If you love a comforting pot of Vietnamese beef stew (bò kho) but want to switch things up, give this Chinese-style beef and potato stew a try.
While Vietnamese bò kho relies on a light tomato-based broth, fragrant lemongrass, and slow-cooked chunks of shank or brisket, this quick Chinese homestyle version skips all three.
Here we are swapping in ground beef to cut the cooking time way down, omitting the lemongrass and tomato paste (although you can still a bit of tomato in it), and trading in fish sauce for a rich, savory base of dark and light soy sauces.
It’s delicious and fast enough to throw together on a busy weeknight. Serve over a warm bowl of steamed jasmine rice and be a dinner hero for the night.
What You Will Need
To make this Chinese-style easy beef stew recipe, gather the following ingredients:
- Beef: Ground beef is fast-cooking and easy to eat, especially for small kids. If you want a more traditional Chinese-style stew, swap in beef chuck cut into 1-inch pieces—just note that you’ll need to extend the simmer to 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is braised soft and tender.
- Root vegetables and onions: Russet potatoes, carrots and yellow onions.
- Aromatics & Spices: Chinese five-spice powder, whole star anise, and ground black pepper. While Chinese five-spice already includes ground star anise, adding a whole pod or two gives the broth a deeper, more distinct licorice aroma.
- Seasonings: Light soy sauce for salt and umami, dark soy sauce for that signature rich, glossy color, Shaoxing cooking wine, sugar, and salt.
- Water: for the stew base.
How to Make Easy Chinese Beef Stew
Step 1: Brown the beef
Heat a wide skillet (one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sear until well-browned, breaking up any clumps into small pieces. Typically, I don’t use any oil with ground beef since it renders its own fat, but feel free to add a splash if you’re using a pan that tends to stick.
Step 2: Add seasonings
Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the savory browned bits from the bottom. Add the salt, pepper, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar, tossing until the beef is evenly coated.
Step 3: Add veggies, onions and simmer
Pour in the water, then add the potatoes, carrots and onions, gently pressing them down so they are mostly submerged. Add whole star anise, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender. You should still have plenty of broth left. If too much has evaporated, just stir in a splash of water or beef stock.
Step 4: Finish and serve
Remove the lid, fish out and discard the star anise, and spoon generously over bowls of hot steamed jasmine rice, and enjoy.
Pro Tips for Success
- Get a Hard Sear on the Beef: Before breaking the ground beef into small bits, let it sit untouched in the hot pot for 2–3 minutes so it develops deep browning. That caramelized fond on the bottom of the pot creates the savory backbone of the whole dish.
- Cut Veggies to Equal Density: Russet potatoes cook faster and turn tender quicker than dense carrots. Cut the potatoes into slightly larger chunks (around 1.5 inches) and the carrots into smaller roll-cuts (around 1 inch) so they finish cooking at the exact same moment.
- Take Out the Star Anise: Once the stew finishes simmering, discard the 3 whole star anise pods so no one accidentally bites into one at the dinner table. It provides great aroma but it is quite unpleasant to bite into one.
Storage & Reheating
Allow the stew to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The flavors deepen overnight, making leftovers even better the next day.
To reheat, warm the stew in a small pot over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the thickened gravy until heated through, or microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring occasionally.
Print
Easy Chinese Ground Beef and Potato Stew
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
An easy Chinese ground beef and potato stew with carrots, five-spice, and star anise in a rich, savory soy braise. Perfect over steamed rice!
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef (ground beef or 1-inch cubed beef)
- 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch round chunks)
- 1 yellow onion (peel and cut into small chunks)
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 whole star anise
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Heat a wide skillet (one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sear until well-browned, breaking up any clumps into small pieces. Typically, I don’t use any oil with ground beef since it renders its own fat, but feel free to add a splash if you’re using a pan that tends to stick.
- Add seasonings: Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the savory browned bits from the bottom. Add the salt, pepper, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar, tossing until the beef is evenly coated.
- Add veggies and simmer: Pour in the water, then add the potatoes, carrots, and onions, gently pressing them down so they are mostly submerged. Add whole star anise, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender. You should still have plenty of broth left. If too much has evaporated, just stir in a splash of water or beef stock.
- Finish and serve: Remove the lid, discard the star anise, spoon generously over bowls of hot steamed jasmine rice, and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
