No Peek Beef Stew with V8 and Tapioca
V8 and tapioca are the secret ingredients to this easy beef stew recipe. The meat is fall-apart tender and the rich sauce coats every last bit of the beef, potatoes, and carrots.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery cut into thirds
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1½ cups V8 vegetable juice
- 3 tablespoons dry tapioca (I used Minute brand)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 small russet/Yukon Gold potatoes or 8 oz small red potatoes (cubed if whole)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place 2 lbs beef stew meat, 3 carrots, 2 stalks celery, and 1 yellow onion in a roaster, dutch oven, or other oven-safe dish that’s at least 13x9 inches. The dish will need a lid or be able to be covered easily with foil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups V8 vegetable juice, 3 tablespoons dry tapioca, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Pour the tomato juice mixture over the meat and veggies. Cover and cook for 2 hours at 325°F.
- Uncover and stir in 4 small russet/Yukon Gold potatoes or 8 oz small red potatoes. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 1 hour (for a total of 3 hours of cook time).
- Remove from the oven and serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Notes
If you'd rather the stew cook all afternoon, you can lower the oven temperature and increase the cooking time. Cook the stew for 5 hours at 250°F, adding the potatoes after 3½ hours.
Leftovers keep for up to one week in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop. You can also freeze the stew for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker instructions: place all the ingredients, except the potatoes, in the slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Add the potatoes, stir, then continue cooking for another hour on high or another 2 hours on low.
Substitutions/variations ideas:
- Add a can of green beans or a cup of frozen peas along with the potatoes.
- Add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, or a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme.
- If you don't have V8, you can substitute a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes + 2 cups beef broth or water. Keep everything else the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 53gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1491mgPotassium: 1405mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 8404IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 6mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment!
