17 stewing beef recipes

Chunks of beef slowly braised in an authentic Chinese manner. Nearly any tough cut of beef can be made magically tender and flavorful with this technique.

Authentic Sichuan beef stew with star anise, dried orange peel, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. Slow-simmered for three hours with hot bean paste and soy. Serve over rice.

Beef cubes, carrots, and tomatoes slow-cook for 12 hours with quick-cooking tapioca that thickens the broth into a rich, spoon-coating gravy.

Szechuan beef stew braises chunky beef chuck for two hours in a spiced soy sauce broth with red pepper flakes, fennel, cloves, and ginger until fork-tender. A warming, deeply savory one-pot dinner for six.

Savory beef stew with parsnips, turnips, succotash, and red wine in a crushed tomato base. A hearty root vegetable stew with chuck beef simmered until tender.

Mediterranean beef and okra stew: chuck simmered in a Dutch oven with onion, garlic paste, tomatoes, and whole okra pods. A rustic Balkan-style braise that cooks unattended.

Mexican-style spicy beef stew braises chuck cubes in a tomato, garlic, and roasted green chile sauce until fork-tender. Served with warm flour tortillas to scoop up the rich, brick-red gravy.

Beef stew braised in red wine with a tart twist: fresh cranberries pulsed with brown sugar and flour stir in at the end for a sweet-tangy sauce. Make it ahead and it only gets better.

Szechwan spiced beef stew braised with star anise, hot bean paste, crushed peppercorns, and dry sherry. Deeply aromatic Chinese-style comfort food.

Brunswick Stew with Chicken and Beef: a tangy Southern stew with shredded chicken, ground beef, tomato juice, onion, and a vinegar kick. Slow-simmered until thick and rich.

Italian polenta with beef and sausage stew, a rustic Northern Italian dish of braised beef, hot Italian sausage, and mushrooms served over creamy polenta.

Tender beef chuck slow-braised with cinnamon, cumin, tomato paste, and pearl onions, then crowned with crumbled feta. This Greek stifado fills the kitchen with warm spice and Mediterranean soul.

Fragrant Sri Lankan beef curry slow-simmered in coconut milk with cardamom, cinnamon, lemongrass, and fenugreek creates complex island flavors.

A Caribbean-inspired ground beef stew loaded with briny capers, green olives, sweet currants, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. Served over rice for a bold, savory-sweet one-plate dinner.

Several kinds of spices give the stew lots of flavor, butternut squash adds some sweetness, dried cherries give another zing.

Sweet and sour beef stew with chuck cubes braised in a tangy ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. A retro oven-braised stew served over rice with Instant Pot directions.