This hamburger stew is what I make when I’m craving a hearty stew but short on time. Waiting for stew meat to become tender can take hours. This recipe uses ground venison or ground beef. I prefer venison since I usually have a freezer full of it.
If you crave stews as much as I do during the colder months, I’d consider adding my hearty rabbit stew, catfish stew, and goose stew to your dinner rotation. For more Ideas, check out my entire venison stew recipes collection, which all work perfectly with beef.
Everything happens in one pot. Brown the meat nicely, build a quick roux, cook aromatics, add the rest, and then let it quietly do its thing on the stove. It’s an easy meal that feeds the family, reheats like a dream when you need something hot on the table fast.
Key Tips for the Best Hamburger Stew
1. Brown the meat hard for depth of flavor
Whether you’re using ground venison or lean ground beef, the first step is to brown the meat well to build flavor.
- Don’t overcrowd your pot and cook in batches if needed. Let the meat brown on one side before stirring.
- Browning helps build big, rich flavors that mimic a stew made with stew meat.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper as you go so the meat itself tastes great, not just the broth.
2. A Roux Creates a thick, velvety stew
You’re building a quick roux with butter and flour: This is why your stew holds onto the vegetables and hearty potatoes instead of feeling like a hamburger soup.
- The roux coats the cooked ground beef and aromatics.
- A short cook time (about 2 minutes) cooks off that raw flour taste.
- When you slowly add the broth, you get a naturally thickened hamburger stew instead of a thin soup.
3. stock, wine, and tomato for a “poor man’s stew” with rich flavor
This is quick comfort food, but we’re treating it like a real stew:
- Beef broth or venison stock: Way more flavor than water. If you have homemade bone broth, even better.
- Tomato paste + fire-roasted tomatoes: Tomato paste brings concentrated umami; fire-roasted tomatoes add sweetness and a little smokiness.
- Red wine: Just ½ cup adds acidity and complexity. If you don’t cook with wine, you can swap more broth.
- Optional: A splash of Worcestershire sauce is a great way to add even more depth of flavor without complicating things.
4. Cut your vegetables for even cooking
To keep this a true one-pot meal with a consistent cooking time, keep the chop sizes fairly uniform. You can absolutely toss almost any vegetables you have on hand. Green peas, corn, or even green beans work well. Just be sure to add them during the last 10-15 minutes.
- Yukon gold potatoes: quarter small ones; aim for about 1-inch pieces. They hold their shape better than red potatoes.
- Carrots: 1-inch chunks so they’re tender at the same time as the potatoes.
- Celery – diced small so it softens nicely and melts into the stew.
5. Venison vs ground beef
- Ground venison: Lean, deeply flavored, and takes really well to the wine, tomato, and paprika in this recipe. Be sure not to overcook the stew as it can make the meat have a dry texture.
- Lean ground beef: Think 85/15 or leaner. Still plenty of flavor. The butter and flour (roux) give you a silky stew. If you must use fattier meat, drain off the fat before adding the butter and making the roux.
Key Ingredients you’ll need
- Ground venison or ground beef – The star of the stew. Venison keeps things lean and flavorful, while ground beef gives you a classic hamburger stew vibe. Use what you have (or mix the two).
- Onions, and garlic – This is your flavor base. They give you the base layer of flavor to create that stew feel.
- Tomato paste & fire-roasted tomatoes – Tomato paste brings concentrated, savory depth, and the fire-roasted tomatoes add gentle smokiness and acidity to balance the richness.
- Beef broth or venison stock & red wine – The liquid backbone of the stew. Broth adds deep flavor, while a splash of red wine brightens it up.
- Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, and celery – The classic stew trio. You can sub turnips for the potatoes.
- Paprika and mild chile powder – Warm spices that give the stew color and a gentle, smoky backbone without making it spicy.
- Bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and parsley – The herb layer. Bay and thyme bring that traditional stew aroma, rosemary adds an earthy, woodsy note, and fresh parsley at the end makes the whole pot taste brighter.
Step by Step Method
Step 1: Brown the hamburger meat
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil, then the ground venison or ground beef.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Cook, breaking the meat apart with a sturdy spoon, until very well browned, about 8 minutes. If you’re not using lean meat, drain the fat.
Step 2: Cook the aromatics
- Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add the butter and let it melt into the cooked ground meat.
- Stir in the diced onions and minced garlic.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and fragrant, about minutes.
Step 3: Make the roux and build the base
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over the meat and onions.
- Stir well until no clumps are visible.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.
Step 4: Add liquid and vegetables
- Slowly pour in the beef broth or venison stock while stirring, making sure no lumps form.
- Pour in the red wine and stir to combine.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes (with their juices).
- Stir in the carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, paprika and chile powder.
- Mix everything well.
Step 5: Simmer low and slow
- Partially cover the pot with a lid and bring the stew to a very gentle simmer.
- Cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, and the carrots are soft, about 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
- If the stew gets too thick, add a splash of broth or water.
Step 6: Finish and season
- Remove the bay leaves.
- Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and black pepper as needed.
Hamburger Stew FAQ
Yes. Follow the steps of this recipe until it’s time to bring the stew to a simmer. Pour into your slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook over low heat for around 4 hours.
Yes. You can use ground turkey (domestic or wild turkey). Just be sure to use ground dark meat. The breast meat is too lean. Ground pork in an excellent substitute.
More Recipes
If you make this hamburger stew, drop a comment or leave a review. And if you have any cooking questions about making stews or want to share your latest creations, give me a shout on Instagram at @larry__white.
Hearty Hamburger Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground venison or ground beef
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small onions, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth (or venison stock)
- ½ cup red wine (or extra broth)
- 4 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 10 small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (plus more for serving)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon mild chile powder
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and ground venison or ground beef. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until well browned, about 8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the diced onions and minced garlic. Cook until the onions are softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the meat and onions. Stir until no dry flour remains and everything is coated. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in the beef broth or venison stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Add the red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine.
- Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaves, dried thyme, fresh rosemary, paprika, and mild chile powder. Stir well.
- Cover with a lid and bring the stew to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just fork tender and the carrots are soft, about 30-40 minutes. If the stew becomes too thick, add a splash of broth or water; if you’d like it thicker, remove the lid for the last 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and black pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with extra parsley if desired.
NOTES
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
