Overloaded with vegetables and with a juicy tomato base, you won’t believe the secret ingredient in this tender and rich ground beef stew recipe that adds a punch a flavor.
My Grandaddy loved stews and soups and this ground beef stew was one of his favorites. He had a special bowl that he liked to eat stew out of and Grandmama always served him in that bowl.
Nowadays, I regularly make this stew for my own family. It lives up to its nickname, Poor Man’s Stew, as it’s fuss-free, economical thanks to the addition of ground beef, and not to mention delicious and incredibly flavorful! If you’ve ever had Cracker Barrel beef stew, this recipe is very similar and just as tasty.
It starts with a beef broth and tomato sauce, then it gets overloaded with tender ground beef and vegetables like potato, carrot, and green beans. I’ve included some variations below, but I love that stews are great and so easy to tweak and make your own. So play and have some fun with this stew recipe. Easily adapt it to what you have in your pantry and freezer, and include your favorite meat and vegetables.
But before we begin, I have one special ingredient that I do hope you’ll try though… Spicy Hot V8 Juice. This is what gives my hamburger stew such a full-bodied flavor without me having to cook it all day and add a gazillion different spices. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t make it hot at all – I promise!
Now, let’s get making this ground beef stew, which will warm you from the inside out (I just love stew and soup weather). And when you add Easy Yeast Rolls (Southern Family Recipe) you have the perfect dinner
How to make hamburger stew
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion and celery in a soup pot for 5-7 minutes, then add in the garlic. Stir in the ground beef and cook until browned.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often (this cooks the floury taste out). Stir in the tomato paste.
Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, potatoes, and carrots. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Stir in the peas and season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Feel free to throw in any extra veggies you happen to have on hand! This is a very forgiving stew, and you can clean out your fridge of any extra vegetables. Root vegetables would work especially well.
- I used Italian seasoning to give the stew some extra flavor, but you could use a different kind of dried herb blend or even something like steak seasoning if you prefer.
- Like a little heat? Add in some crushed red pepper flakes.
What goes into hamburger stew
- Celery, onion, garlic, and olive oil – sauté these aromatics to make a wonderfully flavorful base
- Beef – ground beef is one of the most affordable proteins
- Flour – don’t skip the flour as it’s a thickening agent
- Tomato paste – easy way to add more savory flavor
- Beef broth – way tastier than simply using water
- Worcestershire sauce – gives this stew more umami flavor; it’s not overpowering!
- Italian seasoning – a herb blend that includes rosemary and thyme. It’s fantastic in soups and stews
- Potatoes, carrots, and peas – hearty and filling vegetables to round out this stew
Tools for this recipe
- Any soup pot will work, but I love my Staub Dutch oven.
- I quickly crush the garlic using my garlic press. I do this for most recipes that call for minced garlic!
Rating 4.9 (23) · 1 hr 15 minIngredients ; pound ground beef ; small onion, finely chopped ; clove garlic, finely chopped ; cups water ; (8 ounce) can tomato sauce.
FAQ
What is the secret ingredient in stew?
Ketchup in stew might sound a little bizarre if you’ve never tried, it but the basic ingredients in ketchup have been hanging out with beef for a long time now. Ketchup is made from reduced, concentrated tomato paste, which caramelizes as it cooks to add umami flavor to whatever dish you’re making.
Should I flour beef for beef stew?
If you do prefer your stew on the thicker side, though, you can toss your beef in flour or cornstarch before you sear it—the bits left behind will thicken your stew and add deeper flavor. Personally, we like a little bite on our veggies, so we add them with about 45 minutes in cooking time left.
Is stewing beef the same as ground beef?
Stew beef is cut into chunks from the shoulder of round of the cow, while ground beef could be anything, seriously. It’s usually bits and bobs of whatever is left over from trimming thrown into the hopper and turned into a paste.
