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This Beef Stew For One is a hearty, comforting one-pot meal made with tender beef, potatoes, and vegetables simmered in a rich broth. Easy to make and full of flavor.
Featured Comment
“OH my gosh … I made this tonight exactly as written. It was absolutely delicious.”
– RHOFOX
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy To Make: This single serving beef stew comes together with simple ingredients and basic cooking steps.
- Rich, Hearty Flavor: This one pot beef stew features tender beef, potatoes, and vegetables simmered together in a thick, flavorful broth.
- Customizable: Use your favorite vegetables or herbs to make it your own.
- Perfectly Portioned: Designed for one person, this recipe helps prevent food waste.
- Easily Doubled: Need more than one serving? Simply double the ingredients for a small batch beef stew.
What I love most about this Beef Stew For One is how something so simple can feel so comforting. The tender beef, soft potatoes, and hearty vegetables simmer together in a rich, flavorful broth that fills the kitchen with the best aroma.
It’s the kind of recipe I turn to on cool evenings when I want a homemade meal that feels both satisfying and familiar. This small beef stew is proof that you don’t need a big pot or a long ingredient list to make something truly delicious.
Looking for more single serving recipes using chuck roast? Try our small slow cooker pot roast, single serving Hungarian goulash, or small slow cooker ropa vieja.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch beef stew recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Oil for Searing: Use canola, vegetable, or avocado oil to sear the beef. These oils handle high heat well and help create a flavorful crust on the meat.
- Beef Chuck Roast: This recipe uses 6 to 8 ounces of chuck roast, cut into small, bite-sized cubes for tender results. Other good options include top round, rump roast, chuck shoulder, or eye round roast. To cube the meat easily, slice it into strips, then cut into cubes, removing any large pieces of fat. If you have leftover beef, use it in pot roast for one or single serve Hungarian goulash.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and dried thyme add balanced flavor and aroma to the stew.
- Vegetables: Use a mix of chopped onion, celery, garlic, carrot, a small gold potato, and peas for a hearty base. These same vegetables are used in creamy vegetable soup for one, chunky vegetable soup, and chicken stew for one. You can swap or add vegetables you have on hand.
- Tomato Paste: Adds richness and depth to the broth. Freeze leftover tomato paste in small portions using an ice cube tray and use it later in lasagna soup for one, Tuscan chicken for one, and baked black bean tacos.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a touch of tang and enhances the overall flavor of the stew.
- Flour: Helps thicken the broth to a perfect consistency. If using gold potatoes, they may naturally release enough starch to slightly thicken the stew. For a gluten-free option, use ½ tablespoon cornstarch mixed with cold water.
- Red Wine (optional): Deepens the stew’s flavor. If you prefer not to use wine, substitute chicken broth, vegetable broth, or a splash of red or white wine vinegar or lemon juice for acidity.
- Chicken Broth: I use chicken broth instead of beef broth to avoid the tinny flavor sometimes found in canned beef broth. Chicken broth provides a clean, balanced taste. Use any leftover broth in a single serving of Spanish Rice and smothered pork chops for one.
Recipe Variations
Beef stew is easy to customize based on your taste or what you have on hand. Try one of these flavorful variations:
- Lamb Stew: Replace the beef with lamb for a richer, heartier flavor. The cooking method stays the same.
- Vegetable Beef Stew: Add extra vegetables like mushrooms, green beans, or bell peppers for more texture and nutrition.
- Gluten-Free Beef Stew: Use ½ tablespoon cornstarch mixed with cold water instead of flour for a gluten-free version.
- Herb Beef Stew: Swap thyme for rosemary, basil, or herbes de Provence to give the stew a different aroma and depth of flavor.
- Spicy Beef Stew: Stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper or a small spoonful of chili paste for gentle heat and added depth.
How To Make Beef Stew For One
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Brown the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: If the pot is dry, add ½ tablespoon of oil. Stir in the chopped onions and celery and cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add Flavor: Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 30 seconds.
- Thicken: Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute, until no dry flour remains and the vegetables are well coated.
- Deglaze: Pour in the wine and add the dried thyme. Stir and let the wine reduce slightly until thickened.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and peas. Cover and continue cooking for another 25 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the vegetables are fully cooked. If needed, continue simmering in 10-minute increments until done.
Expert Tips
- Use Chicken Broth for a Cleaner Flavor: I prefer chicken broth instead of beef broth because some store-bought beef broths can taste metallic. Chicken broth keeps the stew rich without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Wine Substitutes: If you don’t have red wine, replace it with extra broth, a splash of red or white wine vinegar, or even water. These swaps maintain great flavor without alcohol.
- Choose Affordable Cuts of Beef: Chuck roast delivers tender, flavorful meat, but bottom round, top round, eye round, or shoulder roast are excellent budget-friendly options.
- Always Sear the Meat: Browning the beef before simmering deepens the flavor and helps develop a rich, hearty stew base.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with beef stew? These simple sides pair perfectly and make your meal even more satisfying:
Frequently Asked Questions
Beef chuck roast is the best choice because it becomes tender and flavorful after slow simmering. Other good options include bottom round, top round, or shoulder roast.
Yes. Substitute red wine with extra broth, red or white wine vinegar, or a splash of lemon juice for similar flavor balance.
Beef stew naturally thickens as it simmers, especially when potatoes are included. For a thicker consistency, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid or use a cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, add ½ tablespoon cornstarch, then ladle in about ½ cup of hot cooking broth and whisk until completely smooth. Pour the mixture back into the stew and cook a few more minutes until thickened.
Let the stew cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
RELATED: The Best Soup Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this small beef stew recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Get a Quick Recipe Overview
Beef Stew For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil -divided
- 5 ounces beef chuck roast -cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 medium celery stalk -chopped
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 small gold potato -scrubbed and cubed
- 1 small carrot -peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- ¼ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
- If the pot is dry, add ½ tablespoon of oil. Stir in the chopped onions and celery and cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute, until no dry flour remains and the vegetables are well coated.
- Pour in the wine and add the dried thyme. Stir and let the wine reduce slightly until thickened.
- Add the broth and return the beef to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and peas. Cover and continue cooking for another 25 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the vegetables are fully cooked. If needed, continue simmering in 10-minute increments until done.
Notes
- Use Chicken Broth for a Cleaner Flavor: I prefer chicken broth instead of beef broth because some store-bought beef broths can taste metallic. Chicken broth keeps the stew rich without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Wine Substitutes: If you don’t have red wine, replace it with extra broth, a splash of red or white wine vinegar, or even water. These swaps maintain great flavor without alcohol.
- Choose Affordable Cuts of Beef: Chuck roast delivers tender, flavorful meat, but bottom round, top round, eye round, or shoulder roast are excellent budget-friendly options.
- Always Sear the Meat: Browning the beef before simmering deepens the flavor and helps develop a rich, hearty stew base.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
As ,with all your recipes, I use them mainly as a guide. I am a senior with over 50 years of cooking for my family. Now that it is just me, I found that I cooked trying to reduce my recipes for my family to single serving. I would end up eating the same thing for 3-4 days. I still find with your recipes I usually have leftovers for another meal. This stew was very good. I adjusted the ingredients to suit my preferences. Thank you for this website!
Delicious and perfect as written!
I changed this to a slow cooker recipe. I used gravy beef/shin beef (I had just over 12 ounces of beef but still did a one serve recipe but omitted the celery, used home-made beef stock and no red wine – once I browned off the beef I added it to the slow cooker and topped it with the carrot and potato and cooked the onion as per the recipe but just using beef stock and let that cool off before pouring over the beef and cooking for 4 hours on low in my slow cooker (adding frozen peas and corn in the last 20 minutes) for a delicious tender beef and perfectly cooked vegetables. Thank you for a great dinner.
This stew is the perfect size for two! I did use beef broth (Better than Bouillon) and the flavor was perfect. I browned the ingredients as stated in the recipe, added the flour as directed and then finished it off in my small slow cooker. It worked well and smelled so good!
Im getting ready to make this now….my only question is regarding the peas? I taking them out of the freezer and setting them aside, hoping they thaw before I add them at the end. Sounds dumb I know, but just was not sure on the frozen peas part…….ill let you know how this comes out!
Incredibly delicious. I used Better than Bullion beef broth (low sodium) and a bit of vermouth for the wine. Scrumptious. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy. Thank you so much for your feedback.
When I first read the instructions for the beef stew I thought there’s no way the beef will be tender enough. Against my better judgment I followed the instructions. To my amazement the stew was absolutely perfect l couldn’t believe how tender the meat was.
Thanks for all your delicious recipes 😋
P.S.at first I asked you about using a slow cooker because I really didn’t think that the meat would be tender enough. Boywas I wrong.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the stew, Donna. Thank you for your feedback.
Is cookbook available to purchase! The cooking for one!
Our cookbook is available, Robbie. You can read more about it on our cookbook page – https://onedishkitchen.com/ultimate-cooking-for-one-book-order-page/. Thanks so much for your support!
I’m rating this a 1 star only because I haven’t tried it yet, I’m sure it will be a 5 star like the ones I have already tried.
My question is. Can I make this in a slow cooker, if so for how long? Reason, I feel the time frame you give isn’t long enough to make the meat tender.
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested this particular recipe in a slow cooker so I can’t tell you how much additional liquid you will need to add. The time written in this recipe is correct. The beef is cut small enough so that it will cook relatively quickly and the meat is tender.
It’s not fair to rate 1 star if you haven’t tried the recipe. Just don’t rate at all until you do.
Muchos Gracias!