Poor Man's Beef Stew is a hearty and filling stew with minimal ingredients and cost. Frugal eating never tasted so good with this poor man's stove top stew!
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Making Stove Top Beef Stew is perfect for chilly nights when you crave something hearty.
But pricey beef cuts can strain the budget, and sometimes a trip to the store isn't an option. When this happens, we make do with what we have, as taught in our Tips for Meal Planning on a Tight Budget.
That's where this Stove Top Poor Man's Stew shines! With just a pound of beef or leftover ground beef and affordable veggies, you can whip up a pot of flavorful stew that tastes gourmet. Hamburger stew delivers flavor at a fraction fo the cost!
For more budget-friendly meals, explore my Cheap Family Meals Under $10, Egg Drop Soup, Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta, and Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Buzz From Readers
"This was delicious! I think I'm gonna add more potatoes next time tho because I love lots of potatoes! Also I accidentally tripled the beef but oh boy it was delicious, I think I'll continue to do that! So good"
- Mackenzie
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple yet delicious: With this easy stove top beef stew recipe, you're going to get a flavorful and thick broth packed with veggies, meat, and bowl-licking goodness.
- Easy prep and pantry friendly: We can use up a lot of "whatever is on hand" with this recipe because it's very versatile. This is a great opportunity for a Clean Out the Pantry Challenge.
- Leftovers taste even better: It's not often you hear that, but this poor man's beef stew tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop. Make sure to set aside leftovers for lunch while you still have a chance!
🛒 Ingredients
Ground Beef- Ground beef works best, but any ground meat you have on hand is fine. If you have more on hand, use it up in my Ground Beef Pot Pie or Taco Mac and Cheese (with Rotel).
Potatoes: Russets are cheaper. Goldens hold their shape better. Both taste great.
Flour: Thickens the broth so the stew feels hearty and filling.
Tomato Paste: Adds flavor and color. Leftover spaghetti sauce works too, and it tastes incredible.
Beef Broth: Use broth if you have it or water and bouillon to keep it budget friendly.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Veggie Add-Ins: Mushrooms go in with the onions for flavor. Zucchini and other veggies go in with the potatoes.
Leftover Meat Swap: Taco meat, sloppy joe meat, or shredded roast beef all work in place of ground beef.
Sauce Options: Tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, marinara, or pizza sauce all get the job done.
Gluten Free: Use ⅓ cup cornstarch. Mix with 1 cup hot broth to make a slurry, then stir it in at the end.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use What You Have: Spaghetti sauce instead of paste. Water plus bouillon instead of broth.
Stretch the Beef: More potatoes and veggies = more servings so you can use less meat.
Store Brands: Save on broth, spices, tomato products, and flour with store-brand options.
Frozen Veggies: Frozen onion, carrots, or mixed veg are cheaper and do not need thawing first.
🥄 Instructions for Poor Man's Beef Stew
Step 1: Brown your ground beef in a large pot over medium high heat and drain excess grease.
Step 2: Add in the celery, onion, and carrots. Stir and then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add in the potatoes and stir to combine.
Step 4: Add in the flour, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Stir to combine and coat everything.
Step 5: Add in the tomato paste and stir until well combined.
Step 6: Add in the beef broth and water. Stir until well mixed.
Step 7: Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer for 45 minutes. It's ready when the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Let It Simmer: It starts tomato-heavy but mellowed simmering turns it rich and savory.
- Potato Doneness Check: Press a potato chunk against a cutting board. If it mashes easily, the stew is ready.
- Potato Choice Matters: Russets soften faster. Gold potatoes keep their shape. Smaller cuts cook faster all around.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage: Keep leftover Poor Man's Beef Stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in short bursts, stirring between intervals. Add a splash of broth or water if it thickens.
Make Ahead: Prep and chop veggies in advance and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The soup can also be fully cooked, cooled, and refrigerated, then reheated when ready to serve.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
This poor man's stew recipe pairs really well with breaded items like Air Fryer Canned Biscuits, Frozen Garlic Bread in Air Fryer, Homemade Dinner Rolls, and 2 Hour No Knead White Bread.
- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic BreadRecipe $2.24 / Serving $0.28
- Easy Yeast Rolls for BeginnersRecipe $1.06 / Serving $0.12
- 2 Hour No Knead BreadRecipe $1.15 / Serving $0.12
- 65% Low Hydration Sourdough BreadRecipe 0.97 / Serving $0.06
❓ Poor Man's Beef Stew FAQs
It's a low-cost soup that tastes great! Made with cheap veggies like onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and ground beef instead of a pricier cut this soup packs a lot into every heart-warming bowl.
Yes, after allowing the soup to cool completely, store it in a freezer bag or other freezer-friendly container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat before eating.
No, ground beef will naturally produce its own grease and oils as it cooks. Drain excess grease for better tasting (and slightly healthier) soup.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Creamy Turkey Dumpling SoupRecipe $4.47 / Serving $0.75
- 5 Ingredient Instant Pot ChiliRecipe $11.26 / Serving $1.88
- Poor Man's Beef Stew (Stove Top)Recipe $9.84 / Serving $1.64
- Tomato Soup ChiliRecipe $10.48 / Serving $2.62
🐝 If you tried this Poor Man's Stew, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Poor Man's Stew
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - ($4.97)
- 3 stalks celery, chopped - ($0.63)
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped - ($0.54)
- 1 medium onion, chopped - ($0.90)
- 3 medium potatoes, chopped, Golden or Russet - ($0.69)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour - ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning - ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper - ($0.04)
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste - ($0.86)
- 4 cups beef broth - ($1.00)
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned. Drain excess grease.
- Cook vegetables. Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add potatoes. Stir in the chopped potatoes until evenly combined.
- Season and thicken. Sprinkle the flour, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper over the mixture. Stir well to coat everything evenly.
- Add tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste until fully incorporated.
- Simmer soup. Pour in the beef broth and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and vegetables are fork-tender.
Notes
- Tomato base. Tomato paste can be replaced with 1 to 2 cups of leftover spaghetti sauce.
- Vegetable swaps. Mushrooms should be added with the onions. Softer vegetables like zucchini can be added with the potatoes.
- Potato timing. Russet potatoes cook faster than yellow or red potatoes. Smaller chunks cook more quickly, so begin checking for doneness after 10 minutes.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutritional Information
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Toni says
Does the recipe freeze well?
Nicole Durham says
Yes it does! 🙂
Emily says
With some adjustments, this turned out well. Some of the directions were confusing. 32 ounces IS 4 cups. 4 cups of water would've been way too much, so I only added 2 cups, plus the 4 cups of broth. I added some frozen peas toward the end of the cooking. I tasted it and decided it needed some depth, so I added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and a few shakes of curry powder (couldn't really taste curry; just added some oomph). I didn't add the teaspoon of salt, instead adding to it "to taste." Oh and I made this vegan by using Impossible Burger and BTB no-beef for the broth. The final result was great. Thanks for the inspo.
Courtney says
I made this tonight and it’s really good. I made it exactly as written except:
I added 1 teaspoon of extra Italian seasoning (in hindsight, probably not needed) and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.
I also gave it 2 shakes of Cavender’s . One probably would have been fine.
It’s very good and I will make again. Served with cornbread.
BeeyondCereal says
Glad you liked it! Your additions sound delicious.
Frances Lee says
What is Cavender's? Is there a substitute if I can't find it in the store?
Jan says
This was super easy & totally delicious!!
Mackenzie says
This was delicious! I think I'm gonna add more potatoes next time tho because I love lots of potatoes! Also I accidentally tripled the beef but oh boy it was delicious, I think I'll continue to do that! So good
Nicole says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Amy says
I made this and it was wonderful. Thinking of adding pasta instead of potatoes next time.
Nicole says
Pasta noodles sound like a great addition (my husband loves adding egg noodles to soups)!
Bonnie Dietrich says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was very good.
Nicole says
So happy to hear that 🙂
Bonnie Dietrich says
Thanks
Bonnie Dietrich says
Can you use canned carrots
Nicole says
I don't see why not! I recommend adding them in towards the end though so that they don't become mushy.