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This french style Red Wine Beef Stew has tender, fall apart beef, caramelized vegetables and a thick, velvety sauce. Truly the best hearty comfort food for chilly evenings.
This post was originally published 12/14/2015. It was updated with new photos and text 10/9/2025.
A French inspired Red Wine Beef Stew
I originally developed this recipe for red wine beef stew 10 years ago, when this blog was in its infancy. We still make this recipe a few times a year, and I have been wanting to update the post for a long time. I was inspired by the classic French dish Beef Bourguignon This kind of stew was a way to take a cheap, tough cut of meat and turn it into something tender and flavorful. The meat is fall apart tender, the broth is rich and velvety, the vegetables are earthy and a little caramelized.
What kind of meat should be used in beef stew?
To get wonderful, tender beef in beef stew, you need to know what kind of meat to use. Don’t be taken in by a package of meat at the grocery store labeled “stew meat” – first of all, it is usually cut into pieces that are too small for this recipe. Second of all, and more importantly, you don’t know what cut of beef it is. It is usually a leaner beef that will not get tender with a long cooking time, but will become tough. Instead, you want to buy a CHUCK ROAST – this has lots of fat and connective tissue that will break down over several hours of cooking and become tender and flavorful.
Ingredients for Red Wine Beef Stew
- Boneless Beef Chuck Roast – Look for a roast with good marbling, that means fat is distributed through the meat. Cut the roast into 1.5 inch chunks. Trim off any large pieces of fat on the edges. Season with salt and set aside until ready to use. Do not use something labeled “stew meat”.
- Red Wine – Such as Syrah or Zinfandel. It doesn’t need to be an expensive wine, but it should be one that is good enough to drink.
- Beef Broth – The main base for the sauce, this will add depth and flavor.
- Tomato paste – this adds umami and savoriness.
- Onions and garlic – some of the major flavor components!
- Carrots and potatoes – bulks up your stew and adds earthiness.
- Herbs – thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Be sure to chop the rosemary well, finding a needle in your stew isn’t pleasant!
- Olive oil – for sautéing the onions
- Flour – this is used to thicken the stew.
- Bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms and carrots – this is for the topping that is cooked separately from the stew – it adds a totally extra dimension of flavor and texture that really makes this stew special.
Step By Step instructions for making red wine beef stew
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (if using convection, reduce to 300 F)
- Cut the chuck roast into 1.5 inch pieces, season well with salt and set aside.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté for about 20 minutes – until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste, stir and cook until well m iced and turning rust colored, 2 minutes.
- Add the flour, cook for about one minute.
- Whisk in the broth, then the wine, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add herbs, bring to a simmer.
- Add the beef. There is no need to brown the beef first. Arrange the beef so it is sticking partly out of the liquid – it will brown in the oven.
- Transfer to oven and cook UNCOVERED for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven, use a spoon to scrape down the brown bits on the side of the pan. Add the potatoes and carrots. Stir to arrange so that the beef is mostly on top sticking out of the liquid. Return to the oven and cook uncovered for another hour.
- Prepare topping – add bacon pieces to a sauce pan and cover with water. Cover pan and turn heat on to medium high. Bring to a boil.
- When water is boiling, remove lid and add pearl onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until water has evaporated.
- Add mushrooms and season with just a little salt (remember, bacon is already salty!). Reduce heat to medium low.
- Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are nicely browned 20-30 minutes. Depending on how much fat your bacon releases, you may need to add just a little olive oil to the pan to coat the vegetables.
- When stew is done, remove from oven, stir and again scrape browned bits from the sides into the stew. Taste stew and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Tips for making Red Wine Beef Stew
- Be sure to use the correct cut of beef – chuck roast. Do not buy generic “stew meat” as it is often leaner and can be tough.
- There is no need to brown the beef before cooking. This stew is cooked in the oven with the lid off, so the meat will brown in the oven. It works!
- Cook at 325 degrees F – and if you are using convection, turn it down to 300 F.
- If the meat is not tender at the end of cooking time, cook for another 30-60 minutes. If the stew is very brown on top, you can cover it for this extra cooking time.
- Pearl onions are for the topping vegetables – they can be hard to find, but you can normally find them in the freezer section. If using frozen earl onions, follow instructions and add them while still frozen. No need to thaw them first.
Substitutions
- Although wine is a major flavor component of this recipe, you may want to leave it out. If you do, replace with the same amount of beef broth. You may also want to add a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to replicate the flavor that wine gives.
- Need to make it gluten free? I have not tested the recipe with substitutions, but some readers have used cornstarch as a thickener. Be sure all of your other ingredients are labeled gluten free as well.
What to serve with Beef stew
I normally serve this with a nice crusty bread for dipping. Some people also like to serve beef stew with mashed potatoes – try my Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Parsnip Mashed Potatoes.
You will also love
Red Wine Beef Stew
This Red Wine Beef Stew is rich and hearty, with tender beef and a velvety, savory sauce that you will not believe!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast cut into one and a half inch chunks.
- 2 onions diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine such as syrah or zinfandel
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch coins
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional
For The Topping:
- 1 cup pearl onions or cipollini onions
- 2-3 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 crimini mushrooms thickly sliced
- 2 slices of bacon cut into 1 inch lardons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Season beef pieces with salt, set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions and season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and garlic, cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until rust colored.
- Add flour and stir, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in broth slowly, then wine. Use a wooden spoon scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add herbs and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in beef, arrange so beef is partly above the liquid. Return to a simmer.
- Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and using a spoon, scrape down the brown bits that have formed on the side of the pot. Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew, stir and rearange meat so that it is on top of the vegetables and sticking out of the sauce as much as possible (this way it will brown in the oven)
- Return to oven and cook uncovered for another hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
- While stew is cooking, prepare topping.
- In a medium saute pan, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Add bacon pieces, cover pan and turn heat on to medium high. Bring to a boil.
- When water is boiling, remove lid and add pearl onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until water has evaporated.
- Add mushrooms and season with just a little salt (remember, bacon is already salty!). Reduce heat to medium low.
- Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are nicely browned, 20–30 minutes. Depending on how much fat your bacon releases, you may need to add just a little olive oil to the pan to coat the vegetables.
- When stew is done, remove from oven, stir and again scrape browned bits from the sides into the stew. Taste stew and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- To serve, spoon stew into bowl and top with some vegetable topping and fresh parsley, if desired.
- Serve with bread (optional, but strongly advised).
Notes
When preparing the beef, cut off any large pieces of fat. 1 and a half inch chunks may seem like really large pieces, but that helps them to stick out of the broth and get browned.
There is no need to brown the beef before cooking. It will brown in the oven as it is cooked with the lid off.
If the meat is not tender at the end of cooking time, cook for another 30-60 minutes. If the stew is very brown on top, you can cover it for this extra cooking time.
Using frozen pearl onions is fine, they can be added frozen, no need to thaw.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 1081mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5198IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!
The only thing I did different was pan seared all sides of roast. I followed all directions. I seasoned the roast liberly before searing. I think that might be why people felt it fell flat on taste. You have to layer the salt! It was amazing. Velvet sauce and tender meat. I used an Italian Tuscan wine. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I followed the recipe exactly and was very disappointed . It did not have the rich flavor that was described. It was really just ordinary . I won’t be making this again.
Hi Cheryl – I’m sorry you didn’t like it. It’s a favorite in our house, and as you can see from the comments, several other people have made it and loved it. But not every recipe is for every person. Hope you find something else you like!
I made it the other day. My french friend who is now living in New Zealand was sooooo happy. She said it was just like how her grandmother used to make!! thank you!!!
Wow, that is quite a compliment! Thank you Celina, I’m so glad you and your friend loved it!
The recipe says carrots in the pot and in the topping. Whicj is correct please?
Hi Dan – there are carrots in both. You add the carrots to the stew in step 9, and you also use them in the topping. The reason for that is the carrots cooked in the stew add flavor but break down, and the carrots in the topping have a better texture. Hope that helps!
Hi Meghan,
Just came across this recipe and want to make it for a group of 8 friends this weekend. It’s the most delicious sounding recipe I’ve come across! Thank you for the photo, too (cinched my decision!).
Some of my friends are not eating grain at all – could I omit the flour? Do you think I could just puree a few of the stewed veggies at the end to thicken the sauce? Thanks much! Lorrie
Hi Lorrie, I am so glad you are making the stew! The flour does a great job of making the stew thick instead of watery. You could try using arrowroot, potato starch or tapioca starch instead of flour. Or as you suggested, you could try pureeing some potatoes and adding them back in to thicken. Please note that when I tested the recipe I only used flour, so I can’t be 100% sure of the results with the substitutions. Here is an article I found on thickening stew without flour! http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/use-thicken-stew-gluten-intolerant-people-2758.html I hope that helps. Please let me know how it turns out!
Thanks so much for the thickening research! I decided to try the veggie puree route, so will let you know – it’s in the oven now (first round)! I decided to make it a day ahead, since stew is always better the next day. I’ll make the veggie toppings just before the guests arrive tomorrow, while the stew is heating. I do have one more question – do you peel your carrots and potatoes for this recipe?
Will let you know how the recipe turned out w/out flour (so far it smells amazing and looks very similar to your photos!)
Hi Lorrie, great, I’m so excited to hear that! I did peel the carrots and potatoes. And I agree, stew is always better the next day! Enjoy your time with your friends!
Hi Meghan,
The stew was a huge hit last night! Everyone raved! I have to say, the topping is my favorite part, too!
Omitting the flour worked out great for my non-gluten friends. I pureed 1/2 a potato, 1/2 an onion and 1 carrot after letting them cook with the meat for the first 1.5 hours. I then whisked the puree in to the liquid and added 2 more tablespoons of the tomato paste, then returned it all to the oven with the new potatoes and carrots for another 1.5 hours. The sauce turned out very thick and rich – not watery at all.
Thank you for the very delicious recipe – this was my first attempt at beef stew and my new favorite!
Lorrie – I am so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know, now other readers who want to make it gluten free can try the same thing! I am so glad that you and your friends loved the stew!
I used Bob’s Red Mill one to one gluten free flour replacement and it worked fine.
Hi Meghan! Just came across your stew recipe and I was planning on making stew this weekend. would like to try this wonderful looking stew but I’m not a fan of tomato paste in my stew. Would it be the same if I left it out?
Hi Franceen – the tomato paste gives the stew a nice umami flavor, and it probably won’t be quite the same without it. It really doesn’t give the stew a “tomato” taste, since it is such a small amount, but just gives it a more complex flavor. You could try leaving it out if you want, but I don’t think the stew will be quite as rich and flavorful.
Hi Meghan ! Just came across this recipe while looking for something to make for Sunday dinner tomorrow. It looks AMAZING!!! Problem is I don’t have a Dutch over (we have a glass cooktop so cast iron is too risky). Can I make this in something like a Corning Ware casserole?
Hi Marcelle! Yay, I am so glad you are going to make this, it is one of my favorites! I would start the stew in a large pot on the stove, then when you transfer to the oven you can trasfer the stew to an oven safe dish. It might also work in a large pot that is oven safe (T-fal makes some that might work better than cast iron for you). I hope that helps, let me know how it turns out!
Well, I made this stew on Sunday in my Corning Ware casserole and it was DEEEEVINE!!!!! The only change I made was to brown the beef a bit before and add more than one potato (hubby would never eat a stew with only one spud!) I used fingerlings and cut them into chunks. This stew is now one of the entries in a Yummly.com category that I set up specifically to save dishes my husband wants again and again and again!
Hi Marcelle, I am so happy that you and your husband love the stew! And thanks for letting me know about the adaptations for the glass stovetop, I’m sure some other readers will benefit from that.
Hello Meghan! I’m new to your site and stumbled across your recipe after googling “velvety beef stew”. I made it tonight and just took it out of the oven. I have to tell you that it is delicious! The sauce is silky and rich, the beef is tender and flavorful, and the potato is so creamy. I can’t wait to have it for dinner tomorrow! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Jeannette! Yay, that makes me so happy to hear! I am thrilled that you love it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! I think the stew is even better the next day 🙂
That stew you had sounds amazing! I love it when restaurant meals just stick with you because they are so good, and it’s so fun to try to recreate them at home. I can almost smell this already 🙂
Thanks Katy! I do love both eating at great restaurants and recreating the food at home!
What a gorgeous stew! That sauce must taste amazing! This is so perfect for cold winter days!
Thank you Melanie!
I love this post, your tips are really great and I can SEE the results in your photos — I agree that the best stews have a deep rich base, and it isn’t always easy to nail. I’m now going to put beef stew on the menu for this week so I can practice!
Thank you so much Sue! It is a fun and delicious project to practice on 🙂
Oh gosh it has been sooo long since I’ve had beef stew! This looks perfect for all the colder weather ahead (it’s been like 70 here this week – I kinda hate it for December – it’s supposed to be chilly out!!)
The weather has been so weird this year, right? I know what you mean, I like it to be a little chilly in December so I can cozy up. It has been mild in Washington this year too, but not that warm! Thanks so much Ashley!
I can almost taste the velvety sauce!!! YUM, Meghan! I love this recipe. This is one of my favorite kinds of stew and yours looks perfect!!
Thank you so much Lauren!
I EAT THIS STEW FOR LUNCH!!!
No, seriously, I’m eating this stew for lunch. It is in my lunchbox. Right now. So, yeah, I win.
You win at lunch and at life! 🙂
What an absolutely scrumptious beef stew, Meghan! All of the flavors you have in here… rich, savory, velvety… my mouth is literally watering! I appreciate your dedication to getting this recipe absolutely PERFECT, too, looks like it really paid off!
Thank you so much Sam! It has become one of my favorites!
The food scene in PDX is on point! I LOVE beef stew and this is the only way to make it!!! delicious!!!!!!
Yasss, it so is! I miss it dearly, but luckily it is only a few hours away by car for us. Thanks so much Alice!
I love your pictures! I have been adding red wine to my soups/stews too I can’t believe how much flavor/ depth it adds.
Just one more reason I love wine! 🙂 Thanks so much for the sweet compliment Liora!
I NEED this stew in my life. This is pure perfection Meghan! You have no idea how much I wish I was tucking into a big bowl. Gorgeous pics too!
Thank you so much Jess!
Wow! This is quite a recipe!! I’m amazed at your persistence in getting it just right, and sharing your tips so that we can try to turn out an
impressive meal! I am SO looking forward to sharing this with my household, and the sooner the better. I love the concept of cutting my meat with a spoon~~❤️??❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you I’m sure you guys will love it!
With so many tips, you have set us up to achieve beef stew perfection! I love this recipe and I’m gonna try it soon like this weekend soon because it looks too good to wait any longer than that.
Yess, I hope you do try it, the sooner the better! Thanks Nicole!