Beef broth is a versatile and flavorful ingredient that can elevate many dishes. From soups and stews to gravies and sauces, beef broth adds savory depth and richness. If you have some beef broth on hand, here are 15 delicious recipes to make with it:
Soups
Soups are one of the most popular uses for beef broth. The broth provides a rich, meaty base that complements heartier soup ingredients.
1. Beef and Barley Soup
This classic soup combines beef broth with tender beef chunks, carrots, onions, celery, and barley It’s a comforting meal on a cold day.
2. French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions simmered in beef broth make an incredible French onion soup. Topped with cheesy croutons, it’s a cozy and delicious appetizer.
3. Minestrone Soup
A mix of vegetables like carrots, celery, beans, pasta, and tomatoes swim in a beef broth base for a hearty minestrone soup. Grated parmesan cheese on top adds a nice tang.
4. Vegetable Beef Soup
For a simple soup, sauté veggies like carrots, potatoes, celery, and tomatoes before adding beef broth and simmering. Finish it off with some shredded beef.
5. Tortilla Soup
Turn beef broth into a zesty tortilla soup by adding tomatoes, corn, beans, chilies, cumin, and lime juice. Top with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro.
Stews
Rich and flavorful beef broth makes an incredible base for beef stews and chilis. The broth permeates the meat and vegetables as it simmers for hours.
6. Beef Stew
Tender beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions come together in a savory beef broth base for the ultimate comfort food – beef stew.
7. Beef Chili
Ground beef, tomatoes, beans, onions, garlic, and chili powder simmer in beef broth for a hearty and spicy chili. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, or cilantro.
8. Beef and Guinness Stew
For an Irish twist, use Guinness as part of the braising liquid along with beef broth. The depth of flavor is enhanced beautifully.
9. Short Rib Stew
Braise chunks of meaty short ribs low and slow in beef broth with onions, garlic, and red wine for a rich, meaty stew.
Gravies and Sauces
The concentrated flavor of beef broth improves gravies and sauces tremendously. Use it in place of water or wine for enhanced taste.
10. Mushroom Gravy
Sauté mushrooms in butter before making a roux with flour and adding beef broth for an earthy mushroom gravy to top meats.
11. Beef Bourguignon
Beef, onions, mushrooms, and bacon slowly braise in red wine and beef broth for a French beef bourguignon sauce to spoon over buttery egg noodles.
12. Stroganoff Sauce
Sauté beef and mushrooms in a skillet before making a sauce with beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream to serve over noodles.
13. Red Wine Jus
Deglaze a pan used to sear beef with red wine and beef broth, then simmer to reduce for an incredible jus to drizzle over steaks.
14. Beef Empanada Filling
Combine ground beef, tomatoes, olives, raisins, spices, and a splash of beef broth for a flavorful empanada filling.
Other Dishes
Beyond soups, stews, gravies and sauces, beef broth can add great flavor to various other savory dishes.
15. Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Stir fry beef and broccoli in a wok before adding a sauce of beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch for flavor.
Beef broth is endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Keep some on hand for making delicious soups, stews, sauces and more whenever the craving strikes. With its rich savoriness, beef broth can take recipes to the next level.
How to make beef stock
- Spread bones out on tray to roast. Roasting develops lots of flavour as well as darkening the colour of the stock;
- Roast bones for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F, turning halfway, until nicely browned all over;
- Place beef bones in a very large stock pot, at least 7 litres / quarts;
- Add the herbs and vegetables, and 3 litres of water to just cover the bones. Pack the bones and vegetables down so you minimise the amount of water required. Nobody wants to end up with a watery beef stock!
- Deglaze the pan – don’t waste the precious drippings on the tray, it’s free flavour! Pop the tray on the stove, add a splash of water, and as it simmers the drippings will dissolve into the water. You could also do this in the oven;
- Scrape pan juices into the pot;
- 3 – 8 hour simmer on stove – Simmer stock on the stove, for a minimum of 3 hours and ideally up to 8 hours. Stove is the traditional method, and it’s entirely hands-off. The heat should be so low that you only get a little bubble every once in a while, and it doesn’t need stirring. Do not simmer or boil to try to speed things up, it will make the stock cloudy.If you do the faster, 3 hour simmer … If you choose this option, which we often deploy because there aren’t many times when I can have a pot of stock simmering away all day, we simmer on a marginally stronger heat level to reduce the water faster. In addition, we reduce the stock to concentrate the flavour after straining it.The flavour difference between 3 and 8 hours? Well, of course an 8 hour simmer yields a better result. But practicality comes into play here, and while the extra 5 hours does produce an even better result, a 3 hour simmer will still give you an exceptional stock;
- Oven or slow cooker option: Alternatively, you can cook it in the oven for 8 hours or even overnight (my record is 15 hours – it was a magnificent batch!!), OR in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low.
This is what the stock water level looks like after 8 hours on the stove. The water level should reduce from around the 5.75 litres / quarts mark to around 4 litres (noting this is counting the bones etc still in the water):
How to use homemade beef stock
To use homemade beef stock, you can either reheat in the microwave or on the stove to return it to a liquid so it can be measured out. It melts very quickly – literally in a minute or two.
It can be added straight into dishes in cold jelly form too. For me, it’s just a question of whether I need to measure it or not – it’s harder to accurately measure out jelly!
How To Make Restaurant Quality Beef Stock
FAQ
What can you do with beef broth?
- French Onion Soup. Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 miunutes. …
- Hearty Beef Chili. Cook Time: 1 hr. …
- Steak & Potato Soup. Cook Time: 40 min. …
- Red Wine Beef Stew. Cook Time: 2 hours and 30 min. …
- Banh Mi Sandwich. View Recipe.
- Slow Cooker Asian Pot-Roast. Cook Time: 8 hours low. …
- Hot Broth Toddy. Cook Time: 2 min. …
- Italian-Style Beef Stew.
What is beef broth good for?
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YouTube · History by the Platehttps://www.youtube.comBeef Broth!! The Health Benefits and History!Jan 15, 2019 — you see the savory flavor actually comes from the addition of MSG. and yeast extract. and with the abolition of beef bones came the dereliction of t…
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Stoney Point Farm Markethttps://stoneypointfarmmarket.comWhat is beef broth, and how is it used? – Stoney Point Farm MarketMar 21, 2023 — There is the most obvious use, which is in soups. You can use beef broth in just about any soup. You can even add it to your ramen or use it to make…
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WebMDhttps://www.webmd.comBone Broth: Health Benefits, Nutrients, & Side Effects – WebMDOct 31, 2023 — Better hydration. The high water content in bone broth helps you stay hydrated. Water makes up 70% of the body and impacts virtually every bodily fu…
How long is beef broth good in the fridge?
- Homemade vs. Commercial: Homemade broth generally has a shorter shelf life in the fridge (3-4 days) than commercial broth (4-5 days).
- Storage: Keep broth in an airtight container to prevent absorption of fridge odors.
- Signs of spoilage: Be aware of any foul smells, discoloration (darkening, cloudiness), or mold.
- Freezing: To extend the broth’s life, you can freeze it for 2-6 months or longer.
Can you drink beef broth by itself?
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Taste:Beef broth is naturally flavorful, often with a rich, savory taste that many find appealing on its own.
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Health benefits:Bone broth, which is often used interchangeably with beef broth, is known for its potential benefits like hydrating, providing collagen, and being a source of nutrients.
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Versatile:While enjoyed on its own, beef broth is also a great base for soups, stews, and other dishes.
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Simple preparation:You can simply heat a cup of beef broth in the microwave or stovetop and enjoy it as a warm beverage.
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Optional additions:Some people prefer to add seasonings or herbs to their beef broth for a personalized flavor.