This balsamic beef stew is the perfect stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-from-the-inside-out winter meal. Paleo and Whole30 compliant, delicious, and easy to make, leftovers are unlikely!
What could be better for winter than a warming beef stew recipe?
How about one that’s Paleo and Whole30 compliant?
Cozying up to your favorite bowl filled with goodness doesn’t have to involve deal breaking potatoes or hard to find and prepare ingredients.
The hardest thing this balsamic braised beef stew recipe requires is peeling and chopping a couple of carrots. That’s the kind of recipe we can all get behind!
This is the perfect meal to throw together in your slow cooker or Instant Pot and will keep warm until you’re ready. I took some inspiration from the classic stew, Beef Bourguignon.
My version is classy enough to serve for company but easy enough for everyday life. Red wine and balsamic vinegar tenderize the beef as it cooks. Peppercorns add depth of flavor without being too spicy.
If you can use bone broth in this recipe, it will be the best stew you’ve ever tasted!
My favorite part of this balsamic beef stew recipe are the mushrooms that soak up all the flavors in this rich stew. If you’d like, it would go beautifully over cauliflower rice.
It’s also picky husband approved! As a rule, I just don’t tell him when I make something Paleo. He doesn’t need to know he’s eating healthy. You’ll keep my secret, right?
The best part of this balsamic beef stew recipe is eating the leftovers the next day. The flavors marry overnight as it cools and you’ll be the envy of the office when you bring this thermos to work. Leftovers will keep up to a week, but let’s be honest, they won’t last that long. I had this for breakfast the next morning after making it!
Here in Georgia it’s not quite fall weather yet, but I remain convinced that if I keep cooking delicious fall flavors the weather will catch up to my kitchen. Most of the Cooking1handed.com kitchen recipes come together fast. Thanks to my son Crawling2Handed, my recipes don’t require much time!
Many of my recipes are naturally Paleo or include Paleo versions. My favorite Paleo adaptation, Bread N’ Bake, takes the old Shake n’ Coat classic and gives you a Paleo approved coating to make chicken nuggets the whole family will love.
For a special treat, this Paleo friendly Pumpkin Spice Latte will make you forget all about the double pumps of syrup and extra espresso you used to order. As a mom who gave up dairy for her health, I like to include recipes that everyone can enjoy that will fit their health journey.
Please pop on over and have a look, requests are always welcome! I hope your winter brings you beautiful temperatures to enjoy this balsamic beef stew and even better memories with family and friends.
Recipe
Balsamic Braised Beef Stew
Traditional beef and vegetable stew with a twist! Balsamic sauce takes this stew up a notch.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Stew beef
- 1 1⁄2 cups bone broth
- 1⁄2 cup red wine
- ½ cup chopped and peeled carrots
- ½ cup halved mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 6 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- salt, to taste
Optional thickener:
- 3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder, (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons water, (optional)
Instructions
Stove Top
- In a pot over medium-high heat, brown the stew beef.
- Deglaze the pan with the broth and red wine - just pour them in, then scrape up all the delicious browned bits that were previously stuck!
- Add all remaining ingredients except the arrowroot and water to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer at least one hour or until beef is tender.
- Uncover and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
- Remove peppercorns and bay leaves. If a thicker consistency is desired, whisk arrowroot powder and water together in a small bowl, then add to the stew.
- Bring to boil, stirring constantly until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste and serve.
Instant Pot
- On saute function, brown beef.
- Add all other ingredients except arrowroot and water.
- Cook on manual setting for 30 minutes on sealing, allowing the pot to naturally release.
- Uncover, then using the sauté function, cook until liquid is reduced by half.
- Remove peppercorns and bay leaves.
- If desired, add arrowroot/water thickener and stir constantly until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste, serve.
Crock Pot
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker except arrowroot and water.
- Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.
- Remove peppercorns and bay leaves.
- If desired, add arrowroot/water thickener the last hour of cooking, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste, serve.
Notes
All 3 methods include an optional thickener: 3 tablespoon of arrowroot combined with 4 tablespoon of water. Simply whisk the arrowroot and water together in a small bowl, then add to the stew at the end of cooking, based on the method you are using.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 316Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 438mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 42g
Amy is a food blogger and cook who gave up dairy to help her son with acid reflux. She found it improved her health as well! All her recipes are dairy free and made with the busy lifestyle in mind. She understands every health journey is different and does her best to include many versions of recipes so everyone can enjoy: Paleo, Whole30, vegan, and gluten free. The slow cooker and Instant Pot are also her best friends. Please visit her at www.cooking1handed.com, requests always welcome!
Looking for some other Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Sesame Orange Chicken, Perfect IP Sweet Potatoes, or my Instant Pot Gingerbread Spiced Pulled Pork.
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Jenni
Molasses isn't allowed in Whole30 though, right?
Jenni
As well as the red wine. Or am I being too strict.
Jessica
Hi, Jenni! No, no added sweeteners of any kind on W30, or alcohol. This recipe isn't a W30 recipe. I do have a lot of W30 compliant recipes on my site, though, you can take a look at them here: https://www.paleoscaleo.com/category/recipes/whole30-recipes/
Betsy
It said in many places that this is a Whole30 compliant recipe, including the thumbnail on Pinterest. . If it's not, I would recommend updating the recipe to reflect that it is not Whole30. Many people are confused.
Jessica
Hi Betsy - I'm sorry for any confusion on this recipe. The original recipe did include Molasses, which is not Whole30 compliant, as it is an added sweetener. It could simply be left out to make the recipe Whole30 friendly. I don't think it's essential to the flavor of the dish, so I've removed it from the list to ensure that it's fully compliant.