If you’re craving a hearty meal, a well-seasoned beef stew may come to mind. The popular dish is considered affordable and relatively easy-to-prepare comfort food in many cultures.
The right seasonings for beef stew can create a flavorful pot of goodness that will have your dinner companions asking for more. So, let’s get inspired with these seven tips packed with ingredients and spices for beef stew that will take your beef stew to the next level.
Beef stew vs soup: What’s the Difference
Understandably, stews can sometimes be confused with soup — and both can be enjoyed with some type of starch, a grain, or on its own.
In general, stews contain less liquid than soup, therefore obtaining a thicker and velvet-like consistency. They’re also chunkier and laden with vegetables or succulent pieces of meat.
While premium cuts are perfect for meals like steak or beef tartare, going cheaper and fattier is essential to capturing the essence of a tender and flavorful beef stew.
Thanks to diversity in the world, there are many ways to elevate this classic dish to appeal to any palate. Whether you’re using a pressure cooker, Dutch oven or simmering a pot low and slow on the stovetop, adding one simple ingredient can transform any beef stew’s flavor profile into something out of this world.
7 Seasonings for Beef Stew
1. Roast juicy tomatoes
From sweet and juicy to crisp and clean, tomatoes add a subtle and natural brightness to most dishes. Not only are tomatoes delicious, but they’re also a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants like lycopene. Due to pectin, tomatoes also act as a thickening agent for broths and sauces, producing a creamy or velvety texture.
Try charring Roma or Campari tomatoes to create a bolder or more complex flavor for your beef stew. Doing so will sweeten the recipe’s flavor while adding a subtle smokiness.
To get the ultimate boost in flavor, char whole tomatoes over an open flame until parts of the skin blacken (or blister), or roast them in the oven with a sprinkle of olive oil for 15 minutes. You can leave the tomatoes whole, cut them into pieces, or blend them into a paste.
2. Add a splash of red wine
Wine isn’t just for drinking. The decadent libation has added flavor, color and richness to sauces, gravies and stews for centuries.
Red wine, in particular, is known to be high in antioxidants like resveratrol, a polyphenol possessing anticarcinogenic properties. Although wine adds a luxurious element to most dishes, it doesn’t have to be expensive.
While some people prefer cooking with cooking wine, feel free to explore your options with any wine you’d enjoy drinking on its own. One way to distinguish the difference between the two is that cooking wine is less flavorful than regular and generally not as pleasant to drink.
A few ways to incorporate wine into your dish include marinating meat, deglazing your pot or pan, or adding it to your soup base. You can’t go wrong with a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon or syrah, especially when paired with robust, red meat like beef.
Since you’ve incorporated some in your stew, you already have an easy wine pairing during your meal. It’s a win-win situation. Are you worried about the alcohol content of wine in your stew? No worries, most of the alcohol burns off as it is reduced, leaving you with a bold and sumptuous technique to elevate your dish.
3. Tomato paste adds a tangy richness
Adding tomato paste to your stew can take your stew from bland to wow in seconds. Tomato paste adds a tangy richness, serving as a key beef stew flavor enhancer.
How does it work? The acid and texture help to tenderize the meat and create a flavorful moisture barrier around it. The paste, made from peeled and deseeded tomatoes, is cooked to a thick consistency and strained.
The reduction results in a deep, flavorful paste that can enhance different dishes. While making your own paste is great, you can easily find it in tubes (convenient and easy to refrigerate) or cans in your local supermarket.
The low water content helps tomato paste maintain a long shelf life and is easy to refrigerate for an extended period. Due to the concentrated tomato content, the paste contains amino acids and helps to reduce oxidative damage to biomolecules or living organisms in your body.
To boost the flavor of your beef stew, stir tomato paste into your sweated veggies before adding the remaining ingredients.
4. Season your beef with fruit
Fruit is an ingredient that packs a punch, adding aroma and sharpness to any recipe. Citrus fruit contains acids that break down tough collagen fibers in meat, tenderizing it. You can also intensify the flavor of your beef by adding lemon, lime or orange juice to your marinade —or season beef with the zest for an enhanced stew base.
Experimenting with fruit is a fun way to take inspiration from different cultures. For example, tropical or Caribbean-inspired cuisines may use mango, pineapple, lemon, or okra (yes, it’s a fruit) to liven up a recipe, while Middle Eastern or European recipes may use apricots, dates, prunes, or raisins.
Consider seasoning beef with apples, pineapples, or mango to add more depth to your beef stew recipes. Purée freshly chopped fruit into a paste to thicken your stew, or add syrupy, canned, or dried fruit to sweeten things.
To avoid overpowering your meal, gradually incorporate fruit, whether sweet or sour, until you achieve the perfect balance.
5. Sauté fennel for a crisp and elegant upgrade to beef stew
This licorice-like root is not only a unique flavor enhancer for beef stew, it’s healthy, too. Fennel aids digestion, reduces inflammation, and has immunity-boosting properties.
The health benefits include antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. This delicious ingredient is one of many seasonings for beef stew and is in the same family as celery and carrots, with its unique flavor making it a surprising addition to elevate your meal.
Use the aromatic wonder to season beef by trimming the stalks and removing the fronds (leaves) from the bulb. Next, cut the fennel according to your preference and sauté it along with your other vegetables and fat of your choice.
Waste not! You can add the leaves to your base or use them as a garnish for your stew. Fennel lovers can also serve beef stew over a bed of sautéed fennel with rice or mashed potatoes. With such a distinctive flavor, you’ll add a refreshing and elegant twist to your dish.
RECIPE: Beef with Onions and Wine
6. Use paprika to add rich flavor and coloring to beef stew
The earthy spice, made from dried, ground-red peppers, is popular in Spanish, Hungarian and Mexican cuisines and among the perfect seasonings for beef stew. Paprika is versatile and has mild to moderate levels of intensity.
You can season beef using a dry rub or adding it to a marinade. Adding paprika to hot oil will intensify the flavor and enhance the aroma of the stew.
Smoked paprika, or Spanish paprika, is a luxurious spice due to its scent, vibrant color, and flavor. Since the flavor is potent, it is reminiscent of smoked or grilled foods.
It’s best to use the spice sparingly to avoid overpowering the other flavors of the stew. Another option among spices for beef stew is sweet paprika or Hungarian paprika, which adds a subtle and pleasant flavor. Infuse sweet paprika into your recipe with oil or butter, or garnish beef stew with this flavor-enhancing spice.
7. Turn the heat up with chili peppers
From mild to blistering heat, chilis are one of the ultimate spices for beef stew and a flavorful way to spice up your recipe.
There are more than 30 types of chili ranging from Scoville Heat Units (SHU) 100, like pepperoncini, or up to 2,200,000, like the Carolina Reaper.
For a smokey, paprika-like quality, opt for ancho, and for a scorching, piri-piri-like flavor, opt for the African bird’s eye chili.Season beef by roasting chilis, pureeing them into a paste, sauteing in oil, or finely slicing them into your stew. You can modify the flavor by adding vinegar, citric acid, and aromatics, or a touch of honey or agave if you like the spicy sauce on the sweeter side.
There you have it, ingredients and seasonings for beef stew that are sure to help you create a hearty, flavor recipe.
