Hawaiian Beef Stew, called local beef stew in Hawaii, is tender beef chuck, potatoes, carrot, celery and onion simmered in a tomato-based gravy seasoned with soy sauce and Worcestershire. The beef is dusted in flour and browned, then simmered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it’s almost falling apart. A little cornstarch thickens it at the end, and it’s served over white rice. It serves 6.
How to make it: Coat the beef in seasoned flour and brown it in a Dutch oven. Soften the onion, celery and carrot, pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef, potatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire and a bay leaf, and simmer until tender. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry and spoon it over rice.
Why You’ll Love It
- Rich tomato gravy: tomato paste and canned tomatoes with soy sauce and Worcestershire.
- Fall-apart beef: chuck turns tender after a long, slow simmer.
- Made for rice: the thick gravy soaks into a scoop of white rice.
- Better the next day: the flavors deepen overnight, so it makes a good make-ahead dinner.
What Makes Hawaiian Beef Stew Different?
It starts with the same beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion as a regular beef stew. The difference is the sauce: a tomato base of tomato paste and canned tomatoes, seasoned with soy sauce (Hawaiian shoyu if you have it) and Worcestershire. Together they give it a rich, savory, slightly sweet flavor and a reddish-brown gravy.
There’s no pineapple in it. And instead of bread or noodles, it goes over white rice, often with a side of macaroni salad.
Ingredient Notes
Beef chuck: 2 pounds, trimmed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch pieces. Boneless chuck roast or beef stew meat both work.
Flour, salt and pepper: 1/2 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to coat the beef. The flour helps thicken the broth without lumps.
Vegetables: 1 medium yellow onion, 2 stalks of celery and 1 medium carrot, all diced, plus 3 medium potatoes in 1-inch cubes.
Tomatoes: 2 tablespoons tomato paste and one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juice.
Soy sauce and Worcestershire: 2 tablespoons of each. Hawaiian shoyu is the first choice for the soy sauce.
Beef broth: 2 cups, plus about 1/2 cup more if the liquid doesn’t almost cover everything.
Bay leaf and cornstarch: 1 bay leaf for the simmer and 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to finish.
Ingredients
For the beef
- 2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed, patted dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the stew
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 cups beef broth, plus about 1/2 cup more if needed
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces, not drained)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably Hawaiian shoyu
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf, discarded before serving
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
How to Make Hawaiian Beef Stew
1. Coat the beef. Toss the beef with the salt and pepper in a bowl, then toss it with the flour. Shake off any excess flour.
2. Brown the beef. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown it on all sides until it has a crispy outer layer, working in batches so the pan is not crowded. Move the browned beef to a plate.
3. Cook the vegetables. In the same Dutch oven, cook the onion, celery and carrot for 3 minutes, until the onion is tender. Pour in the beef broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Simmer the stew. Return the beef to the pot. Add the potatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with their juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. The broth and the tomato juice should almost cover everything; if they do not, add about 1/2 cup more broth. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef is tender and almost falling apart.
5. Thicken the stew. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with the water and cook for 1 more minute. Taste and add more salt or soy sauce if needed. For a thicker stew, stir in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with water.
6. Serve. Serve the stew over cooked white rice.
Tips for Tender Beef and a Thick Gravy
- Pat the beef dry. Dry pieces take the flour evenly and brown better.
- Brown in batches. A crowded pot steams the beef instead of browning it.
- Scrape the pot. The browned bits on the bottom flavor the gravy, so loosen them when the broth goes in.
- Keep it almost covered. The liquid should come nearly to the top of the beef and vegetables. Add a splash more broth during the simmer if it drops.
- Go by tenderness. The stew is ready when the beef is tender and almost falling apart, which takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Thicken at the end. Add the cornstarch slurry after the simmer, then more if you like it thicker.
- Season last. Taste after thickening and add salt or a splash of soy sauce.
Variations
- A touch of sweetness: stir in 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of sugar with the tomatoes.
- Bolder flavor: increase the soy sauce and Worcestershire for a stronger, tangier gravy.
- No celery: use 1 diced green bell pepper instead.
- Garlic or ginger: a few smashed garlic cloves with the onion, or a spoonful of grated ginger.
- Potatoes: gold potatoes hold their shape through the long simmer; russets work too.
- Short ribs: cubed boneless short ribs in place of the chuck.
Short on time? Our Instant Pot beef stew cooks under pressure in a fraction of the time, with garlic, thyme and peas.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide a big pot into shallow covered containers so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days, and the flavor gets even better the next day.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan or the microwave.
Reheating: Reheat covered until the stew comes to a rolling boil and reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over a big scoop of white rice, with macaroni salad on the side. For more island-style dinners, try Hawaiian style teriyaki chicken or sweet Hawaiian crockpot chicken.
More hearty stews: cowboy stew, slow cooker poor man’s stew and slow cooker 3-ingredient beef stew noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Hawaiian beef stew different?
The tomato-based gravy seasoned with soy sauce and Worcestershire, and that it’s served over white rice.
What is in Hawaiian beef stew?
Beef chuck, potatoes, carrot, celery, onion, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire and a bay leaf, thickened with flour and cornstarch.
Does Hawaiian beef stew have pineapple?
No. The “Hawaiian” refers to the local style, not pineapple.
What cut of beef is best?
Beef chuck. Boneless chuck roast, stew meat or cubed short ribs also work.
How do I thicken it?
The flour on the beef thickens it as it simmers. At the end, stir in cornstarch mixed with water and cook 1 more minute.
What do you serve with it?
White rice, and macaroni salad if you have it.
How long does it keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Reheat to a rolling boil.
Final Notes
Brown the beef well, keep the pot almost covered and simmer until it’s tender, then spoon it over rice. If you add a little sugar or ginger, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Hawaiian Beef Stew
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck trimmed, patted dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 2 cups beef broth plus about 1/2 cup more if needed
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 ounces, not drained
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce preferably Hawaiian shoyu
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf discarded before serving
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Toss the beef with the salt and pepper in a bowl, then toss it with the flour. Shake off any excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown it on all sides until it has a crispy outer layer, working in batches so the pan is not crowded. Move the browned beef to a plate.
- In the same Dutch oven, cook the onion, celery and carrot for 3 minutes, until the onion is tender. Pour in the beef broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Return the beef to the pot. Add the potatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes with their juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. The broth and the tomato juice should almost cover everything; if they do not, add about 1/2 cup more broth. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef is tender and almost falling apart.
- Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with the water and cook for 1 more minute. Taste and add more salt or soy sauce if needed. For a thicker stew, stir in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with water.
- Serve the stew over cooked white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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