Beef Stew with Cocoa Powder Recipe
This old-fashioned beef stew with cocoa powder is warm, deep, and rich. It doesn’t taste like chocolate — the cocoa just adds an earthy twist that makes it cozy, comforting, and deeply flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 900g beef chuck or stew meat, trimmed & cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 to 3 carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed preferred
- ½ cup dry red wine or more beef broth
- 3 cups beef broth low sodium
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional: Crushed red chili flakes for a kick
Instructions
Step 1 – Sear the Beef
- Pat beef cubes dry.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss in flour.
- Heat oil in pot
- Sear beef in batches.
- Remove and set aside.
Step 2 – Sauté the Base
- In the same pot, cook onions until soft.
- Add garlic, stir for 30 sec.
- Mix in tomato paste + cocoa powder.
- Cook for 1 min until it smells warm and deep.
Step 3 – Add Wine
- Pour in red wine, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Step 4 – Build the Stew
- Add broth, Worcestershire, herbs, carrots, celery, potatoes, and the seared beef.
- Bring to a simmer.
Step 5 – Let It Cook
- Cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 2½ hours.
- Stir occasionally. Uncover last 20 mins if gravy is too thin.
- Add broth if too thick.
- Taste, adjust salt, pepper, chili flakes.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
Slow Cooker Version:
Step 1 – Optional Sear
- Sear beef in a pan for flavor. Or toss raw beef with flour and seasoning.
Step 2 – Make Sauce Base
- In a bowl, mix tomato paste, cocoa, wine, Worcestershire, garlic, onion, and herbs.
- Pour over beef in slow cooker.
Step 3 – Add Veggies + Broth
- Add carrots, celery, potatoes, and broth. Stir everything.
- Cook on LOW 7–8 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours.
- (Thicken with cornstarch slurry if needed at the end.)
- Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve warm.
Notes
Recipe Tips & Notes:
- Don't skip the cocoa — it won't taste chocolatey. One tablespoon adds warmth, earthiness, and depth the same way red wine or Worcestershire does, but without the alcohol. Just try it once.
- Use Dutch-processed cocoa, not natural cocoa. It's darker, less bitter, and blends more smoothly into savory sauces. Valrhona, Ghirardelli, and Hershey's Special Dark all work well.
- Sear the beef in batches — never crowd the pan. Crowding causes steaming instead of browning, and you'll lose the flavorful browned bits (fond) at the bottom that give the gravy its depth.
- Bloom the cocoa with tomato paste — stir them together in the hot pot for a full minute before adding any liquid. This deepens the flavor and removes any raw, dusty cocoa taste.
- This stew tastes better the next day. The cocoa, herbs, and spices settle deeper as it rests. Make it ahead and reheat slowly on the stovetop with a splash of broth — it's noticeably richer after overnight rest.
- Slow cooker tip: Sear the beef first even if it feels like extra work. Even 5 minutes of browning on the stovetop makes a real difference in the final depth of the slow-cooked version.