Name: Red Wine Beef Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 30 ml Olive Oil (Divided ); 1.4 kg Beef Bolar or Chuck Steak (Diced); 70 g Plain Flour (All Purpose); 3 Brown (Yellow) Onion (Chopped); 3 Carrots (Sliced or Diced); 3 ribs Celery (Sliced or Diced); 6 Garlic Cloves (Crushed); 5 g Thyme; 250 ml Dry Red Wine; 45 g Concentrated Tomato Paste; 37.5 ml Balsamic Vinegar; 1 litre Beef Stock; 3 Dried Bay Leaves (Optional); Salt & Pepper (To Taste); Flat Leaf Parsley (Chopped)

Red Wine Beef Casserole

PREP

20 mins

COOK

1 hr 45 mins

SERVES

DIFFICULTY

Medium

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Chef Jack Ovens

Qualified Chef · 1.63M Subscribers

Updated August 2026

A proper old-school casserole. Beef chuck seared in batches, braised low and slow in red wine with onion, carrot, and celery until it’s completely fall-apart tender.

Searing the beef properly before it braises makes a real difference. That crust is where a lot of the flavour in the final dish comes from, so don’t rush it or crowd the pan.

The last 30 minutes uncovered is what takes the sauce from thin to properly rich and gravy-like. Worth the wait.

Red Wine Beef Casserole

BEEF · DINNER · MEDIUM

Why You'll Love This Red Wine Beef Casserole

Low and Slow, Done Properly

Searing the beef in batches instead of all at once keeps the pan hot enough to actually brown the meat, rather than steaming it and losing that crust.

Deglazing with red wine and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan pulls all that concentrated flavour back into the sauce instead of leaving it behind.

Two hours in the oven, most of it hands-off, gets you beef that falls apart with a fork and a sauce that's thick enough to properly coat it.

Red Wine Beef Casserole

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 45

Total Time: 2 5

Calories: 522kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

30 ml Olive Oil Divided
1.4 kg Beef Bolar or Chuck Steak Diced
70 g Plain Flour All Purpose
3 Brown (Yellow) Onion Chopped
3 Carrots Sliced or Diced
3 ribs Celery Sliced or Diced
6 Garlic Cloves Crushed
5 g Thyme
250 ml Dry Red Wine
45 g Concentrated Tomato Paste
37.5 ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 litre Beef Stock
3 Dried Bay Leaves Optional
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place the diced beef into a large mixing bowl with the plain flour and mix to combine, shaking off any excess flour. Place on a plate.
Place a large high-rimmed pan or pot over high heat. Add half the olive oil and sear the floured beef in batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden all over and a slight crust has formed. Remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the remaining olive oil along with the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme. Sauté for 3 minutes, mixing regularly. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to cook out the rawness and deepen the colour.
Add the wine (or beef stock) and deglaze for 1 ½ minutes, seasoning to taste and mixing well.
Add the seared beef back in along with the balsamic vinegar, stock, and bay leaves. Check the seasoning, adjust accordingly, mix well, and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, or wrap the pan or pot in foil if you don't have one, and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 1 ½ hours. Remove the lid and braise uncovered for a final 30 minutes before removing from the oven.
Discard the bay leaves. Serve in bowls or plates, garnished with chopped flat-leaf parsley. Dig in.

Chef's Tips

Don't skip searing the beef in batches — crowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the meat instead of browning it, and that crust is where a lot of the casserole's flavour comes from.

Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan when you deglaze with the wine — that's concentrated flavour that would otherwise get left behind.

Let the final 30 minutes uncovered do its job — this is what reduces and thickens the sauce into a proper gravy-like consistency, rather than staying thin.

Storage & Reheating

To store, place the casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months, both in an airtight container. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating from frozen. To reheat, place the casserole into a pot over medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Once simmering, cover with a lid and let it continue to simmer for 10 minutes, ensuring the beef is hot throughout. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave in bursts, mixing between each one.

Serving 550gCalories 522kcalCarbohydrates 19.8gProtein 53.7gFat 21gSaturated Fat 7.2gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.36gMonounsaturated Fat 11.21gTrans Fat 0.5gCholesterol 135.3mgSodium 526.4mgPotassium 1271.9mgFiber 2gSugar 4.7gVitamin A 179.43IUVitamin C 7.6mgCalcium 81.4mgIron 7.1mg

Common Questions

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of the oven?⌄

Yes, sear the beef and sauté the vegetables on the stove first as directed, then transfer everything to the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours instead of braising in the oven.

What cut of beef works best for this?⌄

Bolar or chuck steak are ideal, they're both well suited to long, slow cooking and become tender rather than tough. Avoid leaner cuts like eye fillet, they'll dry out over the long braise.

Why sear the beef in batches instead of all at once?⌄

Crowding the pan drops the temperature and causes the beef to steam rather than brown. Searing in batches keeps the pan hot enough to build a proper crust, which is where a lot of the flavour comes from.

Can I make this ahead of time?⌄

Absolutely, it's honestly even better the next day once the flavours have had time to settle. Keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.