Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

Pioneer Woman's beef stew is a delicious combination of tender stewing beef and chunks of vegetables all bound up in a rich gravy. The gravy includes beer, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and more, making it a wonderful, savory sauce. Here is some information about how to make it and reheat it so that you and your family can enjoy it any night of the week.

Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

Pioneer Woman's beef stew includes fresh cubes of beef mixed with some winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Pioneer Woman uses beer but I personally don't use alcohol so I replaced it with non-alcoholic beer.

How Can I Make My Beef Stew More Flavorful?

In order to make this beef stew recipe flavorful, you can use sauces such as soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to provide an umami note. The seasonings can also make a huge impact on the beef stew. For example, you can add a little lemon zest for brightness, or chili powder for spice, or smoked paprika for depth.

What are the Best Vegetables to Use in Beef Stew?

The best vegetables to use in the beef stew are winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, and yellow onion. Some beef stew recipes use potatoes like baby potatoes as well.

Here are some vegetables you can add to the beef stew:

• Hearty greens 
• Mushrooms
• Root vegetables
• Winter squash
• Fennel
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant

How Do You Make Beef Stew Meat Tender?

In order to make the beef tender in a stew, it must first be browned in olive oil for about 2 to 3 minutes, then simmered for about 1 hour to an 1 hour and a half. Make sure to cook the stew covered for the first hour to cook the beef, and then cook it uncovered for the last 15 minutes so that it thickens.

How Can I Thicken My Beef Stew?

It is possible to thicken beef stew in two main ways. The first method is to cook the stew uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow moisture to evaporate and thicken the stew. The second way is to use flour or cornstarch. To do this, simply mix 3 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch into ½ cup of liquid (beef broth or water) until smooth. Then, add it back to the stew and keep cooking until the stew is thickened.

Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 2 pounds stewing beef
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 can or bottle of beer or non-alcoholic beer
• 4 cups beef broth, or more as needed 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 
• ½ teaspoon paprika 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 carrots, roughly sliced 
• 2 parsnips, roughly sliced 
• 1 small turnip, roughly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, optional 
• Minced fresh parsley, for garnish 

How to Make Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

1. Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven and brown the beef.
2. Once the beef is browned, remove it and set it aside.
3. Add the garlic and onions and cook them until they are soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the beer (I use a non-alcoholic beer), beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.
5. Next, bring the beef back to a simmer, cover it, and cook it on low heat until the beef is very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
6. You can add more broth as needed if the liquid level drops too low. 
7. Add the carrots, parsnips, and turnips, and continue simmering the stew for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
8. Remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and stir it into the flour. 
9. Stir the flour mixture into the stew. 
10. Let the stew simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. 
11. At this point, the beef should be very tender; however, if it is tough, continue cooking it. 
12. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
13. You can serve the beef stew with toast or with your favorite side dishes.

How to Store Beef Stew Correctly

You can store cooked beef stew in the fridge or in the freezer and it will last for 4 to 5 days in the fridge and about 3 months frozen. However, you should follow a few steps to store your beef stew correctly. Make sure to let the beef stew cool until reaches room temperature. Then, store it in glass containers instead of plastic. Lastly, make sure you label the containers with the storage date so that you will know when to use them by.

How Long Does Beef Stew Last in the Fridge?

Properly stored beef stew can last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For the cooked beef stew, always let it cool before storing it and use airtight glass containers.

How Long Does Beef Stew Last in the Freezer?

You can freeze your beef stew for up to 3 months. The correct way to do it is to divide the stew into portions in freezer bags. When you pack the bags, make sure you leave about a ½ inch in the top of each freezer bag to accommodate for expansion. You should also label the bags with the date so that you will know when you should use them by.

How to Thaw Frozen Beef Stew?

The most recommended way to thaw frozen beef stew is to place it in the fridge for about 24 to 36 hours. This may seem like a very long time, but it is one of the best ways to thaw it as it allows the stew to defrost gradually. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can warm some water and place the frozen beef stew bags into the warm water. This method will thaw the beef stew in about 2 to 3 hours.

How to Reheat Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

The best way to reheat leftover beef stew is in a 350 F oven for about 25 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet, but make sure you don't reheat it in the air fryer. The secret to reheating beef stew or any other stew is making sure it reaches the correct temperature. Beef stew should reach a temperature between 165 F and 170 F when it is properly heated.

For frozen beef stew, you need to defrost it before you reheat it. It is not recommended that you heat the stew from frozen.

How to Reheat Beef Stew in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Pour your beef stew into an oven-safe bowl or into a baking bowl.
3. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil to avoid drying out the stew.
4. Reheat for about 10 to 25 minutes, stirring once, or until it reaches 165 F.
5. Serve and enjoy.

How to Reheat Beef Stew in the Microwave

To reheat beef stew in the microwave, you should divide it into servings to make the process easier and faster. Simply pour leftover beef stew into a safe-microwave bowl and reheat it for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure to stir it every 30 seconds to warm evenly.

How to Reheat Beef Stew in a Skillet

To reheat beef stew in a skillet, pour the leftover beef stew into the skillet or crockpot and reheat it over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. If needed, you can add some extra liquid if the stew is too dry. To do so, you can add about ½ cup of beef broth or water and to the stew, and reheat it until it is heated through.

What to Serve With Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

French baguette, toast, and any kind of crispy bread or biscuits are great to serve with beef stew. You can also serve it with noodles, couscous, or rice, or fresh salads like tomato salad or cucumber salad.

Here are some ideas of what to serve with Pioneer Woman's beef stew:

• Pioneer Woman's Ambrosia Salad Recipe
• Julienne Salad
• Butternut Squash Salad
• Garlic Bread
• Hardee’s Biscuits and Gravy Recipe

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Pioneer Woman’s Beef Stew

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Pioneer Woman’s beef stew is a delicious combination of tender stewing beef and chunks of vegetables all bound up in a rich gravy. The gravy includes beer, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and more, making it a wonderful, savory sauce. Here is some information about how to make it and reheat it so that you and your family can enjoy it any night of the week.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 pounds stewing beef
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can or bottle of beer or non-alcoholic beer
• 4 cups beef broth, or more as needed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 carrots, roughly sliced
• 2 parsnips, roughly sliced
• 1 small turnip, roughly sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, optional
• Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven and brown the beef.
2. Once the beef is browned, remove it and set it aside.
3. Add the garlic and onions and cook them until they are soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the beer (I use a non-alcoholic beer), beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.
5. Next, bring the beef back to a simmer, cover it, and cook it on low heat until the beef is very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
6. You can add more broth as needed if the liquid level drops too low. 
7. Add the carrots, parsnips, and turnips, and continue simmering the stew for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
8. Remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and stir it into the flour. 
9. Stir the flour mixture into the stew. 
10. Let the stew simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. 
11. At this point, the beef should be very tender; however, if it is tough, continue cooking it. 
12. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
13. You can serve the beef stew with toast or with your favorite side dishes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 327Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1162mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 11g