One-Pan Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Cozy beef stew, but everything happens in one pan and dinner feels handled.
Make this on a tired night when you want real comfort food without a pile of dishes. It gives you the familiar beef stew payoff: tender beef, soft potatoes, carrots, and a rich savory broth. The one-pan setup keeps the process simple, and the recipe is forgiving if you need to chop a little roughly or let it simmer a bit longer. It is not instant dinner, but it is hands-off enough that you can make it while you change clothes, answer one email, or just sit down for a minute. Expect a thick, cozy stew, not a fussy restaurant version.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb beef chuck — cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — chopped
- 2 unit carrots — cut into thick coins
- 2 unit celery stalks — chopped
- 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes — cut into bite-size chunks
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen peas — optional, stirred in at the end
Method
- 1 Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry, season with a little salt and pepper, and brown it in batches for 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a plate.
- 2 Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the same pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 3 Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the beef broth slowly while scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
- 4 Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, potatoes, remaining salt, and pepper. Return the beef and any juices to the pan.
- 5 Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef and potatoes are tender.
- 6 If using peas, stir them in during the last 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then serve hot.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Swap the beef for 2 cans of drained cannellini beans and use vegetable broth; add the beans in the last 10 minutes so they stay intact.
- Faster swap — Use thin-sliced beef stew meat or sirloin strips and cut the potatoes smaller; simmer gently for about 25 to 30 minutes total.
- Substitutions — Use parsnips or mushrooms for part of the potatoes, swap peas for green beans, or add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end for extra depth.
Notes
If your beef is still a little tough at the end, keep simmering in 5-minute bursts with the lid on. The stew thickens as it sits, so add a splash more broth if you want it looser. For the best texture, use a heavy pan that holds heat well.
Equipment that helps
- Large deep skillet or Dutch oven — It gives the stew enough room to brown, simmer, and reduce without boiling over.
- Wooden spoon — It helps scrape up the browned bits that build the stew's flavor.
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