These 10 Grocery Stores Are The Best For Buying Beef Stew Meat

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Good beef stew is like a warm, cozy hug in a bowl. Bad beef stew is like a rubbery, bitter, shoulders-only half-hug you give to someone you don't like very much. What's the main difference between these two very different dining experiences? The beef stew meat.

Beef stew meat is an umbrella term for multiple cuts of beef that are leaner than, say, your standard ribeye steak. Stew meat cuts typically come from areas of the cattle that do a lot of physical work, like the shoulders and hind legs. This strenuous activity builds connective tissue called collagen that, when cooked improperly, becomes chewy and unpleasant to eat. However, when that same collagen is cooked correctly in a flavorful broth, the collagen melts, making the meat tender, moist, and delicious: that is, "cozy hug" stew. Popular stew meat cuts include chuck (shoulder), bone-in short ribs (lower rib cage), cross-cut shanks (leg), top or bottom round (leg), brisket (lower chest), oxtail (tail). Pre-packaged stew meat at the store can be any of these cuts, and opting for meat with this label helps you avoid choosing the wrong cut, which is a common mistake people make with beef stew. 

To find the best grocery stores for buying beef stew meat, we scoured the internet for real customer opinions and advice. We looked for stores that offer meat that cooks down well, is affordable, and in many cases, free from additives, preservatives, and chemicals. So, don't stew over your options — start with the best of the best with these 10 grocery stores.

Sam's Club offers USDA choice angus beef chuck in pre-packaged cubes that keeps customers coming back for more. The well-loved warehouse chain's chuck cuts contain enough fat marbling to be used in non-stew dishes and enough thick collagen to melt down into tender stew meat, too. Unsurprisingly, this "just right" cut is often used in multiple dishes, from simple beef stews to beef burgundy, beef tips, and beef and noodle dishes.

"Great value, the marbling was consistent throughout, buttery texture and rich beefy flavor," one Sam's Club customer wrote in a review on the store website. Another customer added their review, saying, "Love to get my stew meat from here. It cooks up nicely. I buy all my meat at Sam's. The meat is high quality with good cuts. The price points are much lower than other warehouse and grocery stores."

Some Sam's Club customers opt for buying cut-specific meat for their stew as opposed to the pre-packaged cubed option. One Sam's Club shopper on Reddit shared that their go-to stew meat is "big un trimmed brisket." They added, "I was pretty happy with it. On a per pound basis it was [s]till pretty affordable."

Trader Joe's offers specific cuts of stew-friendly meats, like premium angus beef boneless chuck roast and brisket, as well as pre-cubed lean beef simply labeled as stew meat. Customers who have used the pre-packaged meat have found it easy to cook down into a robust and hearty stew with little to no extra prep work like trimming fat or thawing. Trader Joe's stew meat is also a great option for the health-conscious shopper, as it comes from cattle who are raised without antibiotics or hormones and given space to graze.

Average TJ's shoppers and professional chefs alike enjoy this grocery store's stew meat options for its convenience and versatility. Some customers throw Trader Joe's lean beef stew meat in with mirepoix, a three-vegetable blend of chopped carrots, celery, and onions for an easy and flavorful dinner.

Other customers opt to use Trader Joe's stew meat for different dishes altogether, like Christine Lee, who shared her Korean-inspired slow cooker beef recipe on Instagram. "Save this one," Lee wrote at the end of the recipe. "You're going to want it on a Tuesday when you have nothing planned and everyone is asking what's for dinner."

Costco offers pre-packaged cubes of meat labeled "beef for stew" that multiple employees have confirmed is bottom round. Bottom round refers to the lean meat around the rump and hind legs of the cow. These highly active muscles develop the strong collagen necessary for melting into fork-tender gelatin, making this a wonderful alternative to other standard stew cuts, like chuck roast. For chuck lovers, this makes Costco a dealbreaker. For those who don't love the flavor of chuck, this option is a great way to customize your stew to your tastes.

Those willing to forgo chuck roast for bottom round have shared positive reports back. These customers praised Costco stew meat for its large size, which certainly tracks for the popular bulk store. They also reported Costco stew meat releasing less liquid when browning in a skillet, which is the first step in braising the beef before adding it to the Dutch oven or slow cooker. Less liquid in the pan means the meat can brown more quickly, as opposed to being steamed by the excess moisture. More browning means more flavor, which is a must for slow-cooked stew.

For some customers, their general trust in Costco is enough to make them reach for this particular store's beef for stew. "Costco beef roast will be more tender regardless of the marbling since they blade-tenderize it. Plus it's AAA beef. You really can't go wrong with the beef at Costco, give it a shot," one shopper shared on the RedFlagDeals forum.

Aldi's stew meat comes from USDA choice Black Angus cattle. Black Angus beef refers to a specific cattle breed that originated in Scotland. This type of beef is known for its high-quality flavor and tender mouthfeel, both of which come from the cattle breed's distinct fat-and-muscle composition. Fat within the muscle keeps meat juicy and fork-tender as it cooks, which is critical for beef stew.

Many Aldi customers have sung the praises of the grocery chain's stew meat, commenting on its rich, beefy flavor and cookability. Shoppers report coming back to this meat option again and again, which is unsurprising, given how versatile and affordable it can be.

"I use it on the regular," one Aldi shopper posted on Reddit. "I make all kinds of things with it in the instant pot. Yesterday I made Carolina vinegar bbq sauce and poured it in the the stew meat. 30 minutes later throw it on a bun with pickles and red onion and wow!!!" In the same thread, another customer said, "Used it this week for a spicy keto beef stew and it was incredible."

Frequent Whole Foods Market customers prefer this grocery chain for its all-natural and health-conscious inventory, and its stew meat is no exception. Whole Foods Market's stew meat is typically beef chuck, though specific cuts may vary, depending on the supplier. The beef chuck listed on Whole Foods' website is labeled as coming from pasture-raised cattle that were given no antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal by-products in their feed.

Whole Foods Market stew meat has also received a Step 4 Animal Welfare Certification by the Global Animal Partnership. Meat receives this rating when cattle are allowed daily outdoor access for grazing. Grass-fed beef is recognizable by its bright red color, which indicates a rich, beefy taste. This characteristic helps create flavorful beef stew. One Whole Foods customer shared their go-to beef stew recipe on Facebook, saying that adding stew meat to a crockpot with a bottle of beer and one cup of red wine makes meat that "just falls apart."

Other customers will use Whole Foods stew meat for meals that feel less cold-weather coded, like enchiladas. "The meat was so tender it practically shredded itself," one shopper wrote on Facebook.

If you were surprised to see Target on this list of the best places to buy stew meat, you wouldn't be alone. Online shoppers have expressed their pleasant surprise at the flavor, versatility, affordability, and convenience of Target's USDA choice Angus beef stew meat. Some customers have gone so far as to rate Target's Good & Gather brand stew meat above other grocery stores like Whole Foods Market and Stop & Shop.

"They're good quality for what they are," one shopper wrote on Reddit. "Probably top of the line for store-bought...if you're gonna go to a grocery store, Good & Gather is great."

Target shoppers have also said that they use the Good & Gather stew meat for meals like curry, kabob sticks, and pot roasts. "I was craving beef stew and didn't want to go into a store so Target pickup saved my life again," one satisfied customer wrote in a Target review via Shipt. "I didn't know what to expect from this meat, but it was delicious. It was perfect. I'll definitely be buying more of this meat, both because of quality and [convenience]."

Meijer offers certified Angus beef stew meat in multiple sizes, including 1.25-pound and 2.5-pound packages of pre-cubed cuts. One potential downside (that's also technically an upside) to Meijer stew meat is that it doesn't last as long as some of its competitors. This is due to the fact that Meijer beef is cut fresh in-store, whereas other grocery stores will gas-pack their beef to maintain freshness. "Personally, the [certified Angus beef] at [M]eijer is the best beef around from a grocery," one customer wrote on Reddit.

One customer left a review on Meijer's website, calling the beef stew an "always buy" item on their grocery list. Others said they enjoyed buying stew meat to make stir fry by chopping the cubes into smaller pieces. Of course, people also reported making tender and flavorful stews with Meijer stew meat, too.

Shoppers also love the fact that Meijer participates in the Flashfood program, which allows customers to shop for heavily discounted food items on the Flashfood app at participating stores. Meat is a hot commodity on the app, and specific cuts aren't always available. However, the program gives customers the potential opportunity to stock up on flavorful stew meat for even less.

For beef stew lovers who live in close proximity to a Sprouts Farmers Market, this organic and natural food store is another great option for picking out the best beef cuts for stew meat. Sprouts' stew meat is grass-fed Angus beef with no antibiotics or hormones, which is good news for people concerned about the dangers of excessive antibiotics in meat. All Sprouts stew meat is harvested in the United States and minimally processed.

Many customers have shared stories of Sprouts changing its perspective on what constitutes good beef. One reviewer on the Sprouts website admitted that they were disappointed to see so much fat on the stew meat. "Turned out, I was pleasantly surprised when these beef cubes made the best stew ever. The meat was both tender and flavorful. I will definitely be buying again!" Other customers who don't even like beef have made exceptions for Sprouts.

Some customers note that Sprouts Farmers Markets' can be inconsistent with their meat stock. However, an employee who claims to work directly with Sprouts' corporate beef manager explained why on Reddit: "I can tell you that he takes pride in sourcing the best he can find," the employee wrote. "Which is hard because there are not a lot of farms here in the US that meet the qualifications to be sold in stores, let alone meet the demand of filling 500 stores. This is also why we have beef [out of stock] so often." Based on this testimony, when Sprouts has stew meat in stock, you can trust that it's high quality.

Wegmans is a high-end grocery store with locations in the northeast and mid-Atlantic United States. Although this high-end distinction comes with a premium price tag, customers say the extra cost is well worth it for the quality of items you're buying. That includes Wegmans choice beef stew, which is pre-packaged chuck that contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Wegmans customers have commented on the large size of the store's stew meats, but if you can get past the potential need for additional chopping, customers say it pays off. "I just bought some of their stew beef and also had huge cuts," a customer on Reddit wrote. "I cut it up and honestly it was the most tender stew beef I've ever cooked with."

Other Wegmans shoppers say the pre-packaged stew meat is even better than some cuts of steak, making it a great addition to other non-stew meals, like tacos and kabobs. One customer on the store's website mentioned that their Wegmans stew meat was "Fresh and tasty even 4 days past expiration date."

Beef stew lovers in Texas will likely choose H-E-B as a go-to spot for meat thanks to the chain's convenient locations and wide selection. In addition to cubed boneless lean beef stew meat, H-E-B offers all-in-one beef stew kits. These kits contain boneless beef cubes, petite gold potatoes, a quarter of an onion, and roughly chopped celery and carrots. The kit also has a seasoning packet and a corn starch packet to flavor and thicken the beef stew broth, respectively.

H-E-B stew meat is cut fresh in-store, which means that it tends to spoil more quickly than meat that is vacuum-packed with added gasses. Some customers have reported their H-E-B meat staying fresh in the fridge for up to five days, though, so it might be dependent on your specific store's beef supplier and inventory.

With a bit of extra seasoning, one H-E-B customer on TikTok rated their stew meat a "9.5 out of 10," and that was after simply browning the meat in a pan, not marinating it in a stew broth.