This homestyle Hamburger Stew is packed with ground beef, vegetables, and rich flavors—all without the long cooking time of a traditional stew. It’s a simple, budget-friendly meal that comes together in about an hour, making it perfect for busy days.
If you’re looking for new ways to use ground beef beyond burgers or meatloaf, this one-pot meal is a great option. It’s easy to customize with extra vegetables, canned beans, or mushrooms. Plus, you can double the recipe for meal prep or keep it warm in a slow cooker when serving a crowd.
It’s so good and easy, not to mention inexpensive. I buy ground beef when it’s on sale and freeze it in 1-pound chunks; that way, it’s easy to thaw and use. And it’s perfect in this meaty stew recipe.
Everything you need in a whole meal is in this dish – plenty of protein-rich beef, taters, veggies, and a succulent gravy that coats it all in deliciousness. Hungry? Dig in!
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef – I cook with 80/20 ground beef. Buy it on sale and freeze it to make this meal even more economical.
- Carrot – You’ll need a couple of carrots, peeled and cut into coins or half moons if they’re larger carrots.
- Celery – Cook with the leafy tops, too!
- Onion – I cook with yellow (aka brown) onions, but red onion or even sweet onion will also work.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic, please! Jarlic has so much less flavor.
- Potatoes – Any kind of potatoes will do.
- Diced tomatoes – You’ll need a 28-ounce can, undrained.
- Beef broth – Use homemade if you have it, or buy low or no sodium added beef broth.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dried thyme – A pinch goes a long way!
- Salt – I cook with kosher salt.
- Ground black pepper
- Maggi sauce – Optional. This is an umami-packed sauce that you can get wherever you buy bovril or boullion.
- Bay leaf
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
- Green peas – Frozen green peas. Canned will get mushy.
- Corn niblets – I like the texture of frozen corn niblets, but you could use canned and drained corn.
How To Make vintage Hamburger Stew
- Prepare the vegetables by peeling and cutting the potatoes into ½-inch cubes, slicing the carrots into ¼-inch rounds, dicing the onion, and mincing the garlic. Set them aside.
- Add the ground beef and press it into a flat layer covering most of the surface. Let it cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, then flip and break it into large chunks. Continue cooking until browned, though it doesn’t need to be fully cooked through yet.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Mix in the potatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, pepper, Maggi Sauce (if using), and bay leaf.
- Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and let it cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Whisk the cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Pour this into the stew and stir well. Let it cook for another 2–3 minutes until the broth thickens slightly.
- Add the frozen peas and corn, stirring them in. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot and enjoy!
Step-By-Step Process
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use lean ground beef to minimize grease. If necessary, drain excess fat after browning. An 80/20 blend works well.
- Maggi Sauce enhances the umami depth, but the stew is still flavorful without it.
- Leftovers develop even richer flavors after resting overnight.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
This stew is filling on its own, but it pairs wonderfully with crusty bread, homemade biscuits, or white rice for extra heartiness. A fresh side salad adds a nice contrast to the rich flavors.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. For longer storage, freeze the stew in portioned containers for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Homestyle Hamburger Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into ¼-inch coins
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves large garlic minced
- 1.5 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes canned and undrained
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Maggi sauce optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup green peas frozen
- 1 cup corn niblets frozen
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables by peeling and cutting the potatoes into ½-inch cubes, slicing the carrots into ¼-inch rounds, dicing the onion, and mincing the garlic. Set them aside.
- Add the ground beef and press it into a flat layer covering most of the surface. Let it cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, then flip and break it into large chunks. Continue cooking until browned, though it doesn’t need to be fully cooked through yet.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Mix in the potatoes, diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, pepper, Maggi Sauce (if using), and bay leaf.
- Bring the stew to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and let it cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Whisk the cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Pour this into the stew and stir well. Let it cook for another 2–3 minutes until the broth thickens slightly.
- Add the frozen peas and corn, stirring them in. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use lean ground beef to minimize grease. If necessary, drain excess fat after browning. An 80/20 blend works well.
- Maggi Sauce enhances the umami depth, but the stew is still flavorful without it.
- Leftovers develop even richer flavors after resting overnight.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.