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Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Unlike our Classic Beef Stew, this is the best Beef Stew made in a Crockpot, which makes it a great set-it-and-forget-it meal! Slow-cook the stew for hours until the beef is fall-apart tender and full of flavor. This beef stew recipe consists of hearty beef chuck roast and a variety of vegetables that soften to perfection while cooking. The flavors from all the ingredients meld together as the stew simmers low and slow, making the stew exactly what it should be — perfect. Serve this next to our Caesar Salad and Sourdough Bread for a complete dinner.
Ingredients for Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker
It’s so simple to create this savory, filling meal with only a few ingredients tossed into a slow cooker. These beef stew ingredients may surprise you, but trust me, they come together in an irresistible dish!
Beef Chuck Roast – Cut the roast into chunks using a knife or even kitchen shears, and then be sure they are all similarly sized for even cooking. Vegetables – onion, carrots, potatoes Apple Cider – This adds the perfect level of sweetness without tasting sweet, but just be sure to use the juice, not the vinegar. Broth – tomato paste, beef broth, salt, pepper and bay leaf
How to Cook Beef Stew in a Crockpot
One of the best parts about this hearty and comforting Slow Cooker Beef Stew is how easy it is to make. This hearty soup is the perfect make-ahead meal. Simply set it to stew in the morning and then walk away, and then it’ll be ready for you just in time for dinner.
Beef: If you don’t have chuck roast, you can substitute rump roast, bottom round, or “beef stew meat.” These cuts are typically more tough and full of connective tissue, but when slow-cooked, they become perfectly tender. Look for a good amount of marbling (fat) in the meat. More marbling means the meat will be melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Potatoes: The best potatoes for beef stew are Yukon gold potatoes. Red potatoes and sweet potatoes are also great alternatives as they have less starch and hold up well in a slow cooker. Add them peeled or unpeeled. Tomato paste: If you’re out of tomato paste, you have a few options. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce. Or, add an equal amount of ketchup (although ketchup does have a slightly sweeter flavor) Vegetables: Add chopped celery and garlic and sauté briefly with the onion to soften and infuse the flavors. Green beans, mushrooms, and frozen peas are also great additions to this hearty stew.
Brown the beef: Preheat a skillet on medium-high heat with oil then brown the beef on all sides, and then, once browned, remove the beef and place it in a separate dish. Sauté the onion: In the same skillet, sauté the onion in the leftover oil and beef juices. Combine all ingredients: Add soup ingredients into a crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours. Beef stew is cooked and ready when the beef is tender and falls apart easily when pierced with a fork. Season to taste: Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Why settle on a regular beef stew when you can have an exceptional beef stew? Follow these tips to make your beef stew rich in flavor.
Brown the beef and onions: For the best flavor and color, make sure to separately sauté and brown the beef and onions over medium-high heat. If the meat seems raw in the center, don’t worry because it will finish cooking while stewing. If you’re pressed for time, you can add these ingredients raw, but browning them really improves the flavor and texture. Adjust spices and vegetables: Feel free to add any of your favorite spices or vegetables to diversify the stew. A splash of Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkle of paprika, and sautéed celery are great options. Use what you have in your pantry and refrigerator. Avoid rushing the cooking process: For the most tender and flavorful meat, cook the stew long enough, from 4 (on high) to 7 hours (on low). If you’re wondering why beef is still chewy in the slow cooker, it may be because you rushed the cooking process (skip browning the meat or shorten stew cooking time). The meat can remain tough. The longer the stew cooks, the softer the meat will be. Limit cooking time: If the stew cooks for too long (such as overnight), the vegetables can become too tender. Overcooked vegetables will fall apart extremely easily and turn your stew into mush. If you plan to leave the stew in the crockpot, place the setting on “keep warm” after the stew has finished cooking.
How to Thicken Beef Stew
To thicken the stew, make a cornstarch slurry (mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 Tbsp cold water to start) and add to the crockpot at the end. Mix and stew for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Alternatively, add a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour when initially browning the meat. To thin beef stew – add more beef broth and season to taste.
What size crockpot is best for beef stew?
This will fit into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. We used an 8-quart slow cooker.
To Serve Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Beef stew is incredibly easy to serve because it’s a meal in itself. It is loaded with protein, vegetables, and carbs all in one. To top it off, serve Crusty French Bread or Soft Dinner Rolls on the side and dip the bread slices into the savory stew. Yum! Alternatively, serve the beef stew as an option in a “soup and salad” dinner. For a salad, try Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Cobb Salad or Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad.
More Hearty Beef Recipes
Beef Stroganoff Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce Prime Rib Roast Beef Barley Soup Slow Cooker Beef Roast Meatloaf Recipe Beef Chili Recipe Sloppy Joes
Refrigerator: To store for up to three days, refrigerate cooled beef stew in an airtight container. Freezer: Beef stew freezes really well. To freeze for up to four months, pour beef stew into airtight containers, allowing about an inch of space on top to compensate for expansion when freezing. Reheating: To reheat from the refrigerator, pour beef stew into a pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the soup is warmed through. Then to reheat from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge or thaw on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently.
title: “Slow Cooker Beef Stew” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-06” author: “Gregory Burkett”
Be sure to try my Crock Pot Roast and Pork Stew recipes next!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of rich and flavorful beef stew. It’s such a traditional Fall and Winter comfort food. I’ve been working on slight variations of this recipe for years and I have to say, this version is definitely the best ever. All of the ingredients in this recipe complement each other so well, and the quantities of each are perfect, with no ingredient overpowering another. Let’s get into everything you need to know. From the what cuts of beef to use, the best potatoes for stew, pro tips, storage, and more:
How to Make It
See recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient quantities and full instructions Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discard any large pieces of fat. Fat marbleized into the meat is fine! Season beef with pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Toss to coat. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss again. Sear the meat in batches for 45 seconds per side and transfer to the Slow Cooker.
Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and soften the onions and garlic, scraping up any meat remnants up from the pot. Add a splash of wine to help loosen if necessary. Transfer to the Slow Cooker.
Add all remaining ingredients except for the peas, corn starch, and 2 Tablespoons of cold butter. Heat on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are fork tender. Add the peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking. To thicken, combine 1/4 cup cold water + 3 Tablespoons corn starch and slowly stir it into the broth. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Turn off heat and remove the bay leaves and rosemary stem. Add browning and seasoning sauce.
Best Beef for Stew
Chuck roasts -The best option. It is preferred over other cuts because of the connective tissue, which makes it more tender. (Bonus: It’s also a less expensive cut than other types.) Rump roasts Bottom rounds
Best Potatoes to Use
Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes are best for stews as they have less starch content and hold up much better than russet potatoes, which tend to fall apart and break down into the stew.
Searing the Meat
Searing the beef adds a nice color, flavor, and texture for the stew, it also creates a nice base to soften up the onions and garlic. The remnants from the meat are loosened up with butter/wine and transferred to the Slow Cooker for the ultimate flavor base. Sear just long enough to give the exterior a crisp texture, don’t cook it all the way through. 45 seconds per side is all it takes.
Can You Put Raw Beef in the Slow Cooker?
Yes. If you don’t have time to sear the meat, you can toss it in the flour mixture and place it right in the Slow Cooker along with the uncooked onions and garlic.
Red Wine Substitute
An equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice may be used instead of wine, along with 2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar. The acidity helps to break down and tenderize the meat. For an Irish twist on this recipe, use 1 cup of extra stout Guinness instead of wine.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
Cornbread Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole Recipe Mashed Potatoes Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Try These Next
Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.) Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings. Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them. Garlic Twister– it’s much more flavorful to mince fresh garlic. This twister does it in seconds and is easy to clean and store. Soup Bowls –(I love these!) 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
Tried This Recipe?
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