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Ina Garten Beef Stew

Ina Garten beef stew with red wine braising delivers tender beef and vegetables in a thick, flavorful gravy. Bake low and slow in a Dutch oven until the carrots and potatoes are perfectly soft, then finish with peas for a fresh bite.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
All-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
Black pepper
  • 1.5 tsp black pepper
Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Dry red wine
  • 1 cup dry red wine
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
Tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Garlic
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
Onions
  • 2 large onions, chopped
Carrots
  • 1 lb carrots, cut into chunks
Small potatoes
  • 1 lb small potatoes, halved
Fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Toss the beef with flour, kosher salt, and black pepper, then brown it in batches in olive oil in a Dutch oven.
  2. Keep the pieces mostly undisturbed while browning so they develop a deep golden crust; transfer browned beef to a plate while you repeat with the remaining batches.
Build the stew base
  1. Add the dry red wine to the pot and scrape up the browned bits. Stir in the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic, until the mixture looks evenly combined and glossy.
Bake until tender
  1. Return the beef to the pot, then add the chopped onions, carrots, halved small potatoes, rosemary sprig, and thyme leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and bake at 300F for 1 3/4-2 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.
  2. Check partway through only if needed: the liquid should be gently bubbling under the lid, with the stew thickening as the meat breaks down.
Finish with peas
  1. Remove the rosemary sprig and stir in the frozen peas. Simmer on the stove for 5 minutes until the peas are hot and bright green.
  2. Season to taste right before serving so the flavors are balanced after baking; the surface should look thick and lightly saucy.

Notes

Pro tip: Brown the beef in batches rather than overcrowding so it caramelizes instead of steaming—this is what builds the stew’s deep flavor. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). For a lighter option, replace half the potatoes with turnips or use baby gold potatoes but reduce the added salt slightly; the stew will still thicken well from the flour and reduced braising liquid.