This highly aromatic Vietnamese Beef Stew will become your favourite family meal. Slow cooked until the meat is fall apart tender and packed with flavour.
Prep Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs
Total Time3 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: Beef Stew Recipe, Bo Kho, Vietnamese beef stew
1tbspcornflour /cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp cold water, to thicken
Thai basil chopped to garnish
salt and pepper to seasonif needed
Instructions
Combine the beef, lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, Chinese Spice, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Leave to marinate for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) and have all your vegetables prepared.
Put the oil in the casserole and heat over medium high heat. Sear the beef, in batches if necessary, until nicely browned.
Add a splash of hot stock to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
Add the shallots and chillies and stir for a couple of minutes.
Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, carrots, cinnamon stick, star anise, kaffir lime leaves and stock and bring slowly to a rolling simmer.
Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook for an hour.
Take the casserole dish out of the oven - careful it will be very hot! - and stir in the butternut squash.
Return to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour until meat is very tender.
Stir the cornflour slurry into the stew and simmer for a couple of minutes on the hob to thicken the gravy.
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, star anise and kaffir lime leaves.
Add some chopped basil leaves, check the seasoning and serve with crusty bread, or over rice..
Slow Cooker instructions
Marinate and brown the beef as instructed above then transfer to your slow cooker.
Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Add the cornflour slurry and cook on HIGH, uncovered, until the gravy thickens.
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, star anise and kaffir lime leaves.
Add some chopped basil leaves, check the seasoning and serve with crusty bread, or over rice.
Video
Notes
Beef Stew tips, tricks and FAQs
Can I make this stew in my Instant Pot? You certainly can and it is so delicious that I have dedicated an entire post to it.
How long will this stew keep? You can keep the stew in the fridge for up to three days. Cool completely first then store in a suitable container. The flavours will actually intensify the longer you keep it.
Can I freeze Vietnamese beef stew? Absolutely! Cool and divide into suitable containers. Freeze and use within three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or thaw in a microwave. Always make sure that reheated food is piping hot all the way through before serving.