There is a reason this red wine-braised beef stew shows up on The Feedfeed's most-saved list year after year: it tastes like it simmered all day, but the oven does the heavy lifting in under three hours. Chuck roast breaks down into silky, pull-apart chunks while potatoes and carrots soak up a sauce built on tomato paste, herbs, and a full-bodied dry red.
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The trick is a proper sear. Browning the beef in batches at high heat builds the roasted, caramelized base that separates a good stew from a great one, and deglazing the pot with wine lifts every browned bit back into the sauce. A short uncovered finish reduces the braise to a glossy gravy that clings to the vegetables instead of pooling around them.
Serve it over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread for mopping, and it becomes the kind of Sunday dinner people ask you to make again next week.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Chuck is ideal because its marbling melts into the sauce; avoid lean stew meat, which turns dry. A well-marbled top blade roast is a good substitute.
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
Diamond Crystal kosher salt is less dense than Morton, so taste before adding more. Fine sea salt works but use about 2 tsp.
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fresh-cracked pepper blooms in the hot pan; pre-ground loses its punch. Use half if you prefer a milder bite.
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
Any neutral high-heat oil like avocado or canola can replace it for searing. Save your expensive finishing oil for drizzling at the table.
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Yellow onion gives the deepest sweetness; white onion is sharper. Frozen diced onion works in a pinch, no need to thaw.
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
Look for firm carrots with no bend; floppy ones taste woody. Parsnips can stand in for up to half the carrots for a sweeter note.
3 tbsp tomato paste
The double-concentrate tubes have more intensity than cans. Fry it until it darkens to brick red to lose the raw tinny edge.
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Côtes du Rhône
Use a wine you would drink; cooking wine is salty and flat. A dry vermouth or extra beef broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar is a solid alcohol-free swap.
3 cups (710 ml) low-sodium beef broth
Low-sodium lets you control the final seasoning. For a richer body, use 1 cup of it as chicken broth or add a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon.
1 1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Yukon Golds hold their shape while turning creamy; russets will crumble and thicken the sauce. Baby potatoes can be halved and used skin-on.
4 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 bay leaves
Tie them in cheesecloth for easy fishing out later. Dried thyme works at 1 tsp, but add bay leaves regardless for the savory backbone.
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
Whisk with 2 tbsp softened butter for a beurre manié. Cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp to 2 tbsp water) is a gluten-free alternative.
Tips & Tricks
Don't skip the tomato paste fry
Cooking it 60 to 90 seconds until it turns brick red removes the raw, acidic taste and deepens the gravy's color and savoriness.
Keep the simmer gentle, not boiling
A hard boil makes beef fibers seize and turn stringy. A lazy bubble at 325°F (165°C) in the oven keeps the meat tender.
Season at the end, not just the start
The sauce reduces and concentrates, so taste after the lid comes off and adjust salt and pepper then.
- Pat the beef bone-dry and sear in batches: Crowding the pot steams the meat instead of browning it, and steam means pale, bland stew. Dry surfaces brown faster and give you that roasted flavor base.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven and dry the beef
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower third. Pat the beef chunks very dry with paper towels and season all over with 2 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
2. Sear the beef in batches
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes. Add a third of the beef and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, then turn and sear 3 to 4 minutes more, until deeply golden brown on two sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat twice with the remaining oil and beef.
3. Soften the aromatics
Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and carrots to the pot with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the edges are just golden.
4. Bloom the tomato paste
Push the vegetables to the side, add the tomato paste to the center, and fry for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp.
5. Deglaze with wine
Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot firmly with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid reduces by about half and no browned bits remain stuck to the pan.
6. Braise low and slow
Return the beef and any juices to the pot, add the broth, thyme bundle, and bay leaves, and bring to a bare simmer, about 5 minutes, with small bubbles at the edges. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.
7. Add the potatoes
Stir in the potatoes, re-cover, and return to the oven for 45 to 55 minutes more, until the beef shreds easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender when pierced. The beef should reach about 200°F (93°C) internally for pull-apart texture.
8. Thicken and serve
Discard the thyme and bay leaves. If the sauce is thin, whisk the flour with 2 tbsp water and stir it in, simmering on the stovetop for 3 to 4 minutes until it coats a spoon. Taste for salt and serve hot.
Delicious Variations
Mushroom and Red Wine Stew
Add 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms with the onions for an earthier, meatier sauce.
Instant Pot Version
Sear using the sauté function, then pressure cook on high for 35 minutes with a 10-minute natural release, adding potatoes for the last 8 minutes.
Guinness Beef Stew
Swap half the wine for stout beer and add 1 tbsp brown sugar for a maltier, darker gravy.
How to Store Red Wine-Braised Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Refrigerator
Cool within 2 hours and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days; the flavor deepens by day two.
Freezer
Freeze in portions for up to 3 months; potatoes soften slightly on thaw, so consider freezing the stew without them.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best wine for beef stew?
Use a dry, full-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon, Côtes du Rhône, or Merlot that you would happily drink. Avoid sweet wines and anything labeled cooking wine, which is heavily salted and tastes flat after reducing.
Q: Why is my beef stew tough?
The beef was likely undercooked or boiled rather than gently simmered. Chuck needs 2 to 2 1/2 hours at a low temperature to break down connective tissue, and a hard boil will toughen it, so keep the liquid at a bare simmer.
Q: Can I make this beef stew without wine?
Yes, replace the wine with an equal amount of beef broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic. You will lose some complexity, so add an extra teaspoon of tomato paste and a splash of Worcestershire sauce for depth.
Q: Do I have to brown the beef first?
Browning is the single biggest flavor step, so skipping it gives a noticeably flatter stew. If you are short on time, brown only one batch and accept a slightly lighter sauce.
Q: Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, sear the beef and aromatics on the stovetop first, then transfer everything except the potatoes to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, adding the potatoes in the last 2 hours. Thicken on the stovetop at the end if needed.
Make this red wine-braised beef stew this weekend and let the oven do the work. Save the recipe, tag your pot of stew, and tell me in the comments how you served it.
Red Wine-Braised Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Red Wine-Braised Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots is a rich one-pot dinner with fork-tender beef and a glossy, deeply savory gravy.
🧂 Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Côtes du Rhône
- 3 cups (710 ml) low-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven and dry the beef — Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower third. Pat the beef chunks very dry with paper towels and season all over with 2 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
- 2Sear the beef in batches — Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes. Add a third of the beef and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, then turn and sear 3 to 4 minutes more, until deeply golden brown on two sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat twice with the remaining oil and beef.
- 3Soften the aromatics — Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and carrots to the pot with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the edges are just golden.
- 4Bloom the tomato paste — Push the vegetables to the side, add the tomato paste to the center, and fry for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp.
- 5Deglaze with wine — Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot firmly with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid reduces by about half and no browned bits remain stuck to the pan.
- 6Braise low and slow — Return the beef and any juices to the pot, add the broth, thyme bundle, and bay leaves, and bring to a bare simmer, about 5 minutes, with small bubbles at the edges. Cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- 7Add the potatoes — Stir in the potatoes, re-cover, and return to the oven for 45 to 55 minutes more, until the beef shreds easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender when pierced. The beef should reach about 200°F (93°C) internally for pull-apart texture.
- 8Thicken and serve — Discard the thyme and bay leaves. If the sauce is thin, whisk the flour with 2 tbsp water and stir it in, simmering on the stovetop for 3 to 4 minutes until it coats a spoon. Taste for salt and serve hot.
