Baked Dutch Oven Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is beef stew better in Dutch oven or slow cooker? ›

Benefits of cooking with a Dutch oven

The meat seared more quickly and effectively in the Dutch oven than it did in the slow cooker and I was able to sauté the onions and reduce the wine a bit more effectively. Then, I followed the same process of adding in the vegetables, tomato paste and stock.

Yes, it is necessary to leave the lid on when cooking a stew slowly in an oven. This is because slow cooking with a lid traps the heat and moisture inside the pot, which helps to tenderize tough cuts of meat and allows the flavors to blend together.

Cooking a stew in an oven generally results in slower, more even cooking, while cooking on a stove is faster and may require more frequent stirring. Oven cooking can lead to tender, flavorful dishes, while stove cooking is quicker but may require more attention to prevent burning or sticking.

Yes, beef stew can be overcooked in the oven, leading to dry, tough meat and mushy vegetables. It's important to cook it just until the beef is tender.

Next time you're shopping for stew beef, look at your options and see what cuts of meat will work best for your recipe. For example, chuck is a lean and tender cut of beef that works well in stew. However, if you would prefer a thicker and more flavorful stew, short ribs or oxtail may be better choices for you.

Soups and stews: Dutch ovens are ideal for cooking things low and slow, which makes them perfect for hearty soups and stews. And they're typically generously sized, which means they can hold a lot of liquid.

Cover casserole. Bake in the preheated oven until beef is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Just prep your recipe the way you normally would on the stove top, and when it's time to just let it cook, cover and transfer to a 300°F oven and check every hour until done.

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

' In the UK, the terms casserole and stew tend to be used interchangeably, although some distinguish them by saying stews are cooked on a stovetop while casseroles are cooked in an oven.

How do I know if beef stew is done? ›

SIMMER & STEW

Don't lift the lid — unless your recipe calls for adding vegetables or other ingredients later on. You'll know it's done when the beef is fork-tender.

Mushy veggies will ruin your stew. Hearty veggies like potatoes, carrots, and turnips should be added halfway through cooking, while more tender veggies like peas and corn should be added about ten minutes before turning the burner off.

Your onions will be fine, but mushy potatoes and carrots are a no-no. Instead, add them about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. When they're tender, the stew is done.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

More even cooking: Second, oven-baked stews heat from all sides rather than just from the bottom, which results in faster, more even cooking.

Investing in a Dutch Oven is the best way to go, considering how durable and long-lasting they are. With electric cookware such as crock pots, there's a higher risk of them failing. However, with Dutch Ovens, all you need is proper maintenance to make it last decades.

Can a Dutch oven be used as a slow cooker? The short answer: absolutely! But with a few adjustments to your slow cooker recipe. To use an oven as a substitute for a slow cooker, you'll need to make a few tweaks to the temperature, cook time and even the amount of liquid you'll need.

While you can make a beef stew on the stovetop or also in the Instant Pot, I'm partial to using my slow cooker for beef stew, to give the ingredients that long, unattended time they need to become really tender and delicious.

Taste: For overall taste, the pressure cooker was the hands-down winner. Beef, carrots, and potatoes all retained their rich flavors. After 8 hours in the slow cooker, they emerged bland and seemed to need salt.