Easy Dinty Moore Beef Stew Recipe Better Than the Can

The first time I cracked open a can of Dinty Moore beef stew on a freezing winter night as a kid, the smell of beef, potatoes, and savory gravy felt like the most comforting thing in the world. Years later, I set out to recreate that exact taste from scratch, and what I ended up with was even better. Same warmth, same nostalgia, but fresher and richer.

This Dinty Moore beef stew recipe gives you that exact hearty, brown gravy, fork tender beef result at home, with simple ingredients and easy steps. If you grew up on the can and want a homemade version that honors it, you are in exactly the right place. Let me walk you through it.

Step-by-Step Guide

The method is simple and forgiving. You brown the beef for deep flavor, build the gravy, simmer until tender, then add the vegetables. Here is each step in detail.

1. Prepare the Beef

Pat about two pounds of chuck or stewing beef dry with paper towels and cut it into roughly one to one and a half inch cubes. Drying the surface is the single biggest thing you can do for great browning, since wet meat steams instead of searing. Season the cubes generously with salt and black pepper just before they hit the pan.

2. Heat the Oil

Place a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat and add two tablespoons of neutral oil or olive oil. Let the oil get genuinely hot, shimmering but not smoking. A properly preheated pan is what gives you that beautiful, deep brown crust on the beef.

3. Brown the Beef

Add the beef to the pot in a single layer, leaving space between pieces, and resist the urge to move them. Let them sear undisturbed for two to three minutes until deeply browned, then turn and brown the other sides. Work in batches if you need to, since crowding the pan turns searing into steaming. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.

4. Cook Onion and Garlic

In the same pot with all those wonderful browned bits, add one large diced yellow onion and cook over medium heat for about five minutes until softened and golden at the edges. Add three minced garlic cloves and cook for one more minute until fragrant. These aromatics are the next layer of flavor, building on the browned beef.

5. Add Tomato Paste

Stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for one to two minutes, letting it darken and deepen. This brief cooking step removes any raw, tinny taste and unlocks a concentrated, almost caramelized tomato richness. It also gives the gravy its signature deep brown color.

6. Return Beef to Pot

Return the browned beef and any juices on the plate to the pot. Pour in four cups of beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift those flavorful browned bits into the gravy. Every bit of that fond is pure flavor, so be thorough here.

7. Dinty Moore Beef Stew Seasonings To Add

Now build the gravy’s character. Add one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, one teaspoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of dried thyme, one bay leaf, and a generous grind of black pepper. Taste and add salt as needed, remembering that the stock and soy already bring saltiness. These seasonings are what give the stew its deep, savory, Dinty Moore like character.

8. Simmer the Stew

Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Let it simmer gently for about one hour, stirring occasionally. This slow cook is what turns tough beef into something fork tender, so do not rush it.

9. Add Vegetables

After the beef has simmered for an hour, add the vegetables. Stir in three large potatoes peeled and cut into chunks, three carrots peeled and sliced thick, and an optional cup of frozen peas to add later. Simmer everything together for about thirty more minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.

10. Thicken the Stew

Once the beef and vegetables are tender, thicken the gravy. Whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the simmering stew. Let it cook for two to three more minutes until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Alternatively, mash a few of the potato pieces directly into the stew for a thicker, more rustic gravy without any thickener.

11. Final Simmer

If using frozen peas, add them now and let everything simmer together for a final two to three minutes, just until the peas are heated through and bright green. Taste one last time and adjust salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

12. Serve Warm

Ladle the stew into deep bowls while it is hot, with a generous spoon of gravy over everything. Serve with crusty bread, warm biscuits, or a simple side salad. The first spoonful, with tender beef, soft potato, and that rich brown gravy, is genuinely one of the most comforting bites you will ever take.

Dinty Moore Beef Stew Recipe

Lyra Weston

This homemade Dinty Moore Beef Stew is hearty, savory, and better than the can. Tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and a rich gravy, with pro tips inside.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 380 kcal

Equipment

• Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small bowl
• Ladle

Ingredients

  

For the beef:

• 2 lbs 900g beef chuck, cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil

For the gravy base:

• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

For the vegetables:

• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced thick
• 1 cup frozen peas optional

For thickening:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water

Instructions

 

• Prepare the beef. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Brown the beef. Add the beef in a single layer, in batches if needed, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
• Cook the onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium, add the diced onion, and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens.
• Return the beef to the pot. Add the beef and any juices back to the pot, then pour in the beef stock, scraping the bottom to lift the browned bits.
• Add the seasonings. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper. Taste and adjust salt.
• Simmer the stew. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add the vegetables. Stir in the potatoes and carrots, then simmer for 30 more minutes until tender.
• Thicken the stew. Whisk the cornstarch with cold water and stir into the stew. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.
• Final simmer. Add the frozen peas if using and simmer 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.
• Serve warm. Ladle into deep bowls and serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits.

Notes

1. Pat the beef dry before browning, since wet meat steams instead of searing.
2. Brown the beef in batches without crowding the pan, for a proper deep crust on every piece.
3. Cook the tomato paste until it darkens, which deepens the gravy and removes any raw, tinny taste.
4. Simmer low and slow rather than boiling hard, since gentle heat is what turns tough chuck meltingly tender.
5. Add the potatoes and carrots in the second half of the cook so they stay tender and intact rather than mushy.

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