Recipe Roundup

The Best Hearty Stew Recipes From Around the World

A good stew rewards patience: meat, vegetables, and liquid left to simmer until everything softens into one deeply flavored pot. This list rounds up our best hearty stews from kitchens around the world, so you are never stuck making the same beef stew every time a cold night calls for comfort food. Start with the classics — a rich, French-inspired beef bourguignon braised in red wine, a glossy coq au vin built the same way with chicken, and an American beef stew thickened with potatoes and carrots. From there the list travels further afield: a smoky, hunter-style chicken cacciatore from Italy, a deep red Mexican pozole rojo studded with hominy, a fiery Korean kimchi jjigae, a tofu-forward sundubu jjigae you can dial as mild or spicy as you like, a lamb-and-potato Irish stew, an earthy Eastern European borscht, and an Indonesian beef rendang cooked low and slow until the sauce clings to every bite. Every recipe links to full, tested instructions with an ingredient list, timing, and a step-by-step method, so you can shop once and cook straight from the page. Most of these stews taste even better the next day and freeze well, which makes a big pot a smart move for anyone who wants a few ready-made dinners waiting in the fridge or freezer. Pick a region you are craving, or work down the list and stock your freezer with a stew for every kind of cold night.

The list

Every recipe below links to full, tested instructions — ingredients, timing, and a step-by-step method — so you can cook straight from the page.

What makes this collection different

Grouped by region and technique — French/American braises, an Italian hunter's stew, Latin American and Korean pots, and a slow-cooked Indonesian rendang — with slow-cooker notes for the dishes that adapt well, so you can match a stew to both your craving and your cooking method.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a stew and a soup? +

A stew uses less liquid than a soup and simmers longer, so the meat and vegetables break down and thicken the sauce themselves rather than floating in a thin broth. That is why stews like beef bourguignon and beef rendang end up rich and clingy rather than brothy.

Can I make these stews in a slow cooker? +

Most of them, yes. Beef stew, beef bourguignon, coq au vin, and Irish stew all adapt well to a slow cooker — brown the meat first on the stovetop for flavor, then transfer everything to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Quicker dishes like kimchi jjigae and sundubu jjigae are better suited to a stovetop pot since they only take 20 to 30 minutes.

Do stews freeze well? +

Very well, which is part of their appeal. Beef stew, beef bourguignon, pozole rojo, and beef rendang all freeze for up to three months in an airtight container and reheat gently on the stovetop. Tofu-based sundubu jjigae is the exception — the tofu's texture suffers after freezing, so it is best made fresh.

Which stew on this list is the mildest for someone who does not like spice? +

Beef bourguignon, coq au vin, Irish stew, and borscht are all savory rather than spicy. Kimchi jjigae, pozole rojo, and sundubu jjigae bring real heat as written, so start there only if you like a kick, or scale back the chili in any of the three to taste.

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