Hamburger Stew

5 from 1 vote

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By: Jill Mills Updated: Nov 13, 2024

Made with ground beef, veggies, and potatoes in a rich, savory broth, this Hamburger Stew is a true comfort food recipe. Ready in less than an hour, it’s perfect for those chilly fall and winter nights!

Now that Pumpkin Spice Season is coming to a close, we are officially heading into Soup & Stew Season. I love it because most stews, including this hamburger stew, are quick and easy to make, filling, and there’s usually plenty of leftovers. Similar to our hamburger soup recipe, but this one in particular is extra hearty and filling!

Why You’ll Love This Hamburger Stew Recipe

I foresee the stew being made frequently throughout the winter. Here are a few reasons why.

• Quick & easy to make. This hamburger stew comes together in less than an hour and over half of that time is hands-off cooking time. There are a few things I love more than a low-effort dinner!
• Makes a LOT. If I’m making soup, I’d rather make a large batch that we can eat for dinner and then enjoy throughout the rest of the week too. That’s exactly the case with this hamburger stew, which makes around 12 servings.
• Rich, savory broth. This broth of this stew is SO flavorful. There’s beef broth and tomato paste but there are also a few “secret” ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce. Yum!
• Freezes well. Leftovers of this stew will last in the fridge for a few days but it also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

Looking for more cozy soup and stew recipes? Check out my vegetable beef soup, copycat Wendy’s chili, and potato soup recipes too.

What You’ll Need

This stew is loaded with ground beef, veggies, and potatoes in a savory broth. You can find the exact measurements for all of the ingredients in the recipe card below.

• Olive oil
• Aromatics – Minced garlic and diced onion.
• Veggies – Celery, carrots, diced tomatoes with juice, and frozen peas.
• Ground beef – I like to use lean ground beef to avoid excess grease. I use between 1.5 and 2 pounds of meat, whatever the package I grab happens to have. No need to be super exact in this recipe! Feel free to sub ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Flour
• Tomato paste – Adds acidity to the broth and enhances the tomato flavor.
• Potatoes – I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes but any yellow potatoes will work.
• Beef broth – Using beef broth adds a rich flavor to the soup. You could use vegetable broth if that’s what you have, though the flavor won’t be as rich.
• Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory umami undertones to the broth.
• Fish sauce – Optional but it definitely adds depth to the flavor of the broth.
• Herbs – Oregano & basil
• Baking soda – Helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. If you don’t add the tomatoes or don’t mind the acidity, you can omit it.

How To Make Hamburger Stew

Here’s an overview of how to make this stew in just under an hour. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.

• Prep. Clean, peel, and dice the onion and celery and place in a bowl. Do the same with the potatoes and carrots and place them in a separate bowl.
• Cook the onions. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and celery until the onions are tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Cook the beef. Add the ground beef to the pot. Cook until browned, breaking it up into smaller pieces. If necessary, drain the excess fat before continuing.
• Add the other ingredients. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add in the broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, herbs, potatoes, and carrots. Stir to combine.
• Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook with the lid slightly centered for 30-45 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the baking soda. Stir in the baking soda. It will bubble and foam at first – that’s okay.
• Add the peas. Stir in the peas. Add the salt and pepper, give the soup a taste, and add more as needed.
• Enjoy. The soup is ready when the peas are cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this hamburger stew with a slice or two of crusty French bread or cornbread. With the meat, potatoes, and veggies in the stew, you really don’t need anything else. If you enjoy a good soup & green salad combo, you can always serve a smaller portion with a wedge salad or your favorite side salad.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge. Store leftover hamburger stew in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days.
• Freezer. Once the stew cools, you can transfer it to a ziploc bag or other freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat. Reheat the stew on the stovetop at a gentle simmer. If it’s a bit too thick, feel free to add in a splash of beef broth. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.

More Stew Recipes To Try

• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Brunswick Stew
• Cowboy Stew
• Guinness Beef Stew
• Pork Stew

5 from 1 vote

Hamburger Stew

Made with ground beef, veggies, and potatoes in a rich, savory broth, this Hamburger Stew is a true comfort food recipe. Ready in less than an hour, it's perfect for those chilly fall and winter nights!

Servings: 12 people

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Print Rate Save Saved!

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion diced (approximately 1 cup)
• ▢ 4 stalks celery diced
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
• ▢ 2 pounds lean ground beef
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons flour
• ▢ 12 ounces tomato paste
• ▢ 3 Yukon Gold potatoes (or yellow) peeled and diced.
• ▢ 5 large carrots peeled and diced
• ▢ 28 ounces can diced tomatoes with juice
• ▢ 8 cups beef broth
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fish sauce optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon basil
• ▢ 10 ounces frozen peas
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Clean, peel and dice the onion and celery, set aside in a medium bowl.
• Clean, peel and dice the potatoes and carrots, set aside in a separate bowl.
• Add the oil to a Dutch oven or large stock pot and heat over medium-high.
• Once hot, add the onions and celery and sauté until the onions are tender and slightly translucent.
• Add the garlic to the mixture, stir and continue to cook for 30 seconds. (Add a little more olive oil if necessary.)
• Add the beef to the pot and cook until browned, breaking it up into smaller pieces. (If you don’t use lean beef, you may need to drain off the fat before proceeding to the next step. I just take a few paper towels, fold them into a thick square and use my tongs to dip into the pot and soak up the excess grease. Then just discard the paper towel.)
• Next, sprinkle the flour over the beef and stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste.
• Add the broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce if using, oregano, basil, potatoes and carrots. Stir to combine.
• Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered, with the lid on but slightly vented, for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Add the baking soda and stir. (The soup will bubble and foam, but then will settle down. The baking soda neutralizes the acid from the tomatoes and paste allowing the flavors to stand out without the harsh acid.)
• Add more broth if the soup is too thick or allow it to simmer longer if you’d like it thicker.
• Add the peas and stir to combine.
• Add salt and pepper a pinch at a time, stir and taste. Then add more if necessary.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4948IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg

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