20 Classic Fall Stews to Make on Repeat

It's about to get real cozy in here.

By
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht turned her home baking into a career in 2016 when she began working as the head baker at The Greenbean Coffeehouse in Seattle, WA. Afterwards, she started Baking with Rachel (her blog), began teaching kids' cooking classes, and recipe tested for the cookbook "Let's Stay In" by Ashley Rodriguez.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
and
Elaine Johnson
Elaine Johnson
Elaine Johnson
Elaine is a senior editor for Simply Recipes and has over 20 years experience as a food editor, writer, and recipe developer for both digital sites and print publications. Prior to that Elaine was a senior editor at Yummly and at Sunset magazine, as well as a freelance writer. 
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published October 05, 2025
Overhead closeup view of a teal colored dutch oven of beef stew and a wooden spoon all on a tile countertop next to a pink bowl and blue hotpad

Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

There are so many reasons to simmer up a pot of stew on a chilly day. Not only are stews hearty, but they’re also easy. If you can chop potatoes and stir a pot, then you can make a mouthwatering stew. Plus, stew is the original one-pot dinner!

Most of the recipes below require little more than a loaf of crusty bread to complete the meal. You'll find our most popular beef stews, fish stews, chicken stews, and more. There are classic stews for the stove-top, slow-cooker, and even the Instant Pot. So go ahead and embrace fall and enjoy a warming bowl of stew whenever the craving strikes.

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  • Cowboy Stew

    Overhead view of a dutch oven of cowboy stew with a ladle and a cloth napkin all on a marble countertop

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

    "If you can’t decide whether you want to make chili or beef stew, you’re in the right place. Cowboy stew is a hearty mix of both, featuring smoky sausage, rich ground beef, and sweet and tangy beans alongside tons of veggies, all in a tomato-y broth. It’s substantial and satisfying and will keep you going after a long day out on the range (or at your desk)."—Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

  • Irish Beef Stew

    Irish Beef Stew

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This particular stew has all of the classic trimmings of a good Irish stew—meat, stock, plenty of root vegetables—with the addition of some Guinness extra stout, for its malty flavor and some Irish authenticity."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Oxtail Stew

    A Dutch oven full of oxtail stew on a counter

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "As with most tough cuts, oxtails are best slow cooked for several hours. They tend to be fatty, so we like to cook them a day ahead, so we can chill them overnight and scrape off the fat from the top the next day."—Elise

  • Quick Easy Fish Stew

    Quick and Easy Fish Stew
    Elise Bauer and Coco Morante

    Fish is notoriously quick cooking and this stew is no exception. A longtime favorite with readers, the stew is delicious as is but can also be adapted to your preferences. You can make an even heartier stew by adding shellfish and potatoes.

    Continue to 5 of 20 below

  • African Chicken Peanut Stew

    African Chicken Peanut Stew

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The stew is supposed to be pretty spicy, so I normally use a lot of hot sauce thrown in at the end of the cooking. I only call for 1 teaspoon of cayenne here, because no matter how chile-adverse you are, it ought to have at least a faint bite of heat. If you truly can't take chiles, skip the cayenne."—Hank Shaw, Recipe Developer

  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew

    Slow Cooker Beef Stew in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "Chuck roast is the classic cut for beef stew and it’s what I recommend. Instead of the pre-cut beef called stew cuts, I recommend buying a whole piece of beef and cutting it into cubes yourself. Large cuts of beef stay fresher for longer and it will allow you to trim the fat more easily. While some fat is perfectly fine, I like to trim off any large chunks of fat."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

    A bowl of seafood stew in a creamy broth with vegetables

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced "mo-KEH-kah"), a stew with influences from West African cuisine and made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and in the northern state of Bahia, coconut milk."—Elise

  • Hands-Off Beef Stew

    Overhead closeup view of a teal colored dutch oven of beef stew and a wooden spoon all on a tile countertop next to a pink bowl and blue hotpad

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "I don’t always have time or inclination for all that prep, plus browning the meat makes a mess of my stovetop. So I set out to make a hands-off stew that is easier to throw together—no browning, no sautéing of any kind, but just as delicious as classic versions. Just dump and go!"—Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

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  • Bouillabaisse

    Overhead view of a bowl of bouillabaise and sliced bread.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "It's best to cook the seafood for bouillabaisse just prior to serving, but you can prepare other parts of the recipe ahead of time. Make the sauce rouille in Step 1 and cook the vegetables and aromatics in Steps 2 and 3 up to two days ahead of time, keeping them refrigerated in airtight containers."—Simply Recipes Editors

  • Easy Chicken Stew

    Overhead view of a gray dutch oven of chicken stew with a large serving spoon

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "For this recipe, I use bone-in, skin-on chicken breast. It’s the secret to success. The bone and skin help keep the chicken juicy and add mega-flavor too. My family likes white meat, but if richer dark meat is your favorite, use it! Swap in a few bone-in chicken thighs for one of the breasts."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Chicken)

    A bowl of chicken stew garnished with pomegranate seeds and herbs

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Chicken pieces are first browned and then slowly cooked in a sauce with ground toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses. You might not normally think to make a sauce with walnuts and pomegranates, but it's a perfect combination!"—Elise

  • Rabbit Stew with Mushrooms

    Stew with rabbit and mushrooms in a red pot

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This dish celebrates the onset of cooler weather. The combination of rabbit (you can easily substitute chicken if you are unable to find rabbit) mushrooms, butter, stock, and roasted garlic are as wonderful as that first crisp day when leaves are falling, schools are back in session, and football is on the TV."—Hank Shaw, Recipe Developer

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  • Jamaican Beef Stew

    Spicy Beef Stew in a dutch oven.

    Simply Recipes / Kalisa Marie Martin

    "Scotch bonnets are a staple Jamaican hot pepper but not always easy to find in the US. Habanero peppers are a good swap. Speaking of heat, this recipe also calls for hot sauce. Any vinegar-based hot sauce will work here."—Kalisa Marie Levette, Recipe Developer

  • Bacalhau (Portuguese Salt Cod Stew)

    A pot of Portuguese salt cod stew with sliced potatoes eggs onions and olives

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "If you've changed the soaking water several times, you may end up rinsing away all of the fish's salt. In which case, you'll have to add some back in. Make sure you taste the fish before you layer it in the casserole, so you'll know if and how much salt to add."—Elise

  • Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew

    Pressure Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "This stew is an adaptation of one of Elise’s tried-and-true recipes from the Simply Recipes archives. Instead of four to eight hours, the recipe only takes about an hour and a half to make in the Instant Pot!"—Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)

    Polish Hunter's Stew

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Bigos—a hearty, cabbage and pork-based stew—has been called the national dish of Poland. It definitely has an Eastern European feel to it: cabbage and sauerkraut, lots of different meats—many of them smoked—and a variety of mushrooms. Anyone who knows anything about Eastern Europe knows they are mad about mushrooms."—Hank Shaw, Recipe Developer

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  • Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew

    A bowl of beef stew served over mashed potatoes on a decorative plate

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Known as "Carbonnade a la Flamande", this Belgian beef stew is made with hearty Belgian ale and plenty of onions. The flavor is a little sweet and sour, the sweet from the onions and either a little added sugar or tomato paste and the sour from a touch of mustard or vinegar."—Elise

  • Cà Ri Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Curry)

    Vietnamese Curry with Sweet Potato
    Alison Conklin

    I can’t resist a steaming bowl of curry. Instead of ordering it in, you can make a whole pot to enjoy. Recipe developer Andrea Nguyen suggests using Sun Brand’s Madras curry powder, which is available at many supermarkets as well as online.

  • Lentil Stew With Sausage

    Lentil Sausage Stew

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The amounts are approximate (except for the liquid to lentil ratio, 6 cups liquid per pound lentils), feel free to experiment, more or less bacon, sausage."—Elise

  • Easy Beef Stew

    Bowl of Easy Beef Stew Toped with Some Parsley and in the Background, a Kitchen Towel with a Spoon on Top

    Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

    Turn to this streamlined beef stew—the most popular on our site—whenever the craving for a hearty bowl of meat and vegetables strikes. Beef chuck roast makes this meal cost effective, as well as delicious. All the ingredients go into one large pot and then all you need is some time to let it simmer. Serve it with any favorite crusty bread.

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