Bourbon Beef Stew is full of meaty, smoky flavor, potatoes, and carrots. This thick, hearty stew is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold night.

Beef Stew With Bourbon

The subtle oak and caramel flavor the bourbon gives this stew is quite nice. When added to recipes, bourbon not only adds its own unique flavor, it enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. I add a third of a cup of bourbon. Makers Mark is what I typically use but you can use any bourbon that you have on hand.

Bacon For Smoky Flavor

In addition to tender beef chunks, this stew is also flavored with the smoky flavor of bacon. The beef is browned in the bacon grease for extra bacon flavor.

Type Of Beef To Use

For my beef stew, I use chuck roast. It tends to be fatty, but that is where the flavor is. I cut off as much of the fat as I can when I cut the roast into cubes. I don’t recommend using stew beef. It typically is too lean and often is cut into unevenly sized pieces.
How To Make Bourbon Beef Stew

(More detailed instructions below in recipe card.)

Cook the bacon. Set aside.

Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in the bacon grease. Set aside.

Cook carrots and onion to soften. Add garlic.

Stir in bourbon, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and beef broth. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for one and a half hours.

Add potatoes and peas and cook 30 minutes.

Brown the mushrooms...