Beef Stew with Biscuits

Meat loaf, breaded pork chops and chicken pot pie were just a few of the go-to dinners in my mother’s recipe rotation. But of the many timeless family recipes she cooked, her beef stew with biscuits was always my favorite. The tender pieces of stew meat and a medley of carrots, onions, potatoes and green beans were smothered in a rich homemade gravy and covered in buttery, fluffy biscuits. It’s one meal I still request as an adult when I visit home.

My mother’s stew recipe is just like this one, cooked low and slow on the stovetop in a Dutch oven and then finished in the oven to bake the biscuits. If you’re looking for a shortcut, though, this easy stew recipe can also be prepared in a slow cooker or even in a pressure cooker, ensuring the comforts of home are always within reach.

Ingredients for Beef Stew with Biscuits

• Beef stew meat: Beef sold as stew meat typically comes from a tougher cut, often the chuck or round, and benefits from braising or stewing to make it tender. Buy it precut, or cut the beef into chunks yourself.
• Flour: Flouring the beef before giving it an initial sear helps give the meat pieces a nice, brown crust, which enhances the flavor and thickens the stew. In fact, it’s one of our top stew tips.
• Canola oil: This neutral-flavored oil is perfect for browning the beef.
• Bouillon cubes: To make the stew base, dissolve a few bouillon cubes in boiling water. Use your favorite boxed or homemade beef stock if you don’t have bouillon cubes.
• Seasonings: The stew is seasoned with salt, pepper and a trio of fresh parsley, thyme and rosemary, which brings color and aromatic flavor.
• Vegetables: A blend of homestyle vegetables—starchy potatoes, sweet carrots, crisp green beans and zippy onions—bulks up this beefy biscuit stew.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch mixed with water is best when it comes to thickening sauces, homemade gravy, stews and more.
• Biscuit dough: This stew is topped with classic drop biscuits made from flour, baking powder, salt, canola oil, milk and melted butter.

Directions

Step 1: Brown the beef

Coat the cubed beef with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat, then, working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

Step 2: Deglaze the pan

Dissolve the bouillon in boiling water, then add it to the Dutch oven, stirring to loosen the browned bits (aka the fond) from the bottom.

Step 3: Build the stew

Return the beef to the Dutch oven and add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer the beef until it’s tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 4: Add the vegetables

Add the potatoes, onions, carrots and beans to the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.

Step 5: Thicken the sauce

In a small dish, mix the cornstarch and cold water. Stir the mixture into the stew and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.

Step 6: Make the biscuit dough

To make the biscuits, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and enough milk to form a light, soft dough, mixing just until the dough is combined. Drop it by tablespoonfuls on top of the stew.

Editor’s Tip: One biscuit tip is to be careful about substitutions. Nailing the perfect biscuit dough is an art and a science, so now isn’t the time for reckless improvisation.

Step 7: Bake the beef stew with biscuits

Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, then bake the stew, uncovered, at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the biscuits are done. If desired, sprinkle the stew with additional fresh herbs just before serving it.

Beef Stew with Biscuits Variations

• Add other vegetables: Add parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, mushrooms, leeks or celery. Chopped kale, spinach or Swiss chard are other nice additions.
• Pour in the wine: For more depth of flavor, deglaze the Dutch oven with 1/2 cup of red wine before adding the dissolved bouillon broth.
• Cut your own beef: If your supermarket doesn’t have packaged stew meat, you can choose another cut of beef and portion it into small cubes (1 to 2 inches). For the best flavor and texture, choose boneless beef chuck roast or boneless short ribs.
• Try another protein: If you’d like a break from beef, make a hearty pork stew using pork shoulder or pork tenderloin.

How to Store Beef Stew with Biscuits

Beef stew with biscuits should be stored in airtight food storage containers in the refrigerator. It will last three to four days.

Can you freeze beef stew and biscuits?

To freeze the stew, let it cool completely, then remove the biscuits. Store them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Transfer the cooled stew to a separate food storage container and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it.

Alternatively, if you’re planning to serve this stew as a make-ahead dinner, make only the stew only and freeze it as directed. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator, prepare the fresh biscuits and bake them on top of the stew starting with the directions from Step 6.

What’s the best way to reheat beef stew and biscuits?

Our favorite way to reheat beef stew with biscuits is to transfer the stew to a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot. Warm the stew over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Then, transfer the leftover biscuits (or fresh biscuit dough) to the top of the stew and heat them in a 350° oven until the biscuits are cooked through.

You can warm individual portions of this stew with biscuits in the microwave for quick reheating. The biscuits may become soft and will lack that crispy, fresh-baked crust.

Beef Stew with Biscuits Tips

How do you make beef stew with biscuits in a slow cooker?

To make a slow cooker beef vegetable stew with biscuits, brown the beef in a Dutch oven as directed in the recipe. Then transfer the beef to a slow cooker and add the herbs, spices, vegetables, bouillon broth and cornstarch slurry. Stir to combine, then top it with spoonfuls of biscuit dough and cook everything on low for six to eight hours or until the biscuits are fully cooked.

How do you make beef stew with biscuits in an Instant Pot?

Instant Pot beef stew is your one-way meal ticket to comfort food in a flash. To prepare the stew in an Instant Pot, sear the beef in the pressure cooker using the saute setting. Transfer it to a plate, then deglaze the pot with the bouillon broth. Return the beef to the pressure cooker along with the vegetables, herbs and spices.

Lock the lid of your pressure cooker and close its pressure-release valve. Adjust it to pressure-cook on high for 30 minutes. When the cooking cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then carefully quick-release any remaining pressure.

In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch and water and then stir it into the stew. Switch the Instant Pot to its saute setting and adjust it to low heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the stew thickens, about two minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the biscuit dough and drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake the biscuits in a 350º oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve the biscuits on top of the stew.