I Tried 9 Canned Beef Stews and the Winner Won by a Landslide

Here in northern Indiana, the coldest days of winter are still ahead of us. November and December were abnormally frigid and snowy, but I'm sure Mother Nature still has more in store for us.

After a long, cold day, a warm, hearty supper is something to look forward to (right after I change into my cozy pjs). Winter means countless comfort food suppers in our house, and one that is always at the top of my go-to list is beef stew .

A hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that warms you from the inside out, a great beef stew is filled with big chunks of meat and veggies, surrounded by a flavorful gravy . I have a tried-and-true slow-cooker recipe I've been making for years, but some days there isn't time for all that prep work before leaving the house at 7:30 a.m.

That is where a tasty canned beef stew can save the day. This convenient heat-and-serve option has been around since the 1930s , but today there are many more options, which makes it hard to know which one to grab at the store. To help you out, I grabbed as many options as I could at my local grocery stores to find the best canned beef stew.

Large portions of meat and vegetables alone wouldn't secure the top spot. I was looking for a thick consistency, a nice texture and bite and a rich, delicious flavor.

I tested nine different brands for this challenge, and the winner is something I could feed my family any night of the week, knowing they would walk away from the table full and satisfied.

Take a look at my list, which includes detailed notes about why each landed in the spot it did. The next time you're at the store, you might want to grab a couple of cans of the winning brand to keep on hand for those chilly evenings when you need a quick, comforting supper .

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What To Look for When Shopping For Canned Beef Stew

As with all canned and packaged foods, it's a good idea to take a look at the ingredients label when you're shopping. When evaluating beef stew brands, I looked for recognizable ingredients I could pronounce: beef and veggies, like potatoes, carrots , onions and maybe peas.

It probably won't surprise you to learn that most canned beef stews are pretty high in sodium, so if you're on a restricted-salt diet, you might want to seek out a low-sodium option. I didn't taste low-sodium options for this taste test because I wanted to keep the playing field fair, but there are lower-sodium options out there, if that's a consideration for you or the folks you're cooking for.

One ingredient I noticed on most of the labels was "textured vegetable protein ." Since I wasn't familiar with the term, a quick Google search explained that it's a "plant-based meat extender made from defatted soy flour that mimics the texture and appearance of real meat, adding protein and fiber at a lower cost."

Something used as a filler might signal a low-cost brand to you, but it was found on both store-brand versions and more costly name brands, so it seems to be a common ingredient across the category. If you are allergic to soy or would rather not eat it, this is something to keep in mind.

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How I Tested These Canned Beef Stews

I learned something when looking for canned beef stew brands to try: finding enough to warrant a competition would require allowing a few labeled " soup " instead of "stew" into the mix. However, based on the label image and my prior experience with a few of the contenders, I felt comfortable including them because their texture is thicker and more stew-like than that of a typical soup. My taste-testers were informed of this in advance, so they weren't quick to judge them as "too watery" or "thinner" than others.

Since I would be the one heating and serving all the options to my family and tasting them myself, a truly blind taste test wasn't possible, but I think we managed it well because there were surprises in the final ranking.

To make the test as blind as possible, I wrote the name of each brand on the bottom of a styrofoam bowl, heated each brand on the stovetop, and then transferred it to its bowl. They were placed on the table, shuffled and tasted by my husband, two sons (ages nine and 21), and me. The boys have been foodies since they were toddlers and aren't afraid to share their thoughts.

The criteria we used for our taste test were texture, meat and vegetable quality, consistency and overall flavor. Some brands were similar across most categories, others missed the mark entirely and a couple of standout cans stood above the rest.

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9 Popular Canned Beef Stews, Ranked Worst To Best

9. Clover Valley Beef Stew

This Dollar General store-brand was quickly deemed the least favorite by all of us. None of us turns our noses up at an off-brand dupe, but this was definitely not something we would eat again.

First off, it looked nothing like the label, not even close. We all agreed it had no flavor, a mushy texture and an unappealing appearance. My oldest son declared the little bit of meat he could separate out was more like hamburger and my husband agreed, adding it also tasted "fake." While I'm a loyal Dollar General customer, this won't be added to my cart again.

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8. Progresso Beef Pot Roast with Country Vegetables

This is the first of our soup entries, but that isn't what landed it so low on the list, even though it was the only non-stew with a more obvious soup-like consistency. Overall, we found that it lacked flavor and my husband felt it was more vegetable-centric than beef-focused. In addition, we all thought it needed more seasoning.

On the positive side, I enjoyed the addition of green beans , which gave the dish an added bite, and might try adding them to my next batch of homemade beef stew.

7. Campbell's Chunky Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables

While most brands had multiple reasons for their rankings, this had a single reason: an overwhelming sour flavor that lingered after tasting. My husband noticed it first, cleansed his palate, tried it again to give it a second chance, but it was still there. Our oldest son felt there was something in his first spoonful he didn't enjoy, but couldn't pinpoint. As soon as his dad said "sour," he agreed wholeheartedly.

Upon looking at the ingredients list, I discovered this was the only one containing "fermented whey," making me wonder if that was the culprit. Whether it is or not, a tangy or sour flavor really isn't something wanted in a beef stew, so this won't be on our table again.

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6. Yellowstone Cowboy Beef Stew

This was my biggest surprise of the tasting. I was sure this would be a top contender, and not just because I am a massive fan of the television show. If something is labeled "artisan and cowboy" and uses the Yellowstone brand, I figured it would be worthy of eating on the trail, cooked over the campfire to feed some hungry cowboys.

On the show, the Dutton ranch cook, Gator, is portrayed by a real-life chef and his food always looks fantastic, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, this was a big letdown. It looked nothing like the picture, lacked flavor and had an almost gelatinous texture, which we didn't enjoy. John Dutton would be so disappointed.

5. Campbell's Chunky Savory Pot Roast

I had eaten this before and remembered thinking it was almost more stew-like than soup, so I was fully confident in including it in our tasting. As it heated, the aroma smelled like a pot roast in the oven, which was a good sign. It had a nice mix of vegetables, but we felt the meat pieces could be larger and the overall seasoning needed a little help—even a good shake of salt and pepper would have improved things.

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4. Armour Beef Stew

"Classic homestyle" is definitely a great way to describe the stew that landed in our number four spot. The beef , potatoes and carrots were visible and still had a bite to them, but they weren't too big or too small, which is very similar to how I try to make my homemade beef stew. We enjoyed this simple, classic beef stew and all agreed that it tasted like it had been slow-cooked all day.
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3. Kroger Beef Stew

This economical store-brand alternative ranked so high on the list because of its rich beef flavor and good level of seasoning. We also thought it had a balanced mix of potatoes and carrots compared to the meat and was well proportioned in every bite.

This was the can that also taught me an important life lesson: canned beef stew isn't always in the soup aisle. At Kroger, the beef stew is next to the other canned meats, such as tuna and chicken. I wandered the soup aisle for 10 minutes looking for the beef stew, so it seemed helpful to pass this intel along so you don't waste your time.

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2. Meijer Beef Stew

Once the brands were revealed, I was shocked by this runner-up. In fact, if our nine-year-old were the only one judging, this would have been the winner. After his first bite, he declared it to be the "most meaty," with his dad and older brother quickly chiming in with their opinions of "very hearty with a rich beef flavor."

Once I realized how high on the list it landed, I was curious to see what others thought. Sadly, online reviews on the Meijer website gave it only one star, and the comments were not kind, complaining that the recipe must have recently changed because it didn't taste as good as it used to. Regardless, our little guy is a new fan and the rest of our family thought this store-brand version was a solid pick too.

1. Dinty Moore Beef Stew

This classic brought back all the childhood feels for me because it was the only beef stew my mom served, usually with sliced white bread and butter . It was a simple meal for a cold night that left us happy and satisfied. In sharp contrast, my older son had never heard of this brand until this taste test, because he grew up eating my from-scratch beef stew.

Dinty Moore is known for its chunky bites of beef and plentiful potatoes and carrots , all swimming in a rich brown gravy. The brand definitely lived up to its reputation, especially with the newbie who went back in for several bites. It's refreshing to see some things never change, and a product that was so tasty to my family more than 30 years ago still holds up. Plus, it gives my college kid another food he can keep stocked in his pantry!

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This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.