When it comes to favorite foods, is there ever too much of a good thing? These deeply flavorful stews have stood the test of time, earning “most popular” status with our readers — and they’re the recipes we reach for on repeat during the colder months. It’s no wonder that classic beef stews from Julia Child and Jacques Pépin have made the list, alongside comforting creamy chicken stew and the spicy-sweet allure of Jamaican brown stew chicken. Seafood stews from Brazil and Portugal bring coastal flair to the table, as does Bobby Flay’s Cioppino. Keep reading for all 10 of F&W’s most beloved stew recipes.
Julia Child’s Best Beef Stew
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
A signature from her first Food & Wine column, Julia Child’s long-simmered stew builds depth by marinating beef with aromatics and red wine, then browning in batches for a fond-rich base. “I love stews of all kinds, particularly those made with beef since I think that of all meats, it marries best with other flavors,” she wrote.
Creamy Chicken Stew
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Quick, warm, and comforting, this creamy chicken stew features both light and dark meat plus earthy mushrooms and tender potatoes. It’s table-ready in just 45 minutes.
Kale and White Bean Stew
Diana Chistruga
Hearty greens like kale bring some much-needed color to the table in the colder months. This simple recipe — just nine ingredients total, including salt and pepper — uses kale the Portuguese way, in a stew with fresh pork sausage (plus canned tomatoes and beans).
Moqueca com Farofa de Dendê (Brazilian Fish Stew with Cassava and Dendê Oil)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Across Brazil, home cooks put their own spin on moqueca, and this version from chef Junior Borges is a perfect entry point for the uninitiated. It features flaky white fish, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and chiles bobbing in a broth enriched with coconut milk and dendê oil.
Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce
Cara Cormack
Jacques Pépin’s mother served this quintessential beef stew at her restaurant, Le Pélican, where she made it with tougher cuts of meat. Jacques likes the flatiron — a long, narrow cut that’s extremely lean but becomes tender and stays moist.
Cioppino (Seafood Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This iconic Italian American San Francisco dish is typically made from a variety of seafood depending on what’s freshest; Bobby Flay’s version of the recipe uses generous portions of shrimp, littleneck clams, and snapper.
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Atlanta chef Briana Riddock cuts a whole chicken into eight pieces for this spicy-sweet stew. She marinates them, then braises them in aromatics and browning sauce, a Jamaican pantry staple made from caramelized sugar and a blend of spices.
Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
Sop up this Vietnamese beef stew’s fragrant broth — redolent of lemongrass, ginger, star anise, and plenty of fresh herbs — with a chewy baguette, or ladle it over noodles.
Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Justin Chapple shares his version of the savory feast of shellfish and smoky linguiça hailing from the Algarve in Portugal. Named for the vessel it’s traditionally cooked and served in, cataplana gets lots of flavor from the Portuguese sausage included.
Dutch Oven Classic Beef Stew
Vibrant vegetables meet savory beef in this comforting, hearty stew. Softened carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes add a colorful contrast to the generous pieces of tender beef in this herb- and red wine-flavored stew.
