This quick and easy, family-friendly Hamburger Stew is made in about forty minutes on the stovetop. It is full of nature’s wholesome flavor and goodness, making it a hearty, satisfying meal that the whole family can enjoy.
Warm and hearty, this hamburger stew is a perfect one-pot meal for a cozy night in. With simple ingredients and easy directions, this recipe is a must-try for any home cook. This stew is delicious year-round, but I love to serve it during those chilly winter months. It is a hearty meal, but serve it with cheddar biscuits, sweet potato cornbread, or sweet maple dinner rolls for a company-worthy meal.
Why I Love It
- This fun and easy recipe comes together quickly, making it doable for a weeknight meal.
- Hamburger Stew is made with wholesome ingredients, making it a hearty meal you can feel good about feeding your family.
- The ingredients for this recipe are easily found at any grocery store, and you may already have many of them on hand.
- Ground beef is still one of the most economically friendly meats you can cook.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: I use beef with a bit of fat, like 85/15. Fat gives the beef flavor.
- Onion: Preferably a sweet yellow onion, like a yellow or Vidalia onion
- Carrots: You can substitute parsnips
- Potatoes: Preferably Yukon Gold, Russet Potatoes break down too much
- Canned tomatoes: Fire-roasted or diced
- Beef broth: Low sodium is best ,so you can control the amount of sodium
- Peas: Frozen sweet peas. Do not use canned as they will get mushy.
Preparation Tips for Hamburger Stew
- Use ground beef or chili-ground beef with a bit of fat. Drain any excess grease after cooking the onions. The fat gives it flavor.
- Peel your carrots for aesthetic purposes. The small amount of effort is worth the bright, beautiful orange color.
- If desired, substitute diced tomatoes for the fire-roasted tomatoes.
- I prefer Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe. But red potatoes or Russet potatoes work well, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Swap ground beef for other ground meat like ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
First, cool the dish to room temperature. Freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop on low or microwave at reduced power.
Complete everything on the stovetop through step 2. Transfer the contents to a crock pot. Whisk together the beef broth and tomato paste in a bowl or large measuring cup. Stir it into the pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add the peas and cook on low for 1-2 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
More Stew Recipes
Hamburger Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into small cubes
- 1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1¼ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅔ cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat, brown the ground beef. When it is about halfway through the browning process, add the onion and cook until the onion is soft and the ground beef is browned, approximately 5-6 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes, carrots, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth and tomato paste. Stir it into the pot. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- Add the peas and simmer covered until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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Susie
1st time I made this my husband said I should make this more often. There were no leftovers, the whole family enjoyed this stew. I do modify recipe some; 4 gold Yukon potatoes, 1 small bag of baby carrots (carrots chopped in 1/2). 1 can veg-all, 1 can corn, 1 can green beans, and no frozen peas, and I also use extra beef broth. I serve with jiffy cornbread, crackers, or homemade cornbread, and it is a new family favorite. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Susie! So glad that you and your family like it!
Theresa
This is very good. I took advice of a previous post and added one tablespoon. of flour to the ground beef. Now to wait for my husband to get home to have a bowl.
Dan
What did adding flour to the ground beef do, did it make the broth thicker?
Beth Pierce
Yes
Debbie
Very simple and easy to make..the only I did was add more beef broth we liked it more soupy…but this is a keeper for sure.
Beth Pierce
Awesome! So glad that you liked it!
Rita
I made this today and it’s simmering almost done. Cannot wait perfect meal for weather like today. I used ground turkey instead of hamburger. I will fix almond flour cornbread to go with. Thank you for sharing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Rita! I sure hope you enjoyed it! So darn cold here too!
Tammy
I would love your recipe for almond flour cornbread.
Michele Rush
This hearty stew is simple tastes delicious and easy to put together . Also, I like the fact that all the dishes are done ahead and the kitchen is tidy. Another option to this stew would be to thicken it with a tablespoon of flour in the meat browning process, then add more beef broth. ( 1/2 cup or so ) This would give you a bit more gravy! Enjoy with
cheddar buiscuit and a green salad and youve got yoursef a great meal! I would serve this as a casual dinner to friends anytime! Yummy!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips Michele!
Gary Elliot
I also added more low sodium beef broth and more when I reheated it. Even better the next few times. For added flavor try some garlic salt. I used both cut green beans and peas along with pearl onions and diced tomatoes.
Unfortunately my taters and carrots remained a bit too firm even on the second day after simmering for 1.5 hours.
Is there some way to soften these before adding to the stew? My microwave has a stem option. Maybe that might help?
😊
Beth Pierce
Hey Gary! Yes, you could steam the vegetables a little before adding them to the stew. You could also cut your veggies into smaller pieces.
Susan Bogdanoff
I love to saute all my potatoes and veggies a bit before throwing them into stews and soups. I bring everything to boil for maybe 10-15 min then turn off and let it naturally finish cooking.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips, Susan!
kushigalu
Love the flavors in this stew recipe. Thanks for sharing. SO delicious.
Thena Franssen
I can’t wait to make this stew! The ingredients sound amazing and I love the heartiness of it!
Ntensibe Edgar
Nnnniiiiicccceeeeeee….I am so saving this recipe! Hamburger Stew has never been this simplified and broken down, like you have done here. Thanks for sharing.
Ebony
This recipe is as good as it looks! I substituted beef broth for chicken since we did not have any and it still turned out great! Keeper recipe for sure!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Ebony! So glad that you liked it!
Fransic verso
This looks great. We had it before but I find;t really know the recipe. Now I can cook it for myself haha. Thank you for sharing!