Beef Dutch Oven Stew

The first few things I tried in “this thing” was amazing, so last night I tried beef dutch oven stew, it was a huge hit!! Packed with vegetables and a thick gravy too it now is definitely one of our favorite dutch oven recipes.

I was new to the whole idea of a dutch oven but saw one on a cooking show and was intrigued. Now I LOVE my cast iron skillet so a cast iron pot had to be amazing right?? And no you don’t only use these if you’re camping, that is not my kind of vacation. Using it right on your stovetop or oven for the most tender meat ever.

The first recipe I made in it was this dutch oven whole chicken and seriously that is probably the moistest chicken ever. Packed with flavor (even the vegetables were more delicious than in a regular pan). You can find multiple sizes and some are coated with some color (like the one above).

Ingredient Notes

If you use an already tender cut cut of beef, it will dry out and get tough as the stew cooks. It’s actually best to go with a tougher variety with some fat on it. The best is already diced stew meat or chop up a boneless chuck roast or it’s a great way of how to cook beef tips.

I buy the bag of baby ones that is about 1.5 lbs. at the store, quarter them, and use the whole thing. I buy large Carrots cut into large chunks or just buy the mini snackable baby ones. Diced tomatoes are great for the sauce with mushrooms and sliced onions go in everything.

Yes and I suggest that you do that. I like to quarter red potatoes because they take a bit longer to soften and hold up better for longer periods of time. Russets will break apart a bit more and have more starch which will thicken it more.

You are going to want to season this well or it will be rather bland. I typically will add garlic salt is the main one that we love with a pop from Worchestershire sauce. Add a bit of dried or fresh Oregano and a given is salt and pepper to taste.

How Long to Cook Old Fashioned Beef Stew in Oven

You are looking at about 3 hours baked in the oven to really get that meat tender and the sauce to thicken up to a gravy like consistency. You could set over medium heat or in the oven for about the same amount of time really.

Should I brown stew meat first?

You can and it will add a bit of texture to the outside of your meat + lock in the juices so it is recommended but will take a bit more time. You’ll get a bit of a caramelized flavor to it as well which will add a ton of flavor. If you forget or don’t have the time you can skip

How do you thicken beef stew?

The best way to do this is with a roux made of all purpose Flour and Tomato sauce or for even thicker, tomato paste, will certainly thicken it up. Start slowly as too much will become gummy so have a light hand as far as that goes. To thin any of these out you can add some beef broth or chicken broth. 1/2 cup of red wine can also be used for bolder flavors.

Can you cook this on the stove?

Yes, the only difference to me is that you have to tend to it more often which I don’t like. The oven will keep it at a more even temperature without the need to stir every so often. Over low to medium heat you would want to stir every 30 minutes or so to ensure the bottom didn’t get too hot and start to burn the items below.

Dutch Oven Stew Over a Campfire

What is also great about dutch oven recipes is that you can use the pot when you’re camping too!! That is right, if you have a grill on site you can set on top of indirect heat. OR use a grate over your campfire and heat until your meat is fork tender. Both of these methods will likely take longer since heat isn’t even.

FAQ

Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, Paprika or some Cayenne Pepper for a bit or a lot of heat.

Low and slow is the key. That is why it makes a great slow cooker recipe as well as in your dutch oven cast iron pot like this. A low temperature for a longer time is what you need.

It’s so fun to cook just about everything over a campfire. Here are some other easy camping recipes if you’re looking for that.If you want to cook a dutch oven roastwe have instructions for that too.

You see you don’t want to scrub scrub this pan or pot. You merely rinse it off and over the years it becomes “seasoned” as they say.

My pan was my husband’s grandmothers and it still looks great (as opposed to my Teflon pans that are totally shot after a few years). They may look kinda’ icky but once you make something in them you will be a believer too in no time.

You can also make this Crock pot slow cooker stew we love to make at home. OR make as an Instant Pot stew meat recipe.

If you want a shorter cook time, you can follow this Instant Pot beef tips version that is heavy on the protein, or ninja foodi stew here.