Beef stew is a great winter classic and so easy to adapt to the paleo lifestyle. Full of veggies, savory herbs, and an umami sauce this hearty paleo beef stew will have you going back for more.
Hello everyone! We hope you had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrated it. Even though you are probably chipping away at the leftover turkey we wanted to bring something nice and warm for the next cycle of holidays with this hearty paleo beef stew.
The winter season is rolling in fast here and we wanted to bring this recipe that will warm you right up. Beef stew is a classic to the winter arsenal. This recipe will fill you up with a variety of veggies, tender stew meat, and a savory tomato broth that just compliments every bite.
Beef stew was alway a classic after a long day out in the snow playing and chilling ourselves to the bone. But every once in awhile it would either be too tough or not that flavorful. We created this recipe with these points in mind. And the results turned out great!
We did a couple things to combat the two major problems people tend to have. Starting with the beef:
Beef Pro-tips
- Pat dry the stew meat before cooking in a hot skillet. When the beef has moisture on the surface it won’t brown and create this crust that saves it from drying out.
- When you are building that crust don’t cook it all the way through. You want to cook the meat to where it’s browned on each side. This seals in a lot of flavor and makes the meat these little savor bombs in each bite.
- Cook your stew meat in batches. Overcrowding the pot will take heat away from each surface. This won’t let you build that crust up on each piece of meat.
- Finishing the stew all together in a oven over a long period of time really brings it all together. Low and slow cooking the meat infuses the flavors and creates a palatable texture that just falls apart in your mouth.
Now for the flavor.
Stew Pro-tips
- Add savory veggies to your stew. Mushrooms, celery, and tomatoes bring a ton of flavor to the stew party and give the broth a nice punch.
- Create a paleo friendly slurry. Adding a tablespoon of tapioca starch or arrowroot will thicken the broth and have it stick to all your ingredients.
- Use them coconut aminos! Coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar brought so much to this dish that it’s a night and day difference.
With these tips in mind lets dive into the recipe.
Hearty Paleo Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs stew meat
- 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ribs celery roughly chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large yukon gold potatoes roughly chopped
- 4 oz bella button mushrooms halved
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 4 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat oil in a oven safe dutch oven at a medium heat. Pat dry stew meat and add in small batches to the dutch oven and brown each side. Once browned remove from pot and let rest.
- Once you have browned all your meat, add your garlic and onion. Saute until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and potatoes and saute for another 7-9 minutes.
- Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, smoked paprika, oregano (if you choose to add), and mushrooms to the pot and saute until fragrant.
- Once your house starts to smell amazing from the cooked veggies and herbs add all but 1 cup of broth. With the other 1 cup create your slurry by combining the broth with your coconut aminos, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and tapioca starch and whisking them together until well combined.
- Add your slurry and rested stew meat back into the pot with the veggies. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cover with a lid and place the dutch oven in the preheated oven and bake for 1.5 hours until meat is tender. Let rest for 15 minutes and you got yourself an amazing dinner.
