Home-styleEasy 75 min serves 4

Potato Beef Stew (土豆炖牛肉)

Name: Potato Beef Stew (土豆炖牛肉)
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: beef chuck or brisket, 3 cm chunks; potatoes (waxy), peeled and cubed; carrots, cut into chunks; ginger, sliced; scallions; star anise; cinnamon stick; light soy sauce; dark soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; sugar; neutral oil

土豆炖牛肉 · tǔ dòu dùn niú ròu

家庭快手版 · Home version: The home version is a one-pot braise: beef seared, then simmered with potatoes, carrots, and a soy-spice broth until everything is fork-tender. Restaurant versions add more aromatics and reduce the sauce to a glaze; the family version keeps the broth loose for soaking into rice.

Potato beef stew is the Chinese family's comfort food for cold days — a big pot of beef, potato, and carrot in a savory soy broth, simmered until the potatoes go soft at the edges and the beef falls apart. Every household has a slightly different version: some add tomatoes for tang, some add star anise for depth. The potato is the real star — it soaks up all the beefy broth.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More beef recipes →Comfort Food One-Pot

Ingredients

beef chuck or brisket, 3 cm chunks牛腩或牛腱子🛒 local700 g
potatoes (waxy), peeled and cubed土豆（面土豆）🛒 local3 medium (about 400 g)
carrots, cut into chunks胡萝卜🛒 local2 medium
ginger, sliced姜片🛒 local5 slices
scallions小葱🛒 local3 stalks
star anise八角🏮 asian2 whole
cinnamon stick桂皮🏮 asian1 small
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian3 tbsp
dark soy sauce老抽🏮 asian1 tbsp
Shaoxing wine料酒🏮 asian2 tbsp
sugar白糖🛒 local1 tsp
neutral oil食用油🛒 local1 tbsp

beef chuck or brisket, 3 cm chunks: Chuck and brisket have enough fat and collagen to stay tender after braising.

potatoes (waxy), peeled and cubed: Waxy potatoes hold their shape; starchy ones dissolve into the broth (also delicious).

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Blanch the beef: bring a pot of water to boil, add beef, cook 3 minutes, skim the foam, rinse and drain.
焯水去腥
🔍 Look for High heat 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 灰色浮沫浮起；牛肉变紧实、颜色略深Gray foam rises; beef firms and darkens slightly
You know it's right when: 不再冒沫——牛肉干净了No more foam rising — beef is clean
2Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Sear the beef in one layer until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Don't rush this — browning = flavor.
煎香牛肉
🔍 Look for Medium-high 5 分钟 · 5 minutes
Visual: 牛肉表面深棕色，不是灰白色Beef is deep brown on the outside, not gray
You know it's right when: 锅底粘着焦色锅巴——那是精华，别刮掉Browned bits stick to the pan — that's the fond, leave it
3Add ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and Shaoxing. Stir 1 minute until aromatic.
爆香料
🔍 Look for Medium-high 1 分钟 · 1 minute
Visual: 香料滋滋作响；料酒化成蒸汽Aromatics sizzle; wine evaporates in steam
You know it's right when: 满屋香料香Spice aroma fills the kitchen
4Add soy sauces and sugar, stir 1 minute. Add enough boiling water to cover the beef by 2 cm. Bring to a boil, skim, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
加水慢炖
🔍 Look for Low heat 45 分钟 · 45 minutes
Visual: 汤汁深棕；牛肉小火慢滚Liquid is deep brown; beef simmers gently
You know it's right when: 筷子扎牛肉有轻微阻力——半熟状态A chopstick pierces the beef with some resistance — halfway tender
5Add potatoes and carrots. Stir to submerge. Cover and simmer 20 more minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
下蔬菜
🔍 Look for Medium-low 20 分钟 · 20 minutes
Visual: 土豆边缘化开，汤汁被淀粉微微增稠Potatoes are soft at the edges, broth slightly thickened by starch
You know it's right when: 叉子毫无阻力地滑入土豆块A fork slides into a potato cube with no resistance
6Taste and adjust salt (soy brands vary). For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered 5-10 minutes. Garnish with scallions and serve over rice.
调味收浓
🔍 Look for Medium heat 收汁的话 5-10 分钟 · 5-10 minutes if reducing
Visual: 汤汁浓郁油亮；牛肉轻轻一拨就散Broth is rich and glossy; beef shreds at a touch
You know it's right when: 汤汁能挂勺The broth coats a spoon

Tips

· Browning the beef deeply is where the flavor lives — pale beef makes pale stew.
· Always add boiling water, never cold — cold water seizes the meat and toughens it.
· Add potatoes late so they keep their shape instead of melting into the broth.
· This stew is even better the next day; make it ahead for a stress-free dinner.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Ingredient swaps

Can't find an Asian-market staple? Use these.

Swap: star anise
→ fennel seeds + pinch of cinnamon
Ratio: 2 pieces : 1 tsp · Close licorice warmth.
Swap: light soy sauce
→ regular soy sauce
Ratio: 1:1 · Slightly saltier — dial salt back by a pinch.
Swap: dark soy sauce
→ light soy + ½ tsp sugar + drop of molasses
Ratio: 1:1 · Gets the color without the bottle.

Don't make these mistakes

The traps every home cook hits — and how to avoid them.

✗ Crowding the pan — ingredients steam instead of sear.
✓ Fix: Cook in batches; give each piece room to brown.
✗ Adding sauce too early — the wok cools and flavors dull.
✓ Fix: Push food up the wok wall, add sauce to the hot center, toss fast.