Easy Old-Fashioned Oven Beef Stew
Oven Beef Stew is one of those nostalgic homecooked meals that sticks to your bones and just makes you feel warm and cozy! This easy oven beef stew is packed with deep delicious flavour and is full of hearty beef and vegetables all in a thick creamy gravy.
What beef to use for Oven Beef Stew
While you might find packaged meat labeled stewing beef, this will work however, this isn’t really a cut of beef.
My favourite options are chuck roast or beef round. Both of these will become more tender as they cook instead of becoming tough like how a more expensive cut of beef might.
If you are looking for a bone in option to add more gelatin and flavour to your stew some great options are bone-in short ribs or oxtail. If you go with this option you will have to remove the bones before serving.
How to store Oven Beef Stew
Fridge
Beef stew is one of those things that tastes better after a night of sitting in the fridge! All of the flavours meld together and become deeper and richer the next day.
To store you beef stew in the fridge
- Allow the stew to cool to room temperature.
- Package the stew in an airtight container.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat the stew, place in a sauce pot on medium-low heat. Allow it to simmer until heated through. If you notice the stew has become too thick, you can thin it down with water or beef stock.
Freezer
Beef stew freezes very well. So, if you want to make this in advance or if you want to preserve left-overs a little longer the freezer is a great option.
- Allow the stew to cool to room temperature.
- Place the stew in an airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat the stew, allow it to defrost enough to remove it from the container. Then simmer in a sauce pot over medium-low heat until heated through.
What vegetables to use for Oven Beef Stew
The correct answer for this is your favourite vegetables! Soups and stew recipes are more of a guideline to help you make your family’s own favourite recipe.
That being said, there are a few ingredients I try to stick to, or stay away from, when making the perfect oven beef stew.
Liquid content
The type of vegetables matters when it comes to liquid. In this recipe we are using a lot of root vegetables like carrots and potatoes. These vegetables soak up liquid when they are cooking. However, some vegetables release moisture when they are cooked which will add to the moisture in your stew.
The use of root vegetables, specifically potatoes, are full of starches. The starches released from cooking the potatoes helps to thicken the stew and gives it that really nice hearty stick-to-your-bones texture you want in the perfect stew.
Flavour
Obviously you want to add vegetables that will add to the flavour in your stew. Frying and caramelizing onions, celery, and mushrooms add a lot of the flavour to your finished stew!
So not only adding these vegetables to your recipe but making sure to fry them in fat until they colour is important to a perfect stew.
Vegetables that breakdown
Some vegetables are better than others at holding up to cooking. While you can add anything you want to your recipe, some vegetables, like zucchini (courgette), will almost completely breakdown and disappear into your stew.
What potatoes are best for Oven Beef Stew
There are many varieties of potatoes. Certain types of potatoes are better in different recipes, which can be a little confusing at the grocery store. Let’s check out some popular potato varieties.
Yukon Gold Or Yellow
This variety has a thin skin and a light yellow inside flesh. One of the most popular potato varieties. This popularity is partly because it is an all-purpose potato. This means, it can be used in a variety of dishes. They are soft and fluffy when cooked and have a sweet buttery flavour. A great choice for stew.
Russet
Another popular potato variety. They have a variety of uses. These are easy to recognize, from their thick dark brown outside. They are the most common potato used for baked potatoes, because they have that thick skin that holds up to cooking and becomes crispy and delicious. The inside flesh, on the other hand, becomes perfectly soft and fluffy. If you want to use these potatoes in stews and soups, it is best to peel off the thick skin first.
White
These potatoes are known as waxy potatoes. These potatoes are best used in soup when you want the potato chunks to hold their shape. Like in a vegetable soup where chunks of potato float around in broth.
How to fix common beef stew problems
Help! My beef stew is too dry
This can happen if you have added too many vegetables compared to liquid. Simply adding some beef stock will add more liquid without diluting the flavour.
My beef stew is tough!
This could also a result of using the wrong type of beef. While there might be liquid in the stew the beef might taste dry and tough. Cheaper cuts of meat like beef chuck, will become tender and melt-in-your-mouth when cooked for a long period of time. So, make sure you choose the right cut of meat for your recipe.
Help! My beef stew is too watery
This could be because of the wrong types of vegetables added to your stew. Cooking root vegetables, like potatoes, releases starches that will thicken the liquids in the stew.
If you find that the stew is too watery and the natural starches in the ingredients are not thickening the liquid, add a slurry of cornstarch mixed with cold water. As the liquid simmers, stir the stew until you have your desired thickness.
My beef stew is bland
This could be a result of not browning the ingredients before simmering them in the pot. Frying the vegetables and beef in fat before adds an incredible amount of flavour into your stew.
If you want to add more depth of flavour to your stew at the end of the cooking process, add some Worcestershire sauce, soya sauce, or tamari sauce.
These ingredients add a savoury, salty, umami flavour that enhances the flavour of beef stew.
Perfect accompaniments for Oven Beef Stew
My favourite side for a beef stew is a warm slice of crusty bread. Since this dish is full of warm thick gravy-like liquid. It is the perfect dish for any bread to soak up!
Biscuits are extremely quick to whip up in under an hour these are some of my favourites for beef stew.
- Easiest Baking Soda Biscuits | Vintage Kitchen
- Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Biscuits
- Rich and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
If you are looking for something different try
- Rice
- Pasta
- quinoa
- barley
- Mashed potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
If you are looking for something a little lighter, a simple side salad pairs perfectly with this meal.
How to make Old-Fashioned Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs cubed beef such as chuck roast 680 g
3 Tablespoons oil for frying 45 ml
2 chopped carrots
3 medium potatoes cut into larger chunks
1 medium onion diced
3 ribs celery roughly diced
2 cups green beans cut into 1 in. chunks 200 g
¼ lb sliced mushrooms 113 g
3 cups beef stock 710 ml
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 15 ml
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch 30 ml
3 Tablespoons cool water 45 ml
Salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice 5 ml
½ cup heavy cream 118 ml
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC)
- In a large pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat, add the oil.
- Add in the beef and stir to brown on all sides.
- Remove the beef to a plate. You will probably have to do this in batches.
- Add in the diced onion and fry until they are starting to brown.
- Add in the celery and brown along with the onion.
7. Add in the sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook down 5 minutes.
8. Add in the carrots, potatoes, green beans, and beef stock.
9. Stir to release any of the caramelized flavour from the bottom of the pan.
10. Add back in the beef. Cover and place in oven to cook for 1 hour.
11. Remove from the oven.
12. In a small bowl stir the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
13. Stir this into the gravy to make a thick sauce.
14. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
15. Return to the oven 1 hour.
16. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
17. Once the sauce has stopped simmering, stir in the cream.
18. Serve warm with your favourite accompaniment.
Easy Old-Fashioned Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs cubed beef such as chuck roast 680 g
- 3 Tablespoons oil for frying 45 ml
- 2 thickly chopped carrots
- 3 medium potatoes cut into larger chunks
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 ribs celery roughly diced
- 2 cups green beans cut into 1 in. chunks 200 g
- ¼ lb sliced mushrooms 113 g
- 3 cups beef stock 710 ml
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch 30 ml
- 3 Tbsp cool water 45 ml
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 15 ml
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice 5 ml
- ½ cup heavy cream 118 ml
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC)
- In a large pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat, add the oil.
- Add in the beef and stir to brown on all sides.
- Remove the beef to a plate. You will probably have to do this in batches.
- Add in the diced onion and fry until they are starting to brown.
- Add in the celery and brown along with the onion.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook down 5 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, potatoes, and green beans, beef stock.
- Stir to release any of the caramelized flavour from the bottom of the pan.
- Add back in the beef, cover and place in oven to cook for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven.
- In a small bowl stir the cornstarch and water to make a thin slurry.
- Stir this into the gravy to make a thick sauce.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
- Return to the oven 1 hour.
- Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
- Once the sauce has stopped simmering, stir in the cream.
- Serve warm with your favourite accompaniment.
Looking for some more nostalgic home cooking that will bring the whole family to the table? Try one of these next! The Best Classic Beef Stroganoff, Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits, Chicken Paprikash with Spaetzle
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