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Beef Stew with Baconย is full of tender meat, colorful veggies and plenty of smoky bacon. A one pot meal that’s perfect for cold weather!

Beef stew with bacon in a large pot.

Hi, it’s Sara from Dinner at the Zooย coming to you with my family’s very favorite recipe for beef stew. This isn’t your ordinary beef stew; it’s got a generous amount of bacon in it that adds a ton of rich and savory flavor! Because bacon makes everything better, right?

Beef stew with bacon and a large pot.

This beef stew with bacon recipe is pretty straightforward. The chunks of beef are browned in bacon fat and slow cooked in the oven with potatoes and carrots for a hearty one pot meal that will satisfy even the largest appetites. The meat and veggies come out super tender and are packed with flavor. I add bacon during the cooking process, as well as a sprinkling at the end to preserve its crispy texture.

Beef stew with bacon and a white bowl.

I use the classic carrots and potatoes for the veggies in this stew, but you can change it up and add celery, sweet potatoes or even frozen pearl onions if you prefer. I often make a double batch of this stew and put half in the freezer for another night. If you’d like to freeze it, simply put the cooled stew into resealable freezer bags, flatten to remove the air, then seal and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Beef stew with bacon and a white bowl.

What I love about this dish is its simplicity. A handful of basic ingredients come together to make a comfort food classic that’s been a favorite in my family for many years, and is sure to be a hit with your family too!

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Beef Stew with Bacon

5 from 1 vote
By: Sara Welch
This beef stew is full of tender meat, colorful veggies and plenty of smoky bacon. A one pot meal that's perfect for cold weather!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat.
  • Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon from pot and drain on paper towels. Set bacon aside.
  • Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan.
  • Season the beef generously with salt and pepper and add 1/2 of the meat to the bacon fat in the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.
  • Remove the beef from the pot and repeat the browning process with the remaining ยฝ of the meat. Remove the second batch of meat from the pot.
  • Place the onion in the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, approximately 4-5 minutes.
  • Return the meat to the pot. Add the flour and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the meat.
  • Add the thyme and beef broth to the pot. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, remove the pot from the oven and stir in the carrots, potatoes and half of the bacon. Return the pot to the oven and bake for an additional hour, then serve, topped with remaining ยฝ of the bacon and chopped parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 9gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 921mgPotassium: 526mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 7001IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

 

 

About Sara Welch

With 3 kids aged 6 and under, meals can feel like feeding time at the zoo! Iโ€™m Sara, a foodie turned mom. I traded in elaborate dinners for simple, yet delicious dishes to please the palates of my growing girls, and I blog about my recipe creations over at Dinner at the Zoo.

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6 Comments

  1. Hi Sara,
    we tried this dish with the help of beck & bulow meat. the dish was amazing, thanks for the detailed info.

  2. I have a question: at the top of the recipe, it states cook time is 2hours. In the recipe, it states to cook 2 hours, then add veggies and cook another hour. That would be 3 hours. Whatโ€™s the correct timing on this?

    1. It will be a total of 3 hours. Thank you for letting me know. I just changed the recipe card to be the correct cooking time.

  3. 5 stars
    Just made it again, since we loved it so much the first time. Just a few additions, sautรฉed up some mushrooms with the onions , and added a bag of frozen peas.