Dutch Oven Beef Stew With Dried Summer Savory

Dutch oven beef stew is a classic winter warmer. With tender beef, rich gravy, and hearty root vegetables, it’s cold weather comfort food!

this recipe!

This post was first published on November 16, 2016 and was last updated November 2, 2021.

Comfort food is one of the small pleasures in my life. Whether I’m eating a bowl of homemade molasses baked beans, a dish of creamy pesto gnocchi, or a rich hearty serving of beef stew, there’s just something so perfect about hot homemade food when it’s cold outside.

This is my Mum’s recipe for Dutch oven beef stew. I’m thankful to have this recipe because my mother died suddenly in 2019. Her stew is an old family favourite that both reminds me of her and tastes like home.

The recipe itself a fairly traditional take on beef stew and it takes about two and a half hours to cook on the stove top. I like to make a batch on cold Sunday afternoons. It makes our house smell amazing as it simmers away.

Dried summer savory is the main flavouring ingredient in my Mum’s recipe. If you can’t find it dried oregano and/or dried thyme also work nicely. I hope you find as much comfort in this dish as I do!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

Ingredients

• Vegetable Oil—Vegetable and canola oils are my go-to fats for cooking at higher temperatures. Do not use butter in this recipe as it will burn.
• Stewing Beef Cubes—I usually buy pre-cubed beef at the grocery store, which is often labeled as “stewing beef”. The cut of beef you choose doesn’t matter too much since the beef will simmer for two plus hours and become super tender. If you buy uncut beef, look for chuck, round, rump, or even pot roast. Trim away any fat or gristle then cut the beef into approximately 1-inch (2 ½ cm) cubes.
• Dried Summer Savory—I don’t know if it’s an East Coast Canadian thing, but we add dried summer savory to many supper dishes, especially soups and stews. Most Maritimers have a bottle or package of Farmer John’s Summer Savory tucked away in their spice cupboards.
• Beef Stock—I buy cartons of stock at the grocery store, however use homemade beef stock if you have it to level up your stew game.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 4 to 6-quart (litre) cast iron Dutch oven.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper.

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Add the beef stewing cubes to the bowl of flour and stir everything together until all of the beef is well coated. There will be some dry flour in the bottom of the bowl that won’t adhere to the beef. This is totally fine.

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Add the beef, along with any remaining flour, to the pre-heated pot of heated oil. Cook the beef cubes over medium-high heat until they are evenly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Stir the beef often to ensure browning of all the pieces. There should be a layer of browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot after the cooking time.

Pour the beef stock into the pot. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (I often switch between both when making beef stew) to gently scrape up as many of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as you can. These little toasty bits are called fond and they add extra flavour to your Dutch oven beef stew.

Add the onions to the pot and stir. Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. If the mixture is still boiling after you have reduced the heat, lower it further until it sits at a gentle yet bubbly simmer. Continue to simmer the beef, broth, and onions for 90 minutes.

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Once the 90 minutes is up, add the carrots and potatoes. Raise the heat to bring the stew back to a light boil, then reduce the heat once again and simmer the stew for another 45 minutes.

Add the dried summer savory. Stir to combine.

Place the cornstarch and cold water in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake the jar until the cornstarch and water are well mixed then pour the mixture into the pot. Stir well to combine.

Raise the heat once more, and bring the beef stew to a light boil. Continue to cook the stew until the gravy thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve Dutch oven beef stew hot, by itself with buttered bread or biscuits, or over rice or noodles.

Notes & Tips

You can either buy pre-cut beef stewing cubes or a small roast (chuck, round, rump, or pot roasts are all good options). Simply trim away any fat and gristle from the roast then cut it into (approximately) 1-inch (2 ½-cm) cubes.

I use store-bought beef stock, however, use homemade beef stock if you have it.

Dried summer savory isn’t as hard to find as it once was. Check the spice aisle of any well stocked grocery store. If you can’t find it, use dried oregano and/or dried thyme.

A couple of dried bay leaves will add a deeper herbaceous note to your stew. Add them at the same time as the onions.

For a little extra umami flavour, try adding a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.

How To Store Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Dutch oven beef stew is a great make-ahead meal. Make a batch then store it in the fridge or freezer as follows:
Fridge—First, cool the stew completely. Store it in the Dutch oven with the lid on top, or transfer it into airtight containers, and keep it on the fridge for up to three days.
Freezer—Again, cool the stew completely before storing. Transfer the stew into plastic or glass containers with tight fitting lids and store it in the freezer for up to two months. Another option is to store the cooled stew in a large zipper top freezer bag or bags. Simply remove a bag from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge overnight before heating and serving.

Substitutions

For extra flavour, substitute a rich, robust red wine for ½ and up to 1 cup (125 ml to 250 ml) of the beef stock.

Parsnips and turnip are great additions to Dutch oven beef stew. Just swap in or add as much as you like.

Make gluten-free beef stew by substituting rice or buckwheat flour for the all-purpose flour.

Use chicken stock if you don’t have beef stock.

Serve These With Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Whole Wheat Cheese Biscuits
Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Rosemary Biscuits With Parmesan & Honey
Sourdough Naan

Be sure to check for step-by-step pics above!☝🏻Also, if you make this recipe and love it, please come back and give it a 5-star rating — it helps more people find the recipe!💗