Cinnamon Apple Cider Beef Stew Recipe

With the dropping temperatures and changing seasons changing comes the transition into chunky sweaters, warm cups of tea, and thick and hearty soups. Though the winter wind freezes your cheeks, the thought of a cozy meal at the end of the day is more than enough to warm your chilled fingers and toes. Probably the coziest meal of them all is beef stew, which cooks low and slow until rich and tender, incensing the kitchen with the warm smell of fall spices. 

In this recipe from developer Michelle McGlinn, tender chunks of beef are simmered in apple cider and cinnamon for a lightly sweet version of classic beef stew. The cinnamon adds depth to the beef while the cider works to tenderize, leaving the broth with the faint taste of fall. To further the coziness of this stew, we swapped potatoes for barley, which thicken the broth while giving it texture. Even if you're new to stew, this recipe is a nearly foolproof way to put the flavors of fall on your dinner table.

Often labeled as stew meat in the store, beef chuck can be found pre-cut into 2-inch chunks for easy prep. If you can't find stew meat, look for beef chuck or other tough cuts of beef and cut it into pieces yourself. To sear the beef, you'll need salt, pepper, flour, and oil. To build the stew out from there, you'll need onion, garlic, apple cider, carrots, rosemary, thyme, cranberries, beef stock, a cinnamon stick, and chili powder. To finish off, you'll just need barley, which is similar to orzo or rice and can be found near them in a grocery store. If you can't find barley, it can be swapped with related grains, such as farro.

Sprinkle beef with flour and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to coat.

Warm oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the beef, searing until browned on each side, about 5–10 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the apple cider and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow to reduce, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the carrots, rosemary, thyme, cranberries, beef stock, cinnamon stick, chili powder, salt, pepper, and barley.

Stir the ingredients, then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Check the stew every hour and add stock as needed.

Remove thyme, rosemary, and cinnamon to serve.

To make this in a slow cooker, brown the beef and aromatics first, then transfer to a slow cooker and add everything after the apple cider to the pot (browning the beef is optional, but will result in better flavor). Cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 5–6, until the beef is fork tender and the barley is fluffy. With the slow cooker, there is no need to add extra broth; the low heat will keep the liquid levels steady.

To make this in the Instant Pot, start the recipe the same way using the sauté mode on your Instant Pot. Brown the beef, then soften the aromatics. After that's done, deglaze the pot with the apple cider, making sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and switch to "manual" mode, then cook for 25 minutes and quick release the pressure. Let cool for 3–4 minutes; if the stew needs thickening, stir a cornstarch slurry into the broth (see notes below).

The difference between a soup and a stew is that a stew sits in a thick gravy, while a soup is made up of a thinner broth. There are two thickening agents working to thicken the stew already: The flour and the barley. The flour that you initially seared the beef with will thicken the broth while the barley will absorb it, leaving behind a thick and hearty stew gravy. 

If anything, it's actually much more likely that your stew will be too thick and require more broth. To determine this, open the lid every hour and add broth if the liquid has reduced past half the stew's initial level in the pot. Ideally, the broth should cover most of the beef for the duration of the cook time. Once the beef is tender (after about 3 hours), open the lid and cook uncovered to thicken further. If the stew seems watery and needs further thickening after that, make a slurry with cornstarch and water and stir it into the stew. For the best results, start with less broth and adjust as it reduces so that the stew has a flavorful, thick gravy.

Apple cider beef stew is best paired with warm, crusty bread, oyster crackers, and leafy green salads that break up the richness of the beef and barley. For a classic pairing, enjoy the stew with creamy mashed potatoes (yes, we know it's double carbs). For a matching aperitif, use the extra apple cider to make cocktails to sip while the stew simmers. 

If you have leftover stew after serving, store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and reheat gently in the microwave or simmered on the stove, adding more broth as needed. Because the stew contains barley, any excess liquid will be absorbed overnight. You can also make use of the leftover stew meat by making it into sandwiches — just shred the beef and add it to hoagie rolls, cover with cheese, and toast it in the oven until it's warm and melty. Who said leftovers can't be fun?