Name: How To Reheat Any Type Of Stew
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 portion stew (beef, chicken, etc); 2 tbsp stock (or water, optional)

Table of Contents

A hearty, meaty stew is such a classic comfort-food dinner, especially when it’s cold outside.

It’s also great for making in bulk.

But what do you do with those big portions of leftover stew?

Can you reheat it without drying the meat out or getting a mouthful of mushy vegetables?

The best way to reheat stew is on the stove. Transfer your leftover stew into a pot and set it over medium-low heat. Gently stir in a few tablespoons of stock to improve the consistency. Reheat for 5-7 minutes (until bubbling) and then simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.

A note on my experiment

beef stew in a skillet, casserole dish, and a glass bowl

I prepared a big batch of my favorite beef stew and then left it in the fridge overnight.

The next day I tested three different reheating methods:

On the stove (best method overall)
In the microwave (perfect for a quick lunch)
In the oven (good for big quantities)

The stove was my favorite method.

It’s relatively fast, and you can monitor the consistency of your stew by adding extra liquid.

The microwave is perfect in a pinch – no complaints – but stick to single portions.

The results from the oven were great. It’s just a bit more time-consuming.

Tips for reheating stew

Here are my top tips for reheating stew:

Cut up any massive chunks of meat or vegetables before reheating to ensure you don’t end up with beef that’s cold in the middle.
Use stock (low-sodium if you have it) to loosen up the sauce if it’s congealed in the fridge. Water will work but can dilute the flavors.
Day-old stew can taste even better than the day before because the flavors have had time to meld and deepen. Sometimes I make stew early on purpose!

Reheating stew on the stove

Transfer your leftover stew into a pot and set it over medium-low heat. If it’s a bit dry, gently stir in a few tablespoons of water/stock to improve the consistency. Cover the pot with a lid and stir ocassionally. Heat for 5-7 minutes (until bubbling) and then simmer for 2-3 minutes before serving.

This is a good guideline for a small portion, but bigger portions will take longer to reheat.

How to reheat stew on the stove:

Transfer your leftover stew into a pot.
Set it over medium-low heat on your stove.
If your stew has gone a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of water or stock (per portion).
Cover the pot with a lid as it warms, stirring frequently.
Heat for 5-7 minutes (for a small portion) or until the stew starts to bubble lightly.
Reduce the heat, and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes before serving.

Keeping your heat low and warming your stew slowly ensures the meat heats through before too much of the sauce disappears.

Using a lid will also help prevent the stew from drying out.

If you have dumplings, add them to the pot for the last 3-4 minutes of the heating process and steam them with the lid on.

My verdict

This method was pretty perfect.

The stew tasted great (maybe even better than the day before), and the meat was still moist and juicy.

You can heat large and small portions, and you get a lot of control over the final consistency of the sauce.

Ten out of ten – would recommend it.

Reheating stew in the microwave

Place a single portion of leftover stew in a microwave-safe bowl. If dryish, add 1-2 tablespoons of water or stock. Cover with a lid, plastic wrap (with holes), or a damp paper towel. Heat on full power for 1 minute, then in 30-second intervals until steaming. Rest for a minute before serving.

stew in microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap

Reheating your stew in short intervals ensures that you don’t overheat it and end up with dry meat.

Stir your stew gently at each stop to distribute the heat throughout.

How to reheat stew in the microwave:

Transfer a single portion of leftover stew into a microwave-safe bowl.
Add a tablespoon or two of water/stock to re-moisturize the dish.
Cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap with small holes, or a damp paper towel.
Heat for 1 minute, and then in 30-second intervals until piping hot. Stir the stew during each break.
Remove from the microwave and rest for 1 minute before serving.

If you want to reheat dumplings too, add them to the stew from the beginning.

Covering the bowl locks in moisture to ensure fast and even heating without drying out your stew.

It also stops any splatters from dirtying your microwave.

With this method, it’s best to stick to smaller portions, as larger quantities will likely end up warming unevenly and overcooking some parts.

My verdict

If you’re in a hurry and just after a quick lunch, the microwave is more than suitable for warming up a stew.

Sure, the meat might have been a tiny bit chewier, but it was still moist and tasty.

Reheating stew in the oven

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Remove your stew from the fridge and bring it to room temperature as the oven warms. Transfer your leftovers into a casserole dish and cover with a lid or foil. Pop in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, checking often and adding water/stock if needed.

stew in a small glass dish covered with foil

You can add leftover dumplings (if you have them) to the dish for the last 10 minutes of reheating.

Note: timings will vary depending on how much stew you are reheating.

How to reheat stew in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
Bring your leftover stew to room temperature (if you have time).
Place it in a casserole dish, stirring in water/stock if it’s gone a bit dry.
Cover with a lid or foil.
Warm in the oven for 30 minutes (longer for bigger portions).
Check every 10 minutes and add more liquid as needed.
Once hot, serve immediately.

Bringing your stew to room temperature before reheating means it will reheat more quickly in the oven (so you’re not waiting as long for your food).

If you’ve added dumplings, I like to remove the lid for 2-3 minutes near the end to give the dumplings a slight crust.

My verdict

This method is excellent for family-sized portions of leftover stew, but I wouldn’t use it if I were reheating just for myself because it’s pretty slow.

But the result is a moist, tender stew that’s full of flavor.

Reheating stew in a slow cooker

Reheating stew in a slow cooker is not advisable because the stew will spend too long in temperatures that encourage bacteria growth.

Slow cookers are better utilized to keep food warm rather than reheat it.

You can reheat the stew another way, for example on the stove, then keep it warm in the slow cooker for up to 2 hours.

How to store stew

You can store leftover stew in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Dumplings should be stored separately, in their own sealed container, to prevent them from turning soggy. Don’t store your stew in its casserole dish or crockpot. These pots hold heat and take too long to cool down.

Your stew doesn’t have to be room temperature to store, but it’s better that it’s not piping hot.

To cool a big batch of stew quickly, the most effective thing to do is to portion it out into several shallow containers so the heat can escape easily.

You can also place the pot of stew in a cold water bath.

Can you freeze stew?

Stew is a perfect choice for freezing and will keep for up to 6 months (or possibly longer). The only watch out is to avoid freezing a stew with potatoes. Cooked potatoes don’t freeze well and will turn out mushy and grainy. Transfer the stew to an airtight container or a zip-lock freezer bag for freezing.

Dumplings should be frozen separately, as they’ll lose their texture from sitting in a saucy stew.

How to freeze stew:

Cool your leftover stew to room temperature.
Transfer it into an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bag with the air removed.
For dumplings: Spread your leftover dumplings out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Freeze them for 2-3 hours, then transfer the solid dumplings into a freezer bag (removing excess air).
Place both parts into the freezer and use within 6 months.

Removing the air from the freezer bags helps to prevent freezer burn.

If you have a vacuum sealer, use it. Vacuum-sealed stew can last for up to 12 months in the freezer.

If not, you can dunk the freezer bag in a pot of water, which will displace the air.

As for your dumplings – flash-freezing them first prevents them from sticking together and makes it easier to grab the specific number you want to reheat.

How to thaw and reheat frozen stew

You should thaw frozen stew before reheating to ensure your meat will warm through evenly. You can thaw it in the fridge for a day or two before you want to reheat it. Or, you can thaw it in the microwave using your defrost setting and stirring in-between to break it up and distribute heat.

Once defrosted, you can reheat your stew on the stovetop, microwave, or oven.