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This rustic beef stew with bone broth is loaded with tender beef, colorful vegetables and rich farmhouse flavor. An easy, hearty fall dinner.

Rustic Oven-Braised Beef & Vegetables with Bone Broth

There’s something about this skillet that makes me want to pull up a chair to an old, well-worn farmhouse table somewhere in rural France or Italy. Nothing is fussy. Nothing is perfectly cut.

There are big rings of colorful peppers, hefty pieces of sweet onion, fingerling potatoes sliced simply in half, whole cloves of garlic and chunks of beef slowly braising in rich bone broth.

It’s earthy. Rustic. Abundant.

The kind of food that looks as though someone has been cooking it for generations—not because there’s anything complicated about it, but because good ingredients and time have always known what to do with each other.

That’s exactly what I wanted from this recipe. And Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth becomes the savory foundation that brings all those simple ingredients together into one beautiful skillet of fall comfort food.

Rustic Cooking Is Supposed to Look Rustic

Please don’t get out your ruler when you’re cutting these vegetables! This is not the place for perfect little dices and uniform pieces.

Cut those peppers into big rings. Halve the fingerling potatoes lengthwise. Give the Vidalia onions a substantial cut. Leave those garlic cloves whole. Part of the beauty of this dish is seeing what you’re eating.

And there’s a practical reason for those generous cuts, too. The vegetables are cooking in a hot oven with the beef and bone broth, so larger pieces have time to soften and absorb all that savory flavor while still retaining some structure.

When you finally lift the lid, you don’t want an anonymous mixture of vegetables. You want a skillet that still looks like the earth it came from. That’s rustic cooking.

Why Bone Broth Makes This Oven-Braised Beef So Flavorful

You could certainly make this recipe with regular beef broth, but I’m using Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth.

Bone broth brings another layer of rich, savory flavor to the skillet and gives us a wonderful braising liquid for the beef.

As the beef cooks, its juices mingle with the bone broth, garlic and seasoned flour coating. That flour also helps slightly thicken the cooking liquid. So there’s no separate gravy to make.

It happens right there in the skillet.

By the time everything has finished cooking, you have tender beef and vegetables sitting in a rich, silky broth that begs for a big spoon—or maybe a hunk of crusty bread to catch every last drop.

What Are the Benefits of Bone Broth?

Bone broth can contribute protein, including collagen-derived amino acids, although the exact amount depends upon the particular product and serving size.

And that’s how I look at bone broth. It isn’t a magical food. It’s another way I can layer nutrition and flavor into the foods I’m already cooking.

In this recipe, the beef remains our primary source of complete protein, while the bone broth adds additional protein, liquid and wonderful savory flavor. For me, eating well isn’t about finding one miraculous ingredient.

It’s about making thoughtful choices with real foods, meal after meal.

Beef, Bone Broth and Vegetables: Comfort Food with Benefits

You know one of my favorite food philosophies. Eat the rainbow. Well, just look at this skillet!

Those gorgeous red, yellow, orange and green peppers aren’t simply making dinner prettier. Along with the potatoes, onions and garlic, they give us a variety of nutrients and naturally occurring plant compounds.

Beef

Beef provides high-quality complete protein along with important nutrients including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Protein is especially important as we grow older because adequate dietary protein, combined with resistance exercise, helps support the maintenance of muscle mass.

And maintaining muscle is about far more than appearance. Muscle supports strength, mobility and our ability to keep doing the everyday things we want to do.

Bell Peppers

Those gorgeous multicolored peppers are particularly good sources of vitamin C and provide fiber and a variety of antioxidant plant compounds.

Using several colors also gives this otherwise earthy skillet its spectacular fall color.

Fingerling Potatoes

Potatoes deserve a little more nutritional respect than they sometimes receive!

They provide carbohydrates for energy along with potassium and vitamin C. Leaving the skins on also preserves additional fiber.

And fingerlings are ideal here because all you have to do is slice them lengthwise.

Onions and Garlic

Sweet Vidalia onions bring natural sweetness, while whole garlic cloves mellow beautifully as they cook.

Onions and garlic also contain naturally occurring sulfur compounds and other plant compounds.

No single ingredient needs to carry the nutritional load.

It’s the variety that matters.

Why I Add the Vegetables Later

Here’s an important little technique in this recipe. Don’t add everything to the skillet at once.

The beef gets a 45-minute head start in the oven with the Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth, water and whole garlic cloves.

Only then do we pile those beautiful vegetables on top and return the covered skillet to the oven for about another 30 minutes.

This gives the beef time to braise and become tender without turning our vegetables into mush. I want those peppers, potatoes and onions tender, but I also want to know what I’m eating when I look into that skillet!

That’s another reason the larger rustic cuts work so beautifully.

A Cast-Iron Skillet Does Most of the Work

This is one of those recipes that looks impressive when it reaches the table but really isn’t complicated to make.

That’s my kind of cooking. Start with a large, at least 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet.

First, we’ll brown our flour-coated beef on the stovetop. Browning gives the exterior of the beef wonderful color and develops deeper flavor. Then in goes the Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth, water and garlic.

Cover it. Put it in the oven. And let heat and time do their thing. After 45 minutes, add those vegetables and back into the oven it goes.

No transferring everything from pot to pot. No making a separate sauce. No standing over the stove for an hour.

Simple ingredients. Simple technique. Big payoff.

One important reminder: cast iron gets extremely hot and stays hot!

Use good oven mitts when removing the skillet and lid, place the skillet on a heat-safe surface and remember that handle remains hot long after it leaves the oven.

Let Your Oven-Braised Beef Rest Before Serving

There’s one final step I don’t want you to skip. Let it rest.

When the skillet comes out of the oven, leave it covered for about 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and gently blend those big vegetables into the beef and savory gravy underneath.

Replace the lid and give everything another 10 minutes or so. Now the juices have had a chance to settle, and those vegetables get acquainted with all that rich broth underneath.

Then bring the skillet to the table. Nothing fancy required. A wooden spoon. A big bowl. Maybe some crusty bread.

And for just a minute, you might swear that table is sitting somewhere in the countryside of France or Italy.

Rustic Oven-Braised Beef & Vegetables with Bone Broth Recipe

Serves: About 4–6
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Oven Time: About 75 minutes
Resting Time: About 20 minutes
Oven Temperature: 425°F

FAQs About Oven-Braised Beef with Bone Broth

What cut of beef works best for oven-braised beef?

Beef chuck is an excellent choice because slow, moist cooking helps tenderize it. Pre-cut beef stew meat can also work, although cooking time may vary depending upon the particular cuts and size of the pieces.

Can I use regular beef broth instead of bone broth?

Yes. Regular beef broth can be substituted, although the flavor and nutritional profile will differ. I use Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth in this recipe because I particularly like the savory flavor it brings to the braising liquid.

Can I use olive oil instead of beef tallow?

Absolutely. Beef tallow gives the dish another layer of rich beef flavor, but avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil can be used instead.

Do I have to use a cast-iron skillet?

No. A heavy oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid will also work. Make sure the pan and its lid are rated for a 425°F oven.

Why do you coat the beef with flour?

The seasoned flour helps create a browned exterior on the beef and also helps slightly thicken the broth as the dish cooks, creating that lovely light gravy.

Why are the vegetables cut so large?

That’s intentional! The larger pieces suit the rustic nature of the dish, but they also help the vegetables retain their shape and texture during oven cooking.

Can I use different vegetables?

Certainly. Carrots, mushrooms, parsnips and other sturdy