This hearty Beef and Tomato Stew is loaded with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, vegetables and fresh herbs simmered in a rich tomato-based broth. Make this cozy one-pot dinner on the stovetop, in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of beef stew on a chilly day! This Beef and Tomato Stew is the version I grew up eating, made with tender chunks of beef, hearty potatoes, carrots, peas, celery and fresh herbs all simmered in a rich tomato-based broth.
Unlike a traditional brown gravy-style beef stew, this recipe gets tons of flavor from stewed tomatoes and tomato paste, creating a savory, slightly tangy broth that gets even better as it cooks. Everything comes together in one pot for the ultimate cozy family dinner, and you can easily make it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Rich tomato-based broth – Stewed tomatoes and tomato paste create a flavorful, savory broth that makes this beef stew a little different from traditional versions.
- Tender and hearty – Chuck roast becomes incredibly tender while potatoes, carrots, peas and celery make this a filling one-pot meal.
- Three easy cooking methods – Make this beef stew on the stovetop, in the slow cooker or in your Instant Pot depending on how much time you have.
- Perfect for meal prep – The flavors taste even better the next day and leftovers freeze beautifully for an easy future dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- beef – chuck roast is my favorite cut for beef stew because it becomes incredibly tender after slowly simmering in the broth. You can also use packaged beef stew meat, braising steak or boneless short ribs. Cut the beef into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
- olive oil – needed to sear the stew beef for browning to really get that delicious flavor!
- potatoes – russet, red potatoes, Yukon golds or baby potatoes will all work for this recipe.
- vegetables – I used a combination of chopped yellow onion, carrots, fresh or frozen peas (or green beans), and celery. You could also use pearl onions or other veggies.
- beef stock – I prefer the flavor of beef stock in this stew (and I always use low sodium stock), but you could also use beef broth or even vegetable or chicken broth.
- tomatoes – stewed tomatoes and tomato paste give this beef stew its signature rich tomato-based broth. The tomato paste also helps thicken the stew and adds concentrated tomato flavor. You can substitute diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
- worcestershire sauce – adds delicious depth of flavor! You could also use full-bodied red wine or a little balsamic vinegar.
- fresh herbs – I used fresh thyme and rosemary, but you could use dried herbs as well.
- seasonings – a combination of garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper and bay leaves.
Ways to Make Beef Stew
This hearty beef stew can easily be made in your crock pot, Instant Pot or right on the stove! My preferred method is letting it simmer in a large pot on the stove, but see below for the different variations.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the beef on all sides for about 5 minutes until nicely browned.
- Transfer the beef to your slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
You can skip browning the beef if you’re short on time, but I highly recommend it because searing adds so much flavor to the finished stew.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting and heat the olive oil.
- Add the beef and sear on all sides until browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Secure the lid and cook on the Meat/Stew setting for 35 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for about 12 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Stove Top Beef Stew
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef and sear on all sides for about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
How to Serve Beef Stew
This beef and tomato stew is so hearty and filling all on its own, but to make this more of a complete meal, there are several easy ways to serve this up!
- Bread for dipping – serve this cozy beef stew with crusty bread, warm dinner rolls or my homemade cornbread for soaking up all that rich tomato broth.
- Salad – soup and salad just go so perfect together! My spinach salad, kale and quinoa salad or fall salad would all taste great with this stew.
- Mashed cauliflower – growing up my family always served beef stew over mashed potatoes, but serving over my mashed cauliflower tastes just as delicious, adds a creamy element and sneaks in another veggie!
- Pasta – serve over some egg noodles or macaroni noodles for a more filling meal that the whole family will enjoy.
How to Thicken Beef Stew
This beef and tomato stew will naturally thicken thanks to those starchy potatoes, but here are a few other ways you can easily thicken up the sauce if you prefer a thicker stew.
- Sprinkle about 2 or 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over top of the beef after it has browned, mixing until all the flour has dissolved, then add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water until you have a cornstarch slurry, then mix it into the simmering hot stew a few minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chuck roast is my favorite because the connective tissue breaks down during the long cooking process, resulting in incredibly tender beef. You can also use packaged stew meat, braising steak or boneless short ribs.
No, but I highly recommend it! Browning the beef creates a caramelized crust and adds much more depth of flavor to the finished stew. If you’re making this in the slow cooker and short on time, you can skip this step.
Yes! You can substitute a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes for the stewed tomatoes. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes would also add delicious flavor.
Beef stew meat usually becomes tough when it hasn’t cooked long enough. Chuck roast needs time at a low temperature for the connective tissue to break down and become tender, so continue simmering until the beef easily pulls apart with a fork.
Absolutely! Beef stew is a great make-ahead meal because the flavors get even better as it sits. Make the stew a day or two ahead, store it covered in the refrigerator and gently reheat it on the stovetop before serving.
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More Cozy Soup Recipes
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- Crock Pot White Chicken Quinoa Chili
- Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew
Hope you all enjoy this Beef and Tomato Stew recipe and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
The BEST Beef and Tomato Stew
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs cubed beef, I used chuck roast
- 1 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 lb baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
To make on your Stove Top:
- Drizzle olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot on medium high heat until oil is hot and glistening. Add cubed beef and sear meat on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours, until meat and veggies are tender. Serve and enjoy!
To make in your Instant Pot:
- Drizzle olive oil in the bowl of your instant pot and turn on the sauté function. Wait until it’s nice and heated then add meat, browning on all sides.
- Add the rest of your ingredients, seal the instant pot and select the meat/stew setting (about 35 minutes).
- Once cooking is complete, let the instant pot sit for about 12 minutes then release the steam by placing the valve to the venting position. Serve and enjoy!
To make in your Crock Pot:
- Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat until oil is hot and glistening. Add cubed beef and sear meat on all sides, about 5 minutes. (You could also skip the browning step and just add the raw meat to your crock pot, but browning the meat adds more depth of flavor!)
- Once the meat is browned, add it to your crock pot along with the rest of ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To prep ahead: Chop the vegetables and cut the beef into cubes up to 1 day in advance. Store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- To store: Let the stew cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Transfer cooled stew to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or microwave individual portions until heated through. Add a splash of beef broth if the stew has thickened too much.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best stew I’ve made. My hubby had two bowls!
This was really good. I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand. Used a 28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes and left out the tomato paste. Added a cup of cabernet sauvignon and reduced beef broth to 3 cups. Sprinkled the beef cubes (diced-up Wagyu shoulder “ribs” on sale at HEB) with garlic powder and onion powder while browning (2 batches so as not to crowd the pan). Couldn’t find any bay leaf in my pantry, though I could have sworn I had some, so added 1/2 tsp of herbes de provence. Cooked on low for 5 hours while away from the house then turned it up to high for the last couple of hours. Mixed up 1/4 cup of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of hot water and added it at the end. Let that simmer for about 20 minutes while I made some cornbread. This was really, REALLY good and even better the next day!
Delicious. I made it as written, except subbed fresh oregano for the rosemary because that’s what I had. Served over wide egg noodles. It is so flavorful.
So basically you didn’t make this recipe you just made your own recipe.
The whole family liked it – a rare occurrence! I did make some recipe adjustments to work with what I had on hand. I used 2 10z cans of Rotel tomatoes with chiles instead of the stewed tomatoes and left out the thyme, rosemary, peas and celery. I added 2 more carrots and another pound of potatoes. I seasoned the meat with the garlic powder, salt & pepper before browning it in batches. I cooked it on the stove top about 2 hours. I was able to get the sauce to a nice thickness by taking off the lid around 1 and 1/2 hours.
It has become my favorite recipe! So easy, delicious and warming in cold winter. Thank you!
Can you can stew beef and stew tomatoes together?
I just made this dish in the crock pot. Took longer than I thought it would to cook, but worth the wait., Absolutly delicious. I did sub out 1 cup of broth with 1 cup of red wine just because. If you are looking for a classic tomato based beef stew, this is the recipe for you. It is a keeper. Next time I may leave out the potatoes and serve on mashed potatoes? Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have made tomato based beef stew without a recipe for years, but I wanted a recipe for portion and calorie control, and to get some ideas on seasonings. This recipe was excellent. I live alone so I halved the recipe. Tweaks: I browned the meat in a skillet and then put everything in a casserole dish and baked for two hours. I immediately divided into four portions and will freeze two. I used a fresh garlic clove instead of garlic powder; 2 good sized shallots, quartered, instead of onion; one cup red wine and one cup beef broth instead of two cups beef broth. I also used dried herbs instead of fresh, and it was fine. I had with a small salad. French bread would have been great to sop up the delicious broth but watching calories so didn’t. This recipe will go in my winter recipe rotation and I would definitley make for guests. And I will check out other recipes on this website. Thanks, Kelly.
10/10!! Cooked this yesterday for my work family. And they saved me some for lunch today! I’ll be making this at home for my own family this weekend. So so good!
Delicious! I cooked using the crockpot method and followed the recipe mostly to the T ( I added more veggies aka green beans ). Whole family loved it! Will definitely be making this again!