Go Back
Bowl of Norwegian beef stew (lapskaus) with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, leeks, and chopped herbs on a wooden table.
Erik Lundström

Traditional Norwegian Brown Lapskaus Recipe (Beef & Root Vegetable Stew)

This recipe will walk you through making an authentic Norwegian brown lapskaus. It’s a one-pot meal loaded with fork-tender beef and vegetables. We’ll use dual measurements (both US customary and metric) for convenience. The recipe serves about 6 people – and keep in mind, lapskaus is even better the next day, so leftovers are gold!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner / Main Course
Cuisine: Norwegian
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs (approx. 900 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes – (chuck roast or other slow-cooking beef cut is ideal)
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter (or use half butter, half oil) for browning
  • 2 small onions (or 1 large), diced
  • 2 tsp all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
  • 4 cups (1 liter) beef stock (or broth/water with 2 bouillon cubes)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup diced rutabaga (~200 g) – peeled and cut into 1/2–1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup diced celeriac (celery root) (~150 g) – peeled and cut into 1/2–1 inch pieces (or sub 1 parsnip, ~100 g, peeled and chopped)
  • 4 medium potatoes (~1.5 lbs or 700 g total), peeled and cut into ~3/4 inch (2 cm) chunks
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts sliced into rings (or sub another onion)
  • 2 bay leaves (optional, for flavor)
  • ½ tsp dried thyme (or a sprig of fresh thyme, optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Method
 

Brown the Beef
  1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter (and oil, if using) over medium-high heat.
  2. Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel (this helps browning) and season them lightly with salt and pepper.
  3. Brown the beef in batches – add a single layer of beef cubes and sear them for a few minutes on each side until nicely browned. Avoid overcrowding the pan (brown in 2–3 batches if needed).
    Browned beef cubes searing in a Dutch oven on the stovetop for Norwegian lapskaus.
Sauté Onions & Build Base
  1. After browning the beef, lower the heat to medium.
  2. If the pot is very dry, add a touch more butter or oil. Add the diced onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the onions cook – those bits are flavor!
    Diced onions sautéing in the Dutch oven, picking up browned bits for lapskaus stew.
  3. If using the optional flour (to thicken the stew), stir it into the onions now and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly (this cooks off the raw flour taste).
Simmer Beef in Broth
  1. Pour in the beef stock (broth). Return the browned beef (and any juices from the plate) back into the pot.
    Beef cubes simmering in a dark broth after deglazing the pot for Norwegian beef lapskaus.
  2. Add the bay leaves and thyme as well. Give everything a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze any remaining brown bits into the liquid.
  3. Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and let it simmer on low for about 1 to 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender. You want a gentle simmer with just a few bubbles – slow cooking is key to tender meat.
  4. Stir occasionally, and if too much liquid evaporates you can add a bit of water. (The broth should just cover the ingredients; it will reduce and concentrate over time.)
Add Root Vegetables
  1. After the beef has simmered and is starting to get tender, add the chopped carrots, rutabaga, and celeriac (or parsnip) to the pot. (Hold off on the potatoes and leek for now.) Give it a stir. The liquid may not fully cover the veggies – that’s okay, they will release moisture as they cook.
    Carrots and diced root vegetables added to the pot with beef to cook into lapskaus stew.
  2. Cover the pot again and continue simmering for about 15 minutes.
Add Potatoes (and Leek)
  1. Next, add the potato chunks and the sliced leek to the pot. At this point, all the veggies are in. If it looks very dry, you can splash in a bit more hot water or stock, but be careful – lapskaus should be somewhat thick and not too brothy in the end.
    Sliced leeks and potatoes added on top of the simmering Norwegian beef stew lapskaus in a Dutch oven.
  2. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes and all vegetables are very tender.
  3. Tip: Try not to stir too vigorously or too often in this stage – the potatoes will naturally start to break down and thicken the stew, but you still want some nice chunks remaining. Gentle strirring is fine.
  4. By the end of cooking, the vegetables should be soft and some will have “melted” into the broth, which is exactly what you want for a slightly thick stew.
Season and Serve
  1. Check that the beef is fork-tender (a piece should break apart easily with a fork – if not, simmer a bit longer).
  2. Fish out the bay leaves and thyme sprig (if used).
  3. Taste the lapskaus and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Don’t be shy with the pepper – a few grinds of black pepper add a lovely warmth.
    Finished Norwegian beef lapskaus stew with tender beef and vegetables, topped with chopped herbs.
  4. Serve the stew hot in bowls, garnishing each with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and lingonberry jam.

Notes

Lapskaus will thicken as it sits. If you prefer it thinner, you can always add a bit more hot water to the pot to adjust the consistency. Conversely, if it’s not thick enough for your liking, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes or mash a few potato pieces against the side of the pot to release their starch.
This stew is even better the next day – the flavors deepen overnight – so don’t worry about making too much. Leftovers can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze portions for up to 3 months (it reheats wonderfully on the stovetop over low heat, just add a splash of water if needed)