Description

The Best Beef Stew is a rich, hearty, soul-warming one-pot dish featuring tender beef chunks, carrots, potatoes, celery, and a deeply savory broth. Aromatic garlic, thyme, and rosemary lift the flavor, while grape juice substitutes wine for halal-friendly sweetness. This easy stovetop method yields comforting, family-friendly results in about two hours, ideal for weeknights, meal prep, and cozy dinners with leftovers.

Ingredients

Scale

2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups beef broth
1 cup red grape juice or pomegranate juice (halal alternative to red wine)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 potatoes, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening)
Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches until deeply seared.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to the same pot; sauté 4–5 minutes.
Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
Add beef broth, grape juice, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook on low heat for 1½–2 hours until beef is tender.
For thicker stew, whisk flour with a little hot broth, then stir in and simmer 5 more minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaves and garnish with parsley.

Notes

If you skip the flour, the stew will be thinner; the flour is optional for thickening.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Category: Stew
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1.5 cups)
Calories: 420
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 450 mg
Fat: 40 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 38 g
Cholesterol: 135 mg

Keywords: The Best Beef Stew, beef stew, hearty beef stew, easy beef stew recipe, comfort food, stovetop beef stew, halal beef stew