• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Recipes Made Easy
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Old Fashioned Beef Stew and Carrots

    Published: Apr 22, 2022 · Modified: Apr 22, 2022 by Jacqueline Bellefontaine ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    old fashioned beef and carrot stew with mashed potatoes
    old fashioned beef and carrot stew with mashed potatoes
    old fashioned beef and carrot stew in vintage blue and white casserole

    Old fashioned beef stew and carrots is an old English dish that has really stood the test of time. Surprisingly tasty made from quite simple ingredients. Comfort food at its best.

    I cook mine in a pressure cooker which saves time and fuel but it can also be cooked on the hob or in the oven

    Beef stew and carrots in blue and white casserole with plate, cutlery and napkin behind.

    Whenever the weather is a bit chilly, to me means it's a perfect time to cook a good old fashioned beef stew. Or any other type of stew for that matter. 

    Ok, I know it's basic, but sometimes simple does just nicely.  To my mind, this is no fuss, great home cooked food.

    I'm pretty sure my mum had a pressure cooker, as I seem to remember seeing one in the cupboard but I don't remember her using it much.

    Stews like this would just bubble away on the stove for hours or before my dad had a fancy new electric oven, they would be cooked in the old gas oven in the bakery.  I grew up in a bakery and the old gas ovens were lit at night ready for baking in the morning, and they seldom got completely cold.

    Maybe that's why I like stews so much, they are a taste of my childhood.  

    Ingredients and Alternatives

    Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil because they are less refined than many cooking oils and in the case of the reduced food miles for me here in the UK. Generic Vegetable oil (which is usually refined rapeseed oil known as Canola oil in the US ) and Sunflower oil are also suitable.

    Onions – I use large onions because I like the mild flavour and a lot of onion 

    Carrots  – cut into large chunks

    Cubed Beef –  braising, chuck or stewing steak are good economical cuts for this dish. You can buy ready diced for convenience.

    Plain flour (US = all purpose flour) to thicken the gravy slightly

    Freshly ground black pepper

    Red Wine Vinegar – to deglaze the pan cider or white wine vinegar could also be used.

    Beef stock cube plus water or use ready made beef stock

    Dried thyme - oregano or mixed herbs also work well in this casserole.

    Scroll down for quantities and full printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

    plate of beef and carrot stew.

    The pros of using a pressure cooker

    Cooking this casserole in a pressure cooker means you don't have to wait hours to tuck in either. It saves fuel and allows you to make the cheaper, tougher cuts of meat super tender in no time at all. Which all adds up to a very economical meal.

    And I'm also not always organised enough to get the dinner on to cook hours in advance. Which is exactly why I like using a pressure cooker.  

    In fact, I actually have two pressure cookers. One that you use on the hob plus an Electric Instant Pot (which also has other functions including being a slow cooker). And I often use both at the same time perhaps to cook some brown rice to go with a chilli cooked in the other. See how to cook brown rice in pressure cooker here. Or in the winter maybe one will be cooking a steamed pudding or rice pudding while the other cooks the main.

    Prepare your dish, then in what seems like a very short time later the meat is cooked and tender. If I'm honest, the flavours are probably better in a slower cooked stew as they have more of a chance to meld together, but when time is short a slight loss of flavour can be accepted. That said there is more than enough flavour for a midweek meal even in a dish as simple as this.

    Hints, Tips and Variations

    But, if you don't have a pressure cooker, don't worry. You can cook it on the hob or in the oven as well, it will just take longer and you can still take advantage of the cheaper cuts.

    I like the flavour of root veg that has cooked to almost mushiness in a stew (unlike overly boiled veg which is just watery). So, I have kept this traditional and cooked the carrots the full time. If you prefer, you could cook the meat first, add the carrots to the pot and cook again either at high pressure for 5 minutes or without returning to pressure by simmering the stew for about 15- 25 minutes. To me, that's a bit of a faff though.  

    Incidentally, you can use other root vegetables such as swede, waxy potatoes, turnips or parsnip or any combination of them instead. As with all basic recipes, it's there to be tweaked!

    serving of beef stew and carrots on a plate with mashed potatoes. Casserole behind.

    What to serve with the stew

    When it comes to stews and casseroles to me it has to be mashed potatoes. You can serve other vegetables with it if you like a green vegetable of some kind is always a good choice. I like broccoli cabbage or green beans with mine.

    Prepare ahead

    If you are organised enough to prepare and cook ahead. Cool and keep chilled ready to reheat when required and the flavour is even better. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and the freezer for up to 4 months.

    Step by Step

    Step 1 Cook the onions until softened and beginning to colour transfer to the pressure cooker along with the carrots.

    browning onions in a frying pan.

    Step 2 Toss the meat in seasoned flour then brown the meat in batches before adding to the pressure cooker.

    browning the cubes of beef in a frying pan.

    Step 3 Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar pour over the meat.

    deglazing the pan.

    Step 4 Add the water

    beef carrots and onion in pressure cooker adding water.

    Step 5 Crumble in the stock cube. Give the ingredients a good stir until well mixed.

    adding stock cube to pressure cooker.

    Step 6 Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes then slowly release pressure before serving.

    pressure cooker on hob.

    If you like this recipe

    you may also like........

    • Slow cooked lamb shank with onions and peppers
    • Pork and chorizo stew
    • Beef stifado
    • Chicken in cider
    serving of old fashioned beef stew and carrots with mash potato. PIece of meat on fork on the side.

    Beef Stew and Carrots

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    A classic old fashioned stew which can be cooked in a pressure cooker, on the hob or in the oven.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine British
    Keyword beef, pressure cooker
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Servings 4
    Calories 691
    Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker (optional)
    • frying pan
    • spoon
    • measuring jug

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 2 onions sliced
    • 500 g carrots cut into large chunks
    • 1 kg braising or stewing steak cut into bite sized chunks
    • 2 tablespoons plain flour
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 500 ml water
    • 1 beef stock cube
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • mashed potatoes to serve
    metric - US cups

    Instructions

    • Heat a little of the oil in a frying pan and fry 2 sliced onions over a medium heat until softened and beginning to brown. Remove from the pan and place in the pressure cooker along with 500g (1lb2oz) carrots.
    • Toss 1 kg(2¼lb) cubed beef in 2 tablespoons flour, seasoned with a little black pepper until coated in the flour. Brown the meat in batches adding a little more oil as necessary. As each batch is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and add to the carrots and onions.
    • When all the meat has been browned, Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to the pan with a little of the 500ml (18floz) water , give it a good stir, scraping up any caramelised meat juices from the base of the pan This is know as deglazing the pan.
    • Pour over the meat and add the remaining water. Crumble in 1 beef stock cube and add a teaspoon of dried thyme. Give it a good stir then close the lid and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 30 minutes, then release the pressure slowly.
    • Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve with mashed potatoes to mop up the juices.

    Notes

    To cook on the hob - Cook in a large saucepan. Add an additional 250 ml/9 floz(1 cup) water. Bring to the boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if required.
    To cook in the oven - preheat the oven to 140℃ (130℃ fan)/275°F/gas mark 1. Place the onions, carrots and meat in an ovenproof dish with a well fitting lid. Add boiling water including an additional 250 ml/9 floz (1 cup) water. Cook for about 3 hours. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating until piping hot.
    Nutrition information is calculated using an online nutrition database - is approximate and is meant as a guideline only. (It does not include seasoning.)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 691kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 1335mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 20920IU | Vitamin C: 11.5mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 6.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment or Mention @recipecrumbs or tag #RecipesMadeEasy

    Do you like Recipes Made Easy?

    Why not subscribe to  Recipes Made Easy for my weekly newsletter. Or follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to never miss a recipe.

    « Traditional Hot Cross Buns

    About Jacqueline Bellefontaine

    Jacqueline is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and has been a cookery writer and food stylist for over 25 years. She has written over 15 cookery books, in addition to writing for several major magazines. She likes to champion good basic home cooking and as the daughter of a master baker, she is passionate about home baking.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Richard

      December 31, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and very quick.
      I always thought that a beef casserole needed slow cooking... I'm converted

      Reply
      • Jacqueline Bellefontaine

        January 06, 2021 at 6:00 pm

        It's hard to beat slow cooking a beef stew but sometimes short cuts are needed and if you don't have to compromise on flavour I'm all for it. I love my pressure cooker.

        Reply

    Rate and leave a comment - I love to get your feed back and will reply as soon as I can. Comments may be held for moderation before publishing. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Jacqueline Bellefontaine.

    Hello I'm Jacqui
    I believe that great tasting home cooking need not be hard work, so I like to write and cook recipes that are as easy as they can be. But I won't compromise on taste!

    This blog is written and photographed by me at home and it's all about my favourite recipes, that I make for family, for friends and for fun. I hope you like them too.

    More about me →

    blank

    Popular

    • blank
      Savoury Mince Cobbler
    • blank
      Oven Baked Pork Schnitzel
    • blank
      Traditional Chelsea Buns Made Easy
    • blank
      Chicken and Mushroom Pie

    Visit my other blog

    only crumbs remain logo

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Recipes Made Easy