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This beef stew recipe is the kind of cozy, fall-apart-tender dinner that makes the whole house smell amazing, and it does almost all the work for you in the oven while you go live your life. I first made a big dish of it on a chilly Sunday afternoon when Maddie wanted “the meat and potatoes one,” and now it is on permanent rotation. If you love our slow cooker Mississippi cubed steaks, this is your new comfort-food best friend.
Tender chunks of beef, sweet carrots, and bright green peas simmer low and slow in a rich tomato gravy until everything melts together into pure comfort.
Beef Stew Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 314kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, savory, and deeply comforting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, mostly hands-off oven time
Quick Answer
To make this beef stew recipe, stir together bite-sized beef stew meat, carrots, onion, celery, condensed tomato soup, salt, and sugar in a baking dish. Tuck in a bay leaf, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 4 hours until the beef is fork-tender. Stir in frozen peas at the end and serve over mashed potatoes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Low and slow oven heat does the work. Baking the stew at a gentle 300 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours breaks down the connective tissue in the beef so it turns spoon-tender without any browning or babysitting on the stovetop.
- Condensed tomato soup is a shortcut gravy. The soup melts into a glossy, lightly sweet tomato gravy that thickens on its own as it bakes, so there is no flour, no slurry, and no lumps to fuss with.
- Everything cooks in one dish. You stir all the raw ingredients right in the baking dish, which means tons of flavor, almost no prep, and barely any cleanup.
- The peas go in last. Stirring frozen peas in at the very end keeps them bright green and sweet instead of mushy and gray.
- It is forgiving. An extra fifteen or twenty minutes in the oven will not ruin it, which makes this beef stew recipe perfect for busy afternoons.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is almost entirely hands-off, so you get a from-scratch-tasting dinner with about ten minutes of real work.
- The beef turns melt-in-your-mouth tender every single time thanks to the long, gentle oven bake.
- It is budget-friendly comfort food that feeds the whole family, and it tastes even better the next day, just like our easy meatloaf.
Key Ingredients
Here are the handful of simple ingredients that make this beef stew recipe so cozy and rich.
- Beef stew meat: Pre-cut chuck stew meat is ideal because the marbling melts down into tender, juicy bites over the long bake.
- Condensed tomato soup: This is the secret shortcut that becomes a thick, savory-sweet gravy with zero extra effort.
- Carrots, onion, and celery: The classic trio of stew vegetables that add sweetness, body, and that homey flavor base.
- Frozen peas: Stirred in at the end for a pop of color and gentle sweetness.
- Bay leaf, salt, and a touch of sugar: The bay leaf adds savory depth while a little sugar rounds out the tomato.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This beef stew recipe is easy to make your own with whatever you have on hand.
- Add potatoes: Toss in 2 cups of bite-sized Yukon Gold or russet potatoes with the other vegetables for an all-in-one meal.
- Make it heartier: Stir in sliced mushrooms or a splash of Worcestershire sauce for a deeper, beefier flavor.
- Swap the soup: Condensed cream of mushroom soup works in place of tomato soup for a creamy gravy version.
- Use a slow cooker: Cook everything on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, adding the peas in the last 15 minutes.
- Serve it differently: Spoon it over loaded mashed potato cakes or buttered egg noodles instead of plain mashed potatoes.
How to Make Beef Stew Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a 2.5-quart baking dish. Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces if needed, then add the beef, carrots, onion, celery, condensed tomato soup, salt, and sugar.
- Stir everything together until the beef and vegetables are evenly coated in the tomato soup.
- Spread the mixture into the dish, tuck the bay leaf down into the stew, and cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake for about 4 hours until the beef is fork-tender. Stir in the frozen peas, cover for 5 minutes to warm through, then serve over mashed potatoes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cut the beef evenly so every piece cooks at the same rate and turns out equally tender.
- Cover tightly with foil to trap the steam, which is what keeps the beef moist and helps it braise instead of dry out.
- Do not rush the bake. The full 4 hours at a low temperature is what makes the meat fall-apart tender, so resist the urge to crank the heat.
- Add the peas at the very end so they stay bright green and sweet instead of overcooked.
- Taste before serving and adjust the salt, since different brands of tomato soup vary in saltiness.
- Make it ahead. This beef stew recipe reheats beautifully and the flavors deepen overnight, so it is great for meal prep.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This beef stew recipe is built to be spooned over a big pile of creamy mashed potatoes, which soak up every bit of that rich tomato gravy. A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley on top adds a little brightness and makes it look extra cozy.
If you want to round out the meal, serve it with warm dinner rolls or a slice of crusty bread for dipping, plus a simple green salad on the side. It is also wonderful over buttered egg noodles or fluffy white rice when you want a change from potatoes.
For a true comfort-food spread, pair it with our Southern fried squash or a batch of crispy fried potato wedges. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze well for up to 3 months, making this an easy make-ahead dinner.
Beef Stew Recipe FAQs
Pre-cut beef stew meat, which is usually chuck roast, is the best choice for this beef stew recipe. The marbling and connective tissue break down during the long, low bake and turn the meat fork-tender. You can also cube your own chuck roast if you prefer.
No, you do not need to brown the beef for this beef stew recipe. Skipping the searing step is what makes it so easy. The beef still develops deep flavor as it braises slowly in the covered dish with the tomato gravy.
Yes. Add everything except the peas to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the frozen peas during the last 15 minutes so they stay bright and tender.
The condensed tomato soup thickens the gravy on its own as the stew bakes, so you usually do not need anything extra. If you want it even thicker, stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Absolutely. Add about 2 cups of bite-sized Yukon Gold or russet potatoes along with the other vegetables to turn this beef stew recipe into a complete one-dish meal. You may want to bake it an extra 20 to 30 minutes so the potatoes are fully tender.
Store leftover beef stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the gravy has thickened too much. The flavor is even better the next day.
Hungry for more cozy dinners? Try our reader-favorite spaghetti and meatballs next.
Serve a warm slice of this sourdough bread recipe to soak up every drop of the gravy.
Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 4 carrots peeled and 1/2 inch slice
- 1 small sweet onion large diced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 10.75 ounce can condensed tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- Mashed potatoes to serve
- Fresh chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spray a 2.5-quart baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- If the stew meat is in large chunks, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the beef, carrots, onion, celery, tomato soup, salt, and sugar into a large bowl, stir to combine and everything is coated in the soup. Add this mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Tuck the bay leaf into the stew. Cover with foil and cook for 4 hours or until the beef is tender and the liquid has slightly thickened. We like to stir it every hour or so to see how it is doing. You can start testing the meat at the 3-hour mark to see if it is tender. The smaller the chunks, the faster it will cook.
- Add the peas and mix them into the stew. Cover for 5 minutes so the peas thaw and warm. Serve over mashed potatoes with parsley garnish if using.
Notes
- We have never tested this with potatoes directly in the stew, so we do not know how it will turn out.
- You can serve this plain and not over anything.
- This can be frozen, see above on tips to do that.
- Make sure that you use a 2.5-quart baking dish, this is essential to how the stew will turn out.
Nutrition
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