Why You’ll Love This
This old-fashioned beef stew is a perfect recipe for the crock pot. Easy to prep and loaded with comforting flavors. This tasty slow cooker beef stew recipe is just adjusted from our favorite Hearty Easy Beef Stew recipe. Nothing is better than cool weather comfort food. Check out our popular thick chili, Sicilian chicken soup, and tomato basil soup.
Key Ingredients
Meat – This slow cooker beef stew recipe uses beef chuck roast cut into pieces. You can also use stew meat. It’s the same and will save you time.Vegetables – Traditional beef stew uses onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and celery.Liquids – Beef stock (beef broth) and red wine.Seasonings – Thyme, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper make this crock pot beef stew the best ever!
How To Make Beef Stew In A Crockpot
Toss the stew meat with 1/3 cup of flour to coat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the meat in batches. Do not cook all the way through. Transfer to your slow cooker. Browning the meat is not absolutely necessary, but the caramelized meat adds to the rich, deep flavor of the stew. It’s definitely worth the extra step! Add the onion, celery, potatoes, and carrots on top of the beef. Sprinkle the garlic, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper over the top. In a bowl or large measuring cup, mix the red wine, beef broth, and tomato paste. It’s not necessary, but you could deglaze the pan with these liquids and then pour them into the crock pot. Pour the broth mixture over the top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or cook on high for 6-7 hours. Once cooked, mix two tablespoons of flour and one tablespoon of softened butter together in a small bowl. Move aside some of the meat and vegetables the best you can in the slow cooker. You can also cook uncovered for 30 minutes to an hour to help thicken without the flour mixture. Gently whisk in the flour mixture to thicken the stew even more. This step is not absolutely necessary, but we like our stew to be thick, not soupy. Serve and enjoy this thick and chunky beef stew. This bowl of goodness will satisfy your ravenous family members.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
We like to serve it with cornbread or drop biscuits, and maybe a salad.
Tips
Sear the beef! It’s important. Browning the beef first brings out way more flavor.Don’t cut the beef cubes too small. They will fall apart.You substitute Yukon gold or red potatoes for the russet potatoes.You can use an equal amount of beef stock and one tablespoon of red wine vinegar to replace the wine. The acidity of the vinegar helps tenderize the meat.Don’t just add the flour mixture to the slow cooker, it will stay lumpy. Whisk it in the liquid of the crock pot. Or remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker and whisk the flour mixture into it until smooth.
