Braised beef chunks in brown gravy with whole pearl onions and a mound of mashed root vegetables, topped with fresh herbs, in a white bowl. — Photo: avlxyz · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

European · Lunch · Dinner

Flemish Beef and Beer Stew

Name: Flemish Beef and Beer Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 200 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 700 g lean beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 cm cubes; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp rapeseed oil; 3 large onions, thinly sliced; 1 bottle (330 ml) Belgian brown or dubbel ale; 1 cup low-sodium beef stock; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 2 bay leaves; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 slice wholemeal bread; 2 tbsp mustard; 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved; 8 cups, drained away water, for boiling the potatoes; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Stoofvlees

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

Tender chunks of lean beef slowly braised with sweet caramelised onions, dark Belgian ale, mustard and thyme until the sauce turns rich and glossy. Served with boiled potatoes instead of the usual fries for a lighter take on the Belgian classic.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 180 min
Total: 200 min
Serves: 4

Medium
High protein

28%

Per serving550kcal28% of a 2,000 kcal day

47gProtein

60gCarbs

12gFat

7gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 44% · Fat 21% · Protein 35%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

700 glean beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 cm cubes
1/2 tspsalt
1/2 tspblack pepper, ground
2 tbsp15 gplain flour
1 tbsp14 grapeseed oil
3 large450 gonions, thinly sliced
1 bottle (330 ml)Belgian brown or dubbel ale
1 cup250 glow-sodium beef stock
1 tbsp13 gbrown sugar
1 tbsp15 gcider vinegar
2bay leaves
4 sprigsfresh thyme
1 slice30 gwholemeal bread
2 tbsp30 gmustard
4 medium800 gpotatoes, peeled and halved
8 cups, drained away2,000 gwater, for boiling the potatoes (optional)
2 tbsp5 gfresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Steps

1
Pat the beef dry, season with the salt and pepper, then toss with the flour.
2
Heat half the oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
3
Brown the beef in two batches, about 5 minutes per batch, and set it aside on a plate.
4
Add the remaining oil and the onions to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
5
Pour in the beer and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6
Return the beef with its juices, then add the stock, brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and thyme.
7
Spread the mustard over the bread and lay it mustard-side down on top of the stew.
8
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low heat for 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally so the bread melts into the sauce.
9
About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, bring the water to a boil in a separate pan.
10
Boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender, then drain.
11
Check the beef is fork-tender; if the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce.
12
Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems, taste and adjust seasoning with extra pepper or a dash of vinegar.
13
Serve the stew over the potatoes, sprinkled with parsley if using.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use a gluten-free beer, gluten-free flour (or cornflour) and gluten-free bread, and check the stock and mustard are labelled gluten-free, to make the stew gluten-free.
Swap the Belgian ale for an equal amount of extra low-sodium beef stock plus an extra splash of cider vinegar for an alcohol-free version.
Replace the boiled potatoes with mashed carrots and swede or a mix of root vegetables for a different side.
Use beef shin or blade instead of chuck if that is easier to find; it braises just as well.

Storage

Cool the stew and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours, and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through. The stew freezes well for up to 3 months, but boiled potatoes go grainy when frozen, so freeze the stew on its own and cook fresh potatoes.

Make ahead

The stew can be made fully 1 to 2 days ahead and tastes even better reheated; cool it, refrigerate, then reheat gently until piping hot. Boil the potatoes fresh just before serving.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: GlutenMustardCelerySulphites

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (665 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	550 kcal	83 kcal
Protein	46.8 g	7 g
Carbohydrates	59.6 g	9 g
of which sugars	10.3 g	1.5 g
Fiber	7.1 g	1.1 g
Fat	12.3 g	1.8 g
of which saturated	3.7 g	0.6 g
Sodium	693 mg	104 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.