't have one. Just be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible to help prevent freezer burn.
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Print📖 Recipe
Grandpa Henderson's Classic Old Fashioned Stove Top Beef Stew
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
My grandpa made the BEST old-fashioned stovetop beef stew! This hearty recipe makes for a perfect, cozy comfort food dinner. It makes a big batch, tastes even better the next day, and freezes beautifully. This tomato-based recipe has been a hit with Big Flavors readers for many, many years now.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 5 carrots, sliced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 (32-ounce) jar tomato juice (regular or low sodium)
- 1 (32-ounce) box unsalted or low sodium beef broth
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 dashes hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 russet potatoes, diced
- 1 cup barley
- 2 cups frozen sweet peas
- Kosher salt, as needed
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides.
- Add ingredients through parsley and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and let simmer, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes and barley and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Add peas and cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
Notes
I like to cut the veggies while the beef is browning if I'm cooking it the same day I'm prepping. See notes in my post above for tips on prepping in advance, advice on cutting the meat, vegetable tips, and more!
This beef stew tastes even better the next day. It also freezes really well, making it a great candidate for future comfort food meals without additional cooking!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 15.5 g
- Sodium: 870.2 mg
- Fat: 9.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.9 g
- Fiber: 10.3 g
- Protein: 33.9 g
- Cholesterol: 74.8 mg
Sophie
Delicious stew, I could use a bowl of this on a cold day like today :D. I'd like to feature your recipe on our blog, please let me know if you're interested!
Sophie, Key Ingredient Chief Blogger
[email protected]
Ashley
Sure! Everyone should be able to make stew this comforting at home 🙂
Courtney
That looks amazing! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
Trish
Yummers....nothing like a good old fashioned beef stew in the winter! That does look terrific! Too bad I have a meatloaf in the oven but maybe another night this week.
Jhonny walker
The soup looks tremendous!! Only I might do it with chicken..will work..won't it? 🙂
Sharon
looks so comforting shand hearty!
Luigi
Perfect for this time of year! Looks lovely...
lorhen82
One of my favorites! It's great having some recipes that are handed down through the family!
dining table
What a very nice stew recipe this is! I definitely like it! I should try this one out.
Helene
I love those vintage recipes from family. That is surely delicious.
Velva
This beef stew looks awesome. An absolutely soul satisfying dish.
Happy Holidays.
Velva
Velva
This beef stew looks awesome. An absolutely soul satisfying dish.
Happy Holidays.
Velva
Medifast Coupon
This stew is perfect for a winters day, and a recipe that is passed down always tastes great!
Kathy Shea Mormino
I would like to invite you to join me at the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week! http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-10.html
I hope you can make it!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
crappaw
where are the turnips, rutabaga, and parsnips?
That is what makes the GREAT.
Ashley
I've never had beef stew with those ingredients included, but I love them in chicken noodle soup! You can absolutely add/subtract veggies to fit your preferences with this recipe - this is just my riff on my grandpa's recipe.
Larry
Grandma's anything is always at the top of my list.
Ashley
I couldn't agree more! 🙂
Kate
Just curious, is the addition of hot sauce part of your Grandpas Original recipe or yours , which brands do he/you use
Ashley
You know, I honestly don’t remember if he used it or not! If he did, he would have used Tabasco. I usually use Cholula.
Katie
Thankyou for your speedy reply Ashley much appreciated , in a bit of a food rut looking to try something different , just asking as there's not too many varieties of American hot sauces in Australia but we definitely have Tabasco and Cholula so this helps a lot , thanks again
Ashley
I’m so glad it was helpful! Let me know what you think of it when you give it a try, Katie!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
I love the idea of cooking from family recipes and bet your grandpa would be bursting with pride if he knew what you've made:)
Allie R Taylor
Amazing this takes only 3 hours to cook and looks so hearty, Ashley. Would love to try this on a cold, snowy day. Which we actually had yesterday! Have a great week!
Rachel
Amazing!! One of the few things I’ve made that all 4 family members would eat. And the leftovers were great in a thermos for work and school!!
Definitely a keeper!
Ashley
I'm so glad your family enjoys this, Rachel! It can be tricky to find meals that EVERYONE loves. The leftovers from this one are my FAVORITE 🙂
Lori H
This is my favorite beef stew ever!! It's such a great comfort food for the fall and winter seasons.
Ashley
I agree!! And leftovers are even better than the day that you make it (and with MUCH less work, too! Ha!)