Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce

I really enjoyed this hearty beef stew with tomato sauce, and as a bonus, it is simple and hassle-free to make. 

This SUPER delicious stove top beef stew features tender beef and hearty vegetables cooked in tomato sauce and packed with delightful flavors.

Beef Stew Recipe

For me, this beef stew is a perfect meal for chilly days, and it is super easy and does not require any complicated skills, ingredients, or pre-cooking preparations to cook up.

Ah, It might be hard to believe, but this dish gets better the next day! Day-old beef stew allows for all the flavors of the recipe to settle as well as infusing the beef with it.

I prefer to make this beef stew on a stovetop, but it is also a slow-cooker-friendly recipe.

Ingredients

Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Beef: I prefer to use chuck steak when making stews; it is affordable and lean. However, it needs about 1:30 hours to cook thoroughly but If cooked properly, the beef should have a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Mushrooms: I use brown button mushrooms, they add texture and plant-based protein to the recipe.

For The Vegetables, I use potatoes, carrots, yellow onion and celery.

For Seasonings and Fresh Herbs, I use fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and black pepper. They really add aroma and depth to the different flavors to this dish.

I also use beef broth and tomato sauce.

How to Make Beef Stew with Tomato Sauce

One: In a large pot over medium heat, add the beef cubes, thyme, rosemary, onion, salt, pepper and water. Cook until the meat is tender. It took me 1:30 hours until fully cooked (keep an eye on them while cooking and add more water when needed).

Two: Reduce the heat to low and add the potatoes, mushrooms, celery, carrots and beef broth; stir with a wooden spoon and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Tip: Make sure that the beef is tender before serving the dish. To check if the beef is tender, get a fork, and you should be able to poke the beef easily.

Three: Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Tip: Keeping the lid on while cooking the stew also helps in promoting heat distribution, thus cooking your meat and vegetables evenly.

Slow Cooker And Instant Pot

This beef stew recipe can be made easily in the instant pot or slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Instructions: To make this recipe in the slow cooker, you have to Brown the meat first, then add onion and garlic and sauté until tender. After that, you can add all the ingredients and cook for about 5 hours on high.

Instant Pot Instructions: Brown the beef cubes in a large skillet. Then add all the ingredients and cook for 45 minutes at high pressure.

Top Tips!

• Make sure to add the vegetables at the right time. Not all vegetables have the same cooking time, root and starchy vegetables are added at the beginning of cooking, while other vegetables are best added near the end.
• Make sure to have a taste test before serving your stew. This is to check if any flavors need more enhancing.

What’s The Best Cut Of Beef That Is Used For Stews?

For stews, I recommend chucks, bone-in short ribs or fatty brisket.

Do I Need To Sear The Beef Before Throwing It In The Stew?

Yes, you must sear your meat before adding it to the stew because the searing of the meat builds the flavor of the stew.

More Soup & Stew Recipes

• Caribbean Seafood Stew Recipe
• Gypsy Soup
• Spicy Korean-Chinese Seafood Soup (Jjampong)
• Egyptian Molokhia Soup

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Recipe