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4.93 from 26 votes

Grandma's Beef and Noodles

This Midwestern-style beef and noodles recipe is easy to make with a small list of ingredients and always so flavorful and comforting. See notes below for Crock-Pot or Instant Pot options!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, make ahead, slow cooker
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Ali

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch pieces
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 large white onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 cups beef stock divided
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 12 ounces wide egg noodles

Instructions

  • Brown the beef. Add the beef to a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss until evenly combined. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to a clean plate. Repeat the process with an additional 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining beef, then transfer the beef to a clean plate.
  • Sauté the veggies. Add the remaining oil and onion to the stockpot. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups of the beef stock, the cooked beef, thyme and bay leaf and stir to combine.
  • Simmer. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a low simmer. Reduce heat to low (or whatever temperature is needed to maintain a low simmer), cover, and simmer for 2.5 hours or until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
  • Shred the beef. Carefully transfer the beef to a clean plate and use two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
  • Cook the noodles. Add the remaining 2 cups of beef stock to the pot and increase heat to high. Once the stock begins to boil, add the egg noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  • Season. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the shredded beef back in. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with a few extra twists of black pepper, and enjoy!

Notes

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Instructions: Use the "Sauté" function to brown the beef and sauté the veggies in the Instant Pot as described in steps 1 and 2 above. Once you have returned the beef stock and cooked beef to the pot, cover with a lid and seal. Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes, followed by a quick release. Continue on with steps 4 through 7 in the Instant Pot.
Crock-Pot (Slow Cooker) Instructions: Complete steps 1 and 2 as described above in a separate sauté pan, then transfer all of the ingredients (minus noodles) to a large Crock-Pot. (Or you can skip steps 1 and 2 and just dump everything into a Crock-Pot.) Cover and slow-cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork. Continue on with steps 4 through 7 in the Crock-Pot.