Fall-apart beef cooked in the oven or the slow cooker - this Scottish beef stew is my favourite Scottish recipe and perfect for Burns night!
If you've never heard of Robert Burns, you'll no doubt have heard one of his most famous works - Auld Lang Syne. That wonderful tune we (probably slightly drunkenly) sing to say farewell to the previous year as we bring in the new year. Originally created as a poem, it wasn't turned into a song until after his death in 1796.
Burns night or Burns supper itself first became a thing 5 years after his death, with the gathering of 9 of his friends who got together to celebrate his life and works over a feast of haggis and whisky. Ok, I'm not 100% sure about the haggis and whisky thing - but that's what I've heard anyway! Auld Lang Syne and Burns night are now well known the world over, and to celebrate, I'm bringing you this yummy Scottish beef stew.
I'd love to have done something haggis related, but to be perfectly honest I can't stand the stuff (sorry to all those die-hard haggis fans).So here we have it, my favourite Scottish recipe - cook it in the oven or even in the slow cooker, and make plenty!
So how to do we make it?
Dust chunks of beef in flour and fryĀ in oil in a casserole pan until golden brown all over. Add chopped onions and cook for a further 5 minutes, thenĀ stir in the garlic, red currant jelly, and red wine and simmer for 5 minutes
Add in the carrots, potatoes, swede, stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then place a lid on and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours until the beef is lovely and tender.
Serve topped with a little fresh thyme and some freshly cut bread.
I like to make a huge batch, then serve half up as a stew, and then save the other half as a pie filling š
Can I make it ahead?
Yes! you can make this stew, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, any leftovers of this stew can be cooled, covered and frozen. Then defrosted overnight in the refrigerator and reheated in a panĀ (stirring often) or microwave untilĀ piping hotĀ throughout.
Best type of beef for Scottish Beef Stew:
- Chuck steakĀ (braising steak) ā comes from the forequarter- Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm.
- Itās a tough but very flavorful cut of meat. It has a lot of connective tissue, which needs longĀ slow cookingĀ to break down and become tender. Cut into bite-size chunks, or you can use bigger chunks and shred the beefĀ into strips.
- SilversideĀ (bottom round) ā comes from the hindquarter ā just above the back leg
- Itās aĀ leaner, inexpensive cut of meat with little marbling. The lack of fat means it doesnāt have as much flavour as chuck steak, so make sure you useĀ good quality stockĀ (as well as the wine) to cook it in. Itās good for slow cooking, but must be cooked with moisture/liquid so doesnāt dry out and become tough.
What to serve with Scottish Beef Stew:
I like to serve mine with creamy mashed potatoesĀ or crispyĀ roast potatoes and some greens - such as steamed kale or green beans.
More stew or casserole recipes:
- Beef and Guinness Stew with Crispy Onions
- African Chicken and Peanut Stew
- Rich and Comforting Beef Bourguignon
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom One Pan Casserole
- Slow-Cooked Hungarian Beef Goulash
- Slow Cooked Steak Diane Casserole
- Creamy Slow Cooked Pork Casserole
Ā The Scottish Beef Stew Video:
More braising beef recipes:
- Beef Massaman Curry
- Big Batch Chinese Beef
- Big Batch Beef Ragu with Pasta
- Healthier Slow Cooked Spicy Beef Curry
- Rich and Tasty Slow-Cooked Steak Pie
- Slow Cooked SUMMER Beef Casserole
Ā The Scottish Beef Stew Recipe:
Slow Cooked Scottish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 kg Aberdeen angus braising/stewing beef - chopped into bite-size chunks
- 2 tbsp plain - all purpose flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 large onions - peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed
- 2 tbsp red currant jelly - or cranberry sauce
- 500 ml red wine
- 2 large carrots - peeled and chopped
- 2 medium potatoes - peeled and chopped
- ½ small swede - peeled and chopped
- 700 ml beef stock - water plus 2 stock cubes is fine
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dark brown sugar
- Ā¾ tsp salt
- Ā¾ tsp crushed black pepper
To serve:
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Chunks of fresh bread
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 160c/325f
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the chunks of beef in the flour and fry the beef for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over. Add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the red currant jelly, then pour in the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, potatoes, swede, stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil then place a lid on and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours ā stirring a couple of times during cooking (alternatively you could transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours).
- Serve topped with a little fresh thyme and some freshly cut bread.
Video
ā Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first published in January 2016. Updated in December 2019 with new photos, tips and video.
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Dan Webber says
Wow! That stew made my mouth tingle. I was attracted to this recipe because of the jelly cranberries. My wife loves jelly cranberries! I followed the recipe pretty close but did change a few things, mostly cuz l didnāt have that on hand. (No unnecessary going to the store during Covid) Didnāt have Swedes so I used fresh turnips. Didnāt have bone broth but did have a pint jar of home made roasted brown bone broth. Deluded that 2:1 (2 h2o: 1 bbb). And I used an arm roast. Also 1 bottle of Costco Cab Sav, 2 cups for the stew 1 cup for the cook! Great recipe!
Dan
Peter De Smidt says
My wife made this today. It was outstanding!
Simon Dickinson says
A wonderful dish ! Made it a couple of weeks ago and it was just soo flavoursome. I think the redcurrant jelly just gives it something to really lift the depth.
Mike Smith says
Excellent. It is necessary to check every half hour for the mixture drying out if you are experimenting with half quantities.
Barbara Waters says
Absolutely gorgeous!
Christine Atherton says
I am Scottish and in no way this is how me mother made stew.No wine no red currant jam or jelly no oven it was all cooked in a pot on the stove,I dont know where you got the idea this was Scottish stew.Oh and a turnip is called nip or nips or tumshie.Geesh.
Simon Dickinson says
I think its just a name she's called it. Probably because it has the swede cooked in it.
Jane Wilcox says
I would love to try this but being a "Yank", what may I ask is a swede, much less a small one? You don't show a picture so I have to guess: a parsnip, a turnip, rutabaga? Something else?
Monica says
Swedes are what Brits call rutabagas!
Jane Wilcox says
Thanks, all I could picture was a tall thin blonde haired guy!
Jay Bee says
Here in Cyprus, a massive amount of meat is eaten, usually BBQ.
This recipe though, is superb and I will be recommending it to my Cypriot
friends.(adapted to use the clay ovens we all have !)
Lisa says
Really tasty Beef Stew, the best one ive found to date for my slow cooker. Will definitely be making again. Thankyou
Leah says
Hello! I want to give this a try in my Instant Pot (on the pressure cooker setting, as the slow cooker isn't quite up to scratch). Any suggestions for an alternative to the red wine, since pressure cooking alcohol is a Very Bad Idea? Thanks!
Nicky Corbishley says
Sorry Leah, I don't have an instant pot, so can't off any advice. My friend Bintu as lots of instant pot recipes - she has a beef stew one here: https://recipesfromapantry.com/instant-pot-beef-stew/ Hope that helps.
Jackie says
Fabulous, absolutely love all the recipes I've tried š
Daniel M Muir says
Is it as good as my mothers was? I like Parsnips in my beef stew and on Burns Night I like to wash it down with a dram. Have you ever tried it with oatcakes? But a Scottish stew without a generous portion of root vegetables? That would mage my toes curl.
Barbara Moores says
Just as Nick says. It's absolutely gorgeous
Julie Hendry says
Used to make Hogmanay steak pie - my very picky 80yo ma loved it. We used 1.3kg of beef, no veg. Three of us ate it all š®
Barbara Erskine says
Our Jersey Village, Texas, USA, book club recently read and discussed, "Outlander". Our host made your Scottish Stew recipe. My sister makes a great stew, I make a great stew, but THIS stew recipe was by far the BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED!