This classic hearty beef and tomato stew is true comfort food at its finest!  Perfect recipe for a chilly weekend at home and can easily be made in your instant pot, slow cooker or even right on the stove!

This classic hearty beef and tomato stew is true comfort food at its finest and can easily be made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!

So I actually posted this recipe over 7 years ago (I can't believe I've been blogging that long!), but it has always been such a favorite of ours that I wanted to refresh the photos and share it with you all again 🙂  Plus this recipe was passed down from my Grandma so you KNOW it's gonna be good.

This is such a great meal to make on the weekends because it's super simple, you just throw everything together in one pot, and you can enjoy the leftovers for a few days!  Oh and the best part?  Your house is guaranteed to smell amazing!

This classic hearty beef and tomato stew is true comfort food at its finest and can easily be made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!

Packed full of fresh veggies like carrots, peas, celery and onion (you know, the usual suspects) along with some baby potatoes and cubed beef, this stew is definitely bound to be a winner in your home.  It's more tomato based than typical beef stew recipes, but we love tomatoes over here and this is how I grew up eating it 🙂  I also threw in some fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary to give it an earthy flavor that really brings it all together.

This beef stew can be made so many different ways which makes this recipe super convenient!  If you want to make this during the week, but don't have a lot of time on your hands, you can simply throw everything into your instant pot (THIS ONE is my favorite!) and you'll have delicious fall-apart-in-your-mouth meat with tender potatoes!  It really is incredible how amazing the instant pot works and it's great for busy families who don't have time to wait for a slow cooker.  If you don't have one yet, trust me you'll love it!!

On the other hand, if you DO love using your slow cooker and want to let this simmer all day then this is also a great recipe for that!  Stove top is another great way to cook this as well, which is really the classic way, the only difference is I sauté the onions and celery along with searing the meat really well before adding the rest of the ingredients.  You can also do this in your instant pot too which is nice!

This classic hearty beef and tomato stew is true comfort food at its finest and can easily be made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!

Hope you all enjoy this comforting bowl of my favorite beef stew!  Feel free to adapt this to your liking too, like adding other veggies if you prefer or omitting the potatoes if you're watching your carbs.  You really can't go wrong and it will definitely warm you up this winter!

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hrs
  • Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (if searing the meat first)
  • 2 lb. cubed stew beef
  • 2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 large carrots, sliced
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 lb. baby potatoes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  1. To make in your instant pot: Drizzle olive oil in the bowl of your instant pot and turn on the sauté function. Wait until it's nice and heated then add meat, browning on all sides. Add the rest of your ingredients, seal the instant pot and select the meat/stew setting (about 35 minutes). Once cooking is complete, let the instant pot sit for about 12 minutes then release the steam by placing the valve to the venting position.
  2. To make in your slow cooker: Add cubed beef (except the oil) along with the rest of ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
  3. To make on your stove top: In a large dutch oven or pot on medium high heat, drizzle oil and sear meat on all sides. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours, until meat is tender. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

  • Serving Size: 1½ cups
  • Calories: 325
  • Sugar: 9.6 g
  • Sodium: 888.1 mg
  • Fat: 13.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24.2 g
  • Fiber: 4.8 g
  • Protein: 27.3 g

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

This classic hearty beef and tomato stew is true comfort food at its finest and can easily be made in your instant pot, slow cooker or right on the stove!