This authentic Spanish beef stew combines tender savory chunks of beef slowly simmer until melt-in-your-mouth perfection, while carrots and potatoes soak up the rich, savory sauce. Warm, hearty, and bursting with flavor, it is the ultimate comfort food.
This Spanish beef stew ("estofado de carne" or "carne guisada") it’s a cozy, one-pot meal that’s surprisingly easy to prepare and ideal for making ahead in big batches.
I’ve always loved cooking slow-cooked and stewed meat recipes - the kind where the beef turns fall-apart fork tender and soaks up every bit of flavor. This traditional Spanish beef stew is one of my go-to recipes, and it never fails to impress. If you enjoy fork-tender meat recipes, you’ll also love my Spanish meatballs recipe, this slow-cooker pork belly recipe, or this Guinness beef stew.
Jump to:
- Why you will love this Spanish Beef Stew Recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to make this Spanish Beef Stew
- Equipment
- Storage
- FAQ's
- Love this recipe? Let's stay connected!
- More Spanish Recipes you will love
- Traditional Spanish Beef Stew Recipe (Estofado de Carne)
- See what other people think about this recipe!
Why you will love this Spanish Beef Stew Recipe
- This hearty beef stew is a FLAVOR BOMB! Fall-apart tender beef combined with hearty potatoes, sweet carrots, and a pop of peas make every bite a flavor bomb.
- One pot recipe! Full of flavor and fuss-free.
- Authentically Spanish. This is the same style of stew I grew up with back home in Spain.
- Surprisingly easy to make. It is easy to make, following some simple steps. While the stew simmers low and slow, your actual hands-on time is minimal.
- Perfect for meal prep. This Spanish stew makes a generous batch and tastes even better the next day - ideal for family dinners or stocking the fridge with flavorful leftovers. 😋
Ingredients
This hearty Spanish stew is made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store:
- Beef chuck roast (preferably grass-fed, antibiotic-free) – cut into large chunks
- Brown onions – finely diced
- Garlic cloves – diced
- Grated tomatoes (fresh, or substitute with canned tomatoes)
- Carrots – peeled and chopped into 1 cm pieces
- Potatoes – peeled and cut into 4–6 big chunks (so they hold up during long cooking)
- Beef or chicken stock – add more if needed while simmering
- Red wine – adds depth of flavor (see substitution ideas below)
- Bay leaves – for a classic Spanish aroma
- Tapioca flour or cornstarch (optional, for thickening the sauce)
- Green peas (optional but highly recommended)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil – for searing the beef and sautéing the vegetables
- Fresh parsley – to garnish before serving
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Instead of tomatoes: If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, use canned tomatoes or a simple tomato sauce (made with just tomato, onion, and garlic). Alternatively, you can also stir in 3 tablespoons of tomato paste instead.
- Instead of red wine: Substitute with white wine, sherry wine (for a slightly sweeter taste), or simply use beef or chicken stock in a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind that each option will give the stew a slightly different flavor profile.
- Instead of peas: If green peas aren’t available, snow peas work beautifully. Add them at the very end of cooking, just like you would with peas.
How to make this Spanish Beef Stew
Don’t let the length of this recipe intimidate you—this Spanish beef stew is simple to follow, and the active cooking time is actually quite short.
1 - Prepare the ingredients as listed in the ingredients section.
2 - Sear the beef: Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks on all sides until golden brown and slightly crusty. Do this in 2–3 batches if necessary, making sure there’s space between pieces to avoid boiling. Set the beef aside on a plate and season with salt and black pepper. The beef juices will stay on the plate, don't discard them!
3 - Cook the sofrito base: Lower to medium heat and add the diced onions, chopped garlic, and a pinch of sea salt (add a bit of oil if needed). Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become transparent and lightly golden.
Add tomatoes: Stir in the grated tomatoes and a little extra salt. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4 - Combine beef, carrots, and wine: Return the seared beef chunks to the pot along with the juices, the carrots and red wine. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
5 - Add potatoes and stock: Add the potatoes, stock, and bay leaves. Season with salt, stir to combine, then cover the pot with a lid. Stew meat on the lower-middle position of the stove for 2–3 hours, until the beef is mouth tender.
6 - Thicken the stew: In a small bowl, prepare the tapioca or cornstarch slurry by mixing a little of the stew liquid with tapioca flour or cornstarch. Stir it into the pot, then add the peas. Cook for another 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the peas are tender.
Pro tip: This stew can also be made in a slow cooker. Just sear the beef and cook the onion-tomato base in a pan first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 5–6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Equipment
- Peeler
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Grater (if using fresh tomatoes)
- Large pot or Dutch oven
Storage
One of the best things about this Spanish beef stew is that the rich flavors deepen as it sits, making it even more delicious the next day—perfect for make-ahead meals.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Freeze: If you want to freeze the stew, note that potatoes don’t freeze well—they turn mushy after defrosting. To freeze, either remove the potatoes before freezing or reduce the amount of potatoes when making the stew.
Top Tips for the Perfect Spanish Beef Stew
- Season beef after browning. Salting the beef too early can make it release excess water, which prevents a proper sear.
- Sear the beef thoroughly. A good sear locks in flavor and creates that rich, deep taste that makes this stew so comforting.
FAQ's
Chuck roast is my go-to for stew recipes, cut because it’s well-marbled, slow-cooks beautifully, and becomes fork-tender. Beef brisket also works well. Look for economical cuts with a good amount of fat for rich, flavorful meat.
In Spain, this classic dish is known as “Estofado”, a staple of traditional Spanish cuisine.
Traditional Spanish stew includes beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, wine, stock, bay leaves, and peas—simple ingredients that create a rich, comforting flavor.
Yes! You can adapt this recipe for the Instant Pot to cut down the cooking time. Sear the beef and cook the onion-tomato base on the stove first, then transfer everything to the Instant Pot and finish cooking under pressure.
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More Spanish Recipes you will love
Traditional Spanish Beef Stew Recipe (Estofado de Carne)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This authentic Spanish beef stew combines tender savory chunks of beef slowly simmer until melt-in-your-mouth perfection, while carrots and potatoes soak up the rich, savory sauce. Warm, hearty, and bursting with flavor, it is the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
1.2 kg beef chuck roast (preferably grass-fed, antibiotic-free) - cut into large chunks
1 large (or 2 medium) brown onions - finely diced
7 garlic cloves - diced
½ cup grated tomatoes (fresh, or substitute with canned tomatoes)
3 large (or 5 medium) carrots - peeled and chopped into 1 cm pieces
800 g potatoes - peeled and cut into 4-6 big chunks
2.5-3 cups beef or chicken stock - add more if needed while simmering
½ cup red wine (or substitution)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon tapioca flour or cornstarch (optional, for thickening the sauce)
1 cup green peas (optional but highly recommended)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Extra virgin olive oil - for searing the beef and sautéing the vegetables
Fresh parsley - to garnish before serving
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients as listed in the ingredients section.
- Sear the beef: Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks on all sides until golden brown and slightly crusty. Do this in 2–3 batches if necessary, making sure there’s space between pieces to avoid boiling. Set the beef aside on a plate and season with salt and black pepper. The beef juices will stay on the plate, don't discard them!
- Cook the sofrito base: Lower to medium heat and add the diced onions, chopped garlic, and a pinch of sea salt (add a bit of oil if needed). Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become transparent and lightly golden.
- Add tomatoes: Stir in the grated tomatoes and a little extra salt. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine beef, carrots, and wine: Return the seared beef chunks to the pot along with the juices, the carrots and red wine. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add potatoes and stock: Add the potatoes, stock, and bay leaves. Season with salt, stir to combine, then cover the pot with a lid. Stew meat on the lower-middle position of the stove for 2–3 hours, until the beef is mouth tender.
- Thicken the stew: In a small bowl, prepare the tapioca or cornstarch slurry by mixing a little of the stew liquid with tapioca flour or cornstarch. Stir it into the pot, then add the peas. Cook for another 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the peas are tender.
Notes
Season beef after browning. Salting the beef too early can make it release excess water, which prevents a proper sear.
Fresh tomatoes substitution: If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, use canned tomatoes or a simple tomato sauce (made with just tomato, onion, and garlic). Alternatively, you can also stir in 3 tablespoons of tomato paste instead.
Red wine substitution: Substitute with white wine, sherry wine (for a slightly sweeter taste), or simply use beef or chicken stock in a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind that each option will give the stew a slightly different flavor profile.
Peas substitution: If green peas aren’t available, snow peas work beautifully. Add them at the very end of cooking, just like you would with peas.
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
Freeze: If you want to freeze the stew, note that potatoes don’t freeze well—they turn mushy after defrosting. To freeze, either remove the potatoes before freezing or reduce the amount of potatoes when making the stew.
Slow cooker method: This stew can also be made in a slow cooker. Just sear the beef and cook the onion-tomato base in a pan first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 5–6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Jose says
Delicious, tasty and quite easy to make!
Lara says
Amazing recipe!! The meat was so tender and tasty 😋
Lore says
Delicious, this recipe reminds me of my grandma’s stew.
Will says
That was incredible! Made it for my family and kept the leftovers for lunch, and can guarantee it’s just as good the next day!
alicia gonzalez tome says
thanks for the comment Will! Leftovers are the best 🙂