No Water Beef Stew
on Oct 31, 2026
This No Water Beef Stew cooks tender beef short ribs 🥩 in the natural juices of tomatoes and sweet peppers—no added water, stock, or wine needed. (Well, maybe a glass for the chef 🍷👩🏻🍳!) Garlic, leeks, and carrots 🥕 simmer alongside the beef in one covered pot for a cozy, saucy dinner. Bring some crusty bread 🥖, because you won’t want to leave any of that sauce behind!
I grew up eating vegetable-rich meat stews like this one in Bulgaria 🇧🇬, so this dish is full of nostalgia for me. Leeks, peppers, and fresh tomatoes 🍅 bring so much natural sweetness and flavor. No offense to broth or wine, but they are absolutely not needed here!
Key Takeaways
- This No Water Beef Stew is a Bulgarian-inspired recipe that slow-simmers bone-in beef short ribs with fresh tomatoes, sweet peppers, leeks, garlic, and carrots—all in their own natural juices, no added water, broth, or wine required.
- The tomatoes and peppers release liquid as they cook, while the short ribs contribute rich collagen and fat, creating a deeply flavorful, silky sauce.
- Flanken-style thin-cut short ribs are recommended for the best tenderness in a reasonable cooking time.
- If you prefer a soupier consistency, simply add 1–2 cups of water or broth. Serve with plenty of crusty bread to soak up every last drop of sauce!
What Makes This a No Water Beef Stew?
No water, no broth, no wine… so where does all that delicious sauce come from 🤔?! It’s all about letting the ingredients work their magic!
As the tomatoes and peppers cook, they release their natural juices, while the bone-in short ribs add rich flavor, rendered fat, and collagen that turns into silky broth. (And adds an internal boost to your skincare routine 💅!) The trick is to let the tomatoes release some juice first, then nestle the beef into the veggies, cover the pot, and simmer on low ♨️. The lid traps moisture, creating a rich, flavorful sauce without adding any liquid!
Want it soupier? Simply add 1 to 2 cups of water or broth after returning the beef to the pot.
Ingredient Notes and the Right Beef Cut
🥩 Beef Short Ribs: I use thin-cut, bone-in flanken short ribs, which are cut across the bones. They become beautifully tender as they simmer and add SO much flavor to the sauce. You can use thicker, English-cut short ribs, but they’ll take longer to become fall-off-the-bone tender (potentially up to 2½ hours), so don’t expect the same cooking time.
🍅 Tomatoes: We’re counting on the tomatoes to release their natural juices, so choosing the right ones is important! I love Roma, Early Girl, beefsteak, or heirloom tomatoes for this recipe. You can also use 1½ cups of canned crushed tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
🧅 Leeks: Use only the white and pale-green parts, and make sure to give them a good wash! I like to soak the sliced leeks in cold water to loosen any hidden dirt, then drain and dry them well. You can also use one roughly chopped yellow onion instead.
🫑 Sweet Peppers: Sweet peppers or bell peppers both work beautifully here! They release moisture as they cook and add a natural sweetness to the broth.
🌿 Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf add a little extra aromatic flavor. Use fresh or dried herbs, whatever you have on hand.
Nonna’s Tip 🍲
Don’t toss those delicious juices left on the plate after searing the short ribs! Pour that liquid gold back into the pot with the beef because it’s packed with flavor!
Best Served With
- My Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes are absolutely delicious with all that rich, savory sauce 🤤!
- Creamy polenta 🌽 is the perfect base for those fall-off-the-bone short ribs and beautiful tomato and pepper juices.
- My No Knead Bread 🥖 is perfect for soaking up every last drop of that delicious sauce.
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Common Questions
Does this beef stew really need no water or broth?
This one-pot recipe uses no added water, broth, or wine. The tomatoes and peppers release their own juices, and the fatty, bone-in beef ribs render flavorful liquid as the stew cooks covered at a low simmer. It is still a moist, saucy stew—not a recipe cooked without any moisture.
Can I use canned tomatoes in No Water Beef Stew?
Yes. You can use 1½ cups of canned crushed tomatoes in place of the ¾ pound of fresh tomatoes.
Can I use thick short ribs instead of flanken cut?
Absolutely! You can use thicker, bone-in short ribs, but keep in mind that they’ll take longer to become tender than the thin-cut flanken ribs I use in this recipe. The key is to keep the pot covered at a gentle simmer and cook until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and shreds easily with a fork. (Thicker ribs can take closer to 2 1/2 hours.)
What if I Want More Broth?
You absolutely can make this stew a little soupier! Just add 1 to 2 cups of water or broth after returning the seared beef to the pot. Of course, it won’t technically be a no-water stew anymore, but who’s judging 😂? Make it exactly how you love it!
No Water Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, thin-sliced aka ‘flanken cut’
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 leeks, pale green and white parts cut into 1 inch rounds (or 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¾ pound fresh tomatoes, stemmed and quartered (or 1½ cups crushed canned tomatoes)
- ⅓ pound sweet peppers, stemmed, seeeded, and cut into strips
- 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
- fresh or dried rosemary for seasoning, optional
- fresh or dried thyme for seasoning, option
- 1 bay leaf, optional
Instructions
- Cut the ribs in half, so that each piece of meat has two bones or less and is about 4 to 6 inches long.
- In a heavy-bottom pot with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the ribs on both sides, until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper. Transfer the ribs to a plate. (Leave any rendered beef fat in the pot.
- Add the leeks and peeled, whole garlic cloves to the hot pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. Add the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf (if using). Season everything with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to release their juices, about 2 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot (along with any juices or fat that have accumulated on the plate) and nestle the meat in, so that each piece is covered on as many sides as possible with the vegetable mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. The stew should stay at a low simmer.
- Cook for about 1 hour, until the meat easily falls off the bone and can be shredded without resistance. Serve as is, or remove the bones prior to serving. Pairs perfectly on rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta.
Nonna’s Notes
- Serving suggestions: Serve atop creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. Or serve with crusty bread.
- Veggies: The vegetable quantities are a suggestion. Measure with your heart ❤️. Feel free to add more tomatoes or peppers, which will make the dish even soupier. Garlic lovers can feel free to add a few more cloves.
- Soupier version: This no-water beef stew truly requires zero water. However, if you prefer a slurp-able soup, feel free to add 1 or 2 cups water or broth. After returning the seared meat to the pot, then add the water.
- Tomato and pepper variations: For the tomatoes, I recommend Roma, Early Girl, beefsteak, or heirloom. Avoid grape and cherry tomatoes, which are not as juicy. You can use bell peppers instead of sweet peppers. This recipe will work fine with less-sweet, out of season tomatoes. The sweet peppers add natural sweetness to balance out the tomatoes’ acidity. You can also use canned crushed tomatoes.
- How to clean your leeks: When cooking with leeks, be sure to soak the chopped leeks in a bowl of cold water to help release any hidden dirt. Dry well before cooking the leeks.
- Add ins: You can also add about 1 cup fresh or frozen peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- To make in the instant pot: Sear the meat and vegetables on the sauté setting (high), and then once all of the ingredients are in the pot, cook on ‘pressure cook high’ for 45 minutes with a natural release.
- Beef cuts: This recipe works with many cuts of beef. I use thin-sliced beef short ribs (aka ‘flanken cut’), which cook quickly and include small bones. If using traditional, thick, bone-in short ribs, you may need to increase the cook time to as much as 2 ½ hours total, for tender meat. Optionally, once cooked, transfer the meat to a cutting board, remove and discard the bones, and shred the meat with two forks; then return the meat to the pot and serve.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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