Oven-Braised Beef Stew Made With Beef Chuck

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/16/22
Oven-braised beef stew

The Spruce

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 105 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
467 Calories
15g Fat
29g Carbs
55g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 467
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 150mg 50%
Sodium 466mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 55g
Vitamin C 14mg 70%
Calcium 78mg 6%
Iron 7mg 37%
Potassium 1334mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

To make this beef stew, you'll need a large Dutch oven, which is a heavy cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cast iron retains heat marvelously, making it perfect for slow-cooking stews like this one. The enamel-coated ones are easier to clean (and they look nicer).

Oven braising cooks the stew evenly because the heat comes from all around, not directly underneath. So you won't end up with a burnt bottom, which can happen on the stovetop even at low temperatures.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef chuck

  • 1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 large stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola oil

  • 3 cups beef stock, or broth

  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Oven Braised Beef Stew ingredients
    The Spruce

  2. Preheat oven to 300 F.

  3. Pat any excess moisture from the meat with clean paper towels. This will help achieve a nice dark brown sear on it.

  4. Season the meat generously with kosher salt.

    Salt-seasoned beef chuck
    The Spruce 

  5. In a heavy, cast-iron Dutch oven or brazier, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is really hot, add the beef and brown it thoroughly on all sides. Don't overcrowd the pan. Work in batches if necessary. When a rich brown crust has developed on all sides of the beef, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

    Cook beef chuck
    The Spruce 

  6. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes or so, or until they turn slightly soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

    Sauteed onions
    The Spruce 

  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the flour to form a thin paste. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring throughout.

    Flour added to sauteed onions
    The Spruce 

  8. Now slowly pour in the stock, gently scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

    Stock and onions in a pot
    The Spruce 

  9. Return the browned beef to the pot along with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Heat on the stovetop until the liquid comes to a boil, then add the bay leaf and dried herbs, cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer the whole thing to the oven. Let the meat braise in the oven for 1 hour.

    Beef chuck stew cooking in a pot.
    The Spruce 

  10. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery, recover the pot and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

    Veges added to cooking beef stew
    The Spruce 

  11. Transfer the pot to the stovetop. Remove the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the stew is thickened.

    Simmering beef chuck stew
    The Spruce 

  12. Stir in the peas, adjust seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper, and serve right away, garnished with the chopped parsley.

    Oven Braised Stew
    The Spruce 

  13. Enjoy.

Tips

  • Don't bother with the so-called "stew meat" you see at the store sometimes. Instead, get yourself a 2-pound slab of beef chuck and cut it into cubes yourself. It'll be cheaper, and fresher (cut-up meat spoils more quickly than a single big piece), and you'll know it's chuck (versus the generic "stew meat" which could be anything).
  • For the potatoes, go for low-starch ones, such as Yukon Golds, red-skinned potatoes, or white round potatoes.