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Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta. Slow cooked beef stew with cider, wine, fresh herbs, and sweet cranberries. If there’s one cozy autumn meal you need to be making, it’s this beef stew. It’s such a simple dinner to throw together, even kind of festive, and totally delicious. Serve this stew over a bed of creamy rosemary polenta and you’ll have the perfect dinner for a cold night in with family and friends.

overhead photo of Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta

Is anyone else in a bit of disbelief that we are already six days into November? It’s weird because on one hand, it feels like November, the temperatures are cold, the leaves have fallen, and Thanksgiving is my current focus (well, and the new cookbook, of course). On the other hand, it feels like it should still be September. Where did October go? How are we entering into the final days of 2019? Soon it’s going to be onto Christmas, my mind is just in complete shock.

I know that everyone says this, but how is time flying by so quickly? I’m currently on a plane headed to LA, but by the time this post goes live on Wednesday I’ll be finishing up my LA trip and already be heading back that night on a plane home – wow!

It is supposed to be a nice eighty-ish degrees in LA. I’m sure the next few days will be a little confusing to me weather-wise. Especially since I’m in full-on cozy fall mode…as you can tell from pretty much every recipe I’ll be sharing this month…but I’ll take it!

raw cranberries

So what’s my point in all this crazy airplane rambling? Well, it’s November, and with November comes the arrival of fresh cranberries.

Most of the time we all only think to use cranberries in our Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. Maybe sometimes we’ll incorporate them into a cocktail, but rarely do we think to use cranberries in other ways.

Thankfully that’s why I’m here. I love using cranberries in savory ways throughout the months of November and December. Not only are cranberries festive and pretty…they can also be a sweet yet tart addition to savory recipes when used correctly. Enter this beef stew. It’s classic beef stew, but with a twist. And it’s just as delicious as you can imagine.

Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta in instant pot before cooking

Here are the stewy details.

Start with the beef. The wonderful thing about beef stew is that you can use a cheaper cut of meat, but make it taste incredible. Cooking the beef low and slow helps to tenderize it and rid the beef of any toughness.

No time for low and slow? No worries, I also tested this recipe out in the instant pot. I was pleasantly surprised with just how mouth-wateringly good the beef turned out.

As with most meat-based recipes, I like to brown the beef before adding any kind of liquid. I know it’s an additional step, but I find it makes for an even more flavorful stew.

Brown the beef, then simply add in sweet cider, a touch of red wine, plenty of carrots, shallots, herbs, and all the other delicious workings of a great beef stew. The key to this stew is the use of fresh apple cider and tart cranberries. The cider spices up the sauce and balances out the tartness from the cranberries. And I know cranberries may seem odd, but trust me, beef and cranberries are such a delicious combination.

If you tried last year’s cranberry braised short ribs, you’ll love this beef stew.

Of course, if you’re truly not a fan, you can easily omit the cranberries from the recipe.

Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew in instant pot after cooking

Now, onto that rosemary polenta.

Just before you’re ready to eat, you should start making the polenta. You could also do something like mashed potatoes or egg noodles, but I’ve found that rosemary polenta is particularly delicious.

To give the polenta a really delicious flavor, I started off by frying the rosemary in a little olive with a few cloves of garlic. This infuses the oil but doesn’t leave you with an overpowering rosemary flavor. Once the rosemary is crisp just add water, then stir in the instant polenta.

If you’re new to instant polenta, it only takes five minutes to make but leaves you with the creamiest, butteriest polenta. This is one of my go-to (and gluten free) side dishes throughout the colder days of the year. It’s healthy, easy to make, and so delicious.

overhead close up photo of Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta

Finish it up.

Once the beef is tender and the stew sauce has thickened into a loose gravy, spoon the beef over plates of steaming polenta.

Then top with that crisped rosemary and enjoy with a side of crusty bread…and maybe a glass of wine too.

I know it’s only Wednesday, but I don’t see why we can’t make it just as special as a Saturday. Right?

So let’s do it!

side angled photo of Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta

PS. How amazing would it be if I actually came home to this cooking away tonight? Unfortunately, I don’t get in until later, and then have to make the hour and a half trek home…ugh. Not my favorite.

BUT that leaves me with a thought. If you know someone who needs a little cheering up. Or you’d just like to do something nice for someone you love…make this beef.

It’s sure to be a win!

overhead photo of Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta with fork in bowl

If you make this cranberry cider braised beef stew with rosemary polenta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Cranberry Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 693 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  • 1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, sear the beef on both sides. Remove the beef and transfer to the slow cooker. 
    2. To the slow cooker, add the shallots and carrots. Add the cider, wine, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar (or honey), thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. During the last 2 hours of cooking, add the cranberries. 
    3. To make the polenta. Heat the butter, garlic, and rosemary in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is golden and the rosemary is crisp and "fried", about 3 minutes. Remove the rosemary and reserve. To the pan, add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with additional water or cream for an extra luscious polenta.
    4. To serve, remove the thyme and bay leaves from the stew. Serve the stew and gravy over the polenta. Top with crisped rosemary. Enjoy!

Oven

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
    2. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe braiser, sear the beef on both sides. Remove the beef to a plate. Add the shallots and carrots, cook 5 minutes or until the shallots begin to caramelize. Add back the beef. Add the cider, wine, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar (or honey), thyme, and bay leaves. Sprinkle the cranberries overtop. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the beef is tender.
    3. Make the polenta and finish as directed above.

Instant Pot

  • 1. Switch the instant pot to sauté. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the beef on both sides until browned. Turn the instant pot off.
    2. To the instant pot, add the shallots and carrots. Add the cider, wine, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar (or honey), thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
    3. Switch the instant pot to sauté. Add the cranberries and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil 8-10 minutes until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens slightly.
    4. Make the polenta and finish as directed above.
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Comments

    1. Hey Laura,
      I would recommend using frozen cranberries. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  1. 5 stars
    Made this one in the oven – it’s delicious! Even the picky members of the family ate it! Definitely recommend!

  2. Please make a note next to Apple Cider that it is NOT apple cider vinegar. It’s quite obvious from the comments several people, including me, are making mistakes. Not sure if it’s a regional thing, but honestly Apple Cider drink isn’t too common where I live so I didn’t even think twice and used Vinegar. It is kind of funny reading the comments where
    people are blaming the cranberries for making the dish tart and sour. Please save future people from making this mistake.

    1. Hey Bonnie,
      So sorry for any confusion, but if the recipe called for apple cider vinegar then that would be the ingredient that is listed:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for supper yesterday, cooked it the night before, stored in the fridge and reheated. Everyone loved it, especially me. Easy to make, not expensive, tons of flavour. Used extra carrots, added some green beans for the last hour and served with rice and crusty bread. Delish. Thanks for another great recipe!

    1. Hey Cortney,
      Yes, frozen cranberries will work just fine. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  4. Question! All the stores were out of fresh thyme! 🙁 Would you recommend adding dry thyme? or even the fresh rosemary I have? what do you think? 🙂

    1. Hey Claire,
      You can absolutely use dried thyme or fresh rosemary, either one would work well! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    New favorite stew! Absolutely delicious. Made for New Year’s Eve dinner and loved by everyone. Only changes made were sirloin tip roast instead of chuckroast and rice pilaf since polenta couldn’t be found. Just as delicious the next day, too.

    1. Hey Linda,
      Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    This was a really easy recipe to follow, and it turned out delicious! It took me at least an hour to prep, and ours did not really have any sauce to it. I’m not sure why. I added about 1/4-1/2 cup water when it came out of the oven, because I was waiting on my husband and was afraid it would dry out. Despite not being overly saucy, the flavors all came together beautifully. I highly recommend and will for sure be making this again.

  7. Hi! Love your recipes and I can’t wait to give this a go for Christmas! If I want to cut this in half to serve 3 people how long should this cook for if I’m using the slow cooker method?

    1. Hey Megan,
      You will want to cook for 6 hours low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

    1. Hey there,
      Yes, that would be fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    This was absolutely fantastic. The cranberries added a wonderful pop of flavor. I highly recommend it. I made it in my Instant Pot. The meat was super tender

    1. Hey Marie,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  9. Can I make this the day before and heat up the day of? I’m looking to have a super mellow Christmas! Obviously, I would make the polenta the day of!

    1. Hey Danielle,
      Sure that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  10. 4 stars
    This was good but unfortunately my cranberries did not get very balanced out and so it tasted a little too tart. Otherwise the overall flavor without the cranberries was still delish! Loved serving this over the polenta and will work this option in with my other meat dishes. Overall this is a super easy recipe and one I will repeat, just without the cranberries.

  11. 5 stars
    This is so delicious!! It is melt in your mouth yummy! I made it with garlic mashed potatoes instead of polenta, as my family prefers that. Definitely a “keeper” for my recipe collection!