This recipe for one pot beef carbonnade is a hearty beef stew simmered with beer, bacon and sweet onion for the ultimate supper comfort food!

I do love a warm and wonderful beef stew!
And as you know, I also like getting in and out of the kitchen with a minimum of fuss, so while this scrumptious comfort food supper takes a while to cook, the hands-on time is less than a half hour.
And even better, all the cooking happens in one pot, so you will be spending most of your time snuggled up under your favorite blanket, letting the aroma of one pot beef carbonnade swirl around and remind you that supper is going to be EXTRA great tonight!
(Side note: it used to be the Southern daughter who was forever stealing that favorite blanket of mine. Now it is this character.)
Good thing she is adorable!
What is beef carbonnade?
The two things that set this beef stew aside from others are that it is made with sweet onions, which caramelize into the stew to give it a slightly sweet undertone, and that you make it with beer that gives it a slightly tangy flavor.
If you are being super faithful to the original, you can find yourself some Belgian ale, but I tend to use whatever happens to be in the fridge at the moment, and it still turns out great.
How to make one pot beef carbonnade!
Start by finding that one pot! You want something that will work for both the stovetop and the oven, and for me that is forever and always my trusty Dutch oven.
Start by cooking up some chopped bacon, scooping it out and leaving those drippings in the pan so you can sear up a couple pounds of beef. I use cubed chuck roast, the same as I do for all my beef stews.
Once the beef is seared, scoop it out and add a mixture of flour, sweet onions, beef broth, some herbs and spices, and that beer!
Add the beef back into the pot, cover it up and pop it in the oven for 90 minutes, and go reclaim your blanket for a pre-supper nap.
When you come back, the beef will be tender and flavorful and hungry people will be congregating in your kitchen. Dish it up and scatter the cooked bacon on top along with a little parsley.
We like to have this over egg noodles, but you can serve it over rice, or mashed potatoes, or all on its own.
And now that you are in a comfort food mood, maybe you’d like a little creamy chicken stew for next weekend? Hurray for comfort food!
PrintOne Pot Beef Carbonnade
This recipe for one pot beef carbonnade is a hearty beef stew simmered with beer, bacon and sweet onion for the ultimate supper comfort food!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 95 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Belgian
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into cubes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 twelve ounce can of bottle of beer
- 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook the bacon in a heavy oven safe Dutch oven until crispy. Scoop out and drain on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Season the beef with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Heat the drippings to medium high and add the beef. Let it sear for a minute or two on each side, and then scoop out and set aside.
- Add the onions and stir until just tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, then add the broth, vinegar, oregano, thyme and beer and stir.
- Stir in the beef and then cover the pot and pop it in the oven. Cook for 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
- Stir in the bacon. Divide noodles among bowls, ladle on the beef carbonnade and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying!
Hugh Chardon says
The author says: “I use cubed chick roast, the same as I do for all my beef stews.” I say: “Must one be a cunning linguist in order to eat that particular kind of meat?”
Thanks for helping me find that typo, Hugh! All fixed now. :)
Hugh Chardon says
In your reply you included the colon/close-parenthesis combination that signifies a smile. Do you really want to encourage a dirty-old-seventy-six-year-old who resides at The Denver Home for The Bewildered, Where We Constantly Ask “Where Am I?” But Can Never Recall The Answer?
That said, I’m delighted that you have a sense of humor.
Ha! Here at Framed Cooks we are happy to be friends with anyone who likes to cook! :)