Apple Beef Stew

This apple beef stew balances just the right amount of sweetness in a rich, savory beef stew for a cozy autumn dinner.

A lightly sweet, ultra-savory beef stew with apples is the best autumn comfort meal to have on rotation this season.

I love pops of sweetness to traditionally savory dishes, like fig jam in my chicken and saffron rice or prunes in Irish Guinness beef stew. Apples add just the right amount of sweetness to this stew. Paired with tender beef, a rich, thick broth, and Dijon for a little complexity and sharpness, this stew recipe has autumn written all over it! Imagine going apple-picking this fall and whipping up this savory beef stew and finishing it with a slice of my apple cheesecake tart? Wouldn’t your house just smell amazing? I think so!

Truly, though, if you’re looking for the next beef stew recipe to add to your rotation. This one must be tried! Served over buttery egg noodles (or with mashed potatoes or even biscuits), it’s such a wonderful pairing of cozy flavors. Rich, savory, and just the right hint of sweetness. It’s a stew recipe we’ll be returning to often this season.

How to make this apple beef stew recipe

What you need

• Beef stew cubes: You can buy a roast–preferably a chuck roast–and cut it up yourself, but I grab a pack of pre-cut cubes for ease. You’ll coat the beef in all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper.
• Veggies and aromatics: I make this stew with onion, celery, carrots, lots of freshly minced garlic, and dry thyme.
• Beef stock: You can use water, but beef stock will give a more robust flavor.
• Apples: I recommend a firm, crisp apple, like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady. Both Honeycrisp and Fuji offer a more balanced sweet and tart flavor, which is perfect for cooking. Pink Lady apples will be a bit on the sweeter side. You can also use Gala apples, but I find they can be a bit too sweet, and they don’t hold their shape as well while cooking. Avoid red delicious apples as they are too soft. Granny Smith apples would also be a good choice if you’re looking for a more tart option, but I prefer a sweet-tart apple variety for this recipe!
• Dijon mustard: This adds a nice, complex sharpness to the stew to counter the savory beef and the sweet apples. I highly recommend not skipping it!
• Fresh parsley: I add fresh parsley right before serving for just a little herby brightness. You could also finish the stew with fresh chives instead.
• Buttered noodles: I serve the stew over buttered egg noodles with garlic powder, dry chives, and fresh parsley. You could easily serve this with roasted or mashed potatoes or with homemade biscuits. Yum!

How to make it

• Step 1: Coat the beef in flour, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in batches and remove them from the pot.
• Step 2: Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the pot for just a few minutes. Add minced garlic and dry thyme and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Step 3: Return the beef to the pot and cover with beef stock. Add the diced apples. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the beef is very tender, the liquid is reduced, and the stew has thickened.
• Step 4: Stir the Dijon mustard into the stew and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Right before serving, add freshly minced parsley to the stew.
• Step 5: About 30 minutes before the stew finishes simmering, cook the egg noodles. Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and return the pot to the stove. Add butter, garlic powder, dry chives, and minced parsley, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the egg noodles and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving bowl. Keep warm.
• Step 6: From there, you’re ready to serve it up. Divide the egg noodles between bowls and pile the beef stew on top. Enjoy!

Apple Beef Stew

This apple beef stew balances just the right amount of sweetness in a rich, savory beef stew for the cozy autumn dinner.

4 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 4

Calories: 686kcal

Equipment

• Wide pot
• Large pot
• Colander

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds beef stew cubes
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (plus more if needed)
• 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
• ¾ pound carrots (peeled, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into half-moons cross-wise)
• 3 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
• 6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 4 cups beef stock
• ¾ pound Honeycrisp apples (peeled, cored, and diced; or use Fuji or Pink Lady apples; about large 2 apples total)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup parsley (loosely packed and minced; plus more for serving)

For serving:

• 8 ounces broad egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup parsley (loosely packed and minced)
• 1 teaspoon dry chives
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Brown the beef:

• Place the beef stew cubes in a large bowl with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Toss to coat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the beef in batches, cooking in an even layer until well-browned on both sides. Transfer to a bowl and continue in batches until all the beef is browned. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning.

Start the stew:

• Add a bit more oil to the pot, if needed, and adjust the heat back to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the minced garlic and thyme and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Return the beef to the pot along with any juices from the bowl.

Simmer the beef stew:

• Add the beef stock and diced apples. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened. Add more liquid if the stew reduces too quickly or begins to stick. Taste the stew periodically and add more salt if needed.

Cook the egg noodles:

• About 30 minutes before the stew finishes simmering, make the egg noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and return the pot to the stovetop.
• Turn the heat on the pot to medium and add the butter, minced parsley, dry chives, and garlic powder. Stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the egg noodles and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Finish the stew:

• Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and simmer for 5 minutes.

To serve:

• Add the minced parsley to the beef stew right before serving. Divide the egg noodles between shallow bowls. Spoon the beef stew on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 21g | Sodium: 1560mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin C: 23mg

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