Name: Old Fashioned Beef Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs stew beef; 4 cups water (divided); 4 onions (sliced); 2 tablespoons paprika; 1 teaspoon Sea Salt; 1 teaspoon Black Pepper; 2 lbs carrots (sliced); 2 lbs potatoes (chopped)

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This old fashioned beef stew recipe is easy and hearty, with tender cooked beef, spices, and chopped carrots, potatoes, and onions. It makes a great cozy dinner year-round, and is a great recipe to make for a big family dinner.

An easy stew that only has 7 ingredients, but lots of flavor from slow-simmering the beef. I love serving this beef stew over egg noodles, a serving of easy cucumber salad, and a thick slice of honey jalapeno cornbread!

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Table of Contents

I love compiling together my old family recipes, and this one was originally made by my great-grandma on my mom’s side! This old fashioned beef stew recipe was passed down to me by my Aunt Mary Ann, who gave me a few wonderful family recipes that I didn’t have before. Mary Ann also is an author of a fantastic book series for kids, and you can check out her children’s books here!

The thing I love about this beef stew is that it’s simple to make, and has ingredients that I always keep stocked in the fridge and freezer. It takes about 15 minutes to prep, then 2 hours of hands-off cooking time while it simmers on the stove. It’s work-from-home friendly – I can start it around 2 or 3pm when I have a break at work, and have it ready by dinner!

This Old Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe Is

Hearty
Easy to Make
Tender
Cozy
A Crowd-Pleaser
Versatile
Made With Clean, Whole Ingredients (No Added Preservatives)

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One Pot Beef Stew For Easy Dinners

This old fashioned beef stew recipe is the perfect one-pot lunch or dinner! I love a good One Pot Meal, especially one that simmers for a while and takes care of itself while cooking. Making everything in one pot is one of my favorite ways to get a meal on the table fast.

And one pot cooking makes cleaning easy. The stove does all the work for you, so you can focus on other kitchen prep while the food cooks. One Pot meals are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – check out our other one pot recipes here to see more easy meals that are ready in no time!

What’s In Old Fashioned Beef Stew?

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Stew Beef – we don’t have meat too often, but we love a good stew every once in a while.
Carrots
Onions
Potatoes – I used yellow potatoes, but any variety would work great for this stew: red potatoes or Russets.
Water
Paprika – for a hint of spice and great flavor!
Salt & Pepper

The Best Dutch Oven For Stew

I love making this stew in a heavy Dutch oven. I find it works really well for cooking down onions. We get weekly use out of our Dutch ovens, they’re my favorite pots to cook with.

Dutch ovens are heavy cast iron pots coated in enamel, and are stovetop and oven safe. I make some of our favorite dishes in the Dutch oven including French onion soup, Greek baked beans, and even Dutch oven bread.

I find Dutch ovens sauté vegetables better, are great for baked dishes and casseroles, and are versatile as they are also oven-safe. If you don’t already have a Dutch oven, I would highly recommend a large 6-quart Dutch oven or an extra large 7.5-quart Dutch oven which is great for batch cooking stews like this!

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How Do I Make Old School Beef Stew?

In a large Dutch Oven, or other heavy pot, add 1 cup of water and the onions. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned or transparent. Stir in the paprika, salt, and pepper and stir onions. Add the remaining 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
Add the stew meat, and stir until boiling. Bring the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the carrots and potatoes, and continue to simmer for another hour until beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over egg noodles, rice, or a thick slice of crusty bread – enjoy!

Comfort Food Stew Recipes All Year Long

This Dutch Oven Beef Stew is the tastiest, coziest dinner meal. It’s perfect for a hearty meal for the family, and also great to make for company if you are having guests for dinner. It makes a great holiday meal as well. The stove does most of the work, so you can enjoy hands-off time while you prep sides or a salad!

Dietary Modifications

This beef stew is gluten free – just ensure any spices you are using are certified gluten free.
It’s is sugar free and contains no added preservatives, which is great for clean eating.
It’s also dairy free!
And it’s Whole30 approved.

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More Old Family Recipes You’ll Love

And since this recipe was given to me by my Aunt Mary Ann – you can check out these and more of her children’s books here!

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

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Simple to put together yet very good. It sure went fast in my house

Old Fashioned Beef Stew (Family Recipe)