Crock Pot Beef Stew
CrockPot Beef Stew is one of my all-time favorite one-pot meals. It’s filling, delicious, and the family always loves it!
Prep: 20min
Total: 260min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts: calories 360 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 78 mg, Sodium 429 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 5 g, servingSize 2 cups, Trans Fat 1 g, unSaturated Fat 12 g
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds beef chuck ( or stewing beef)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups beef broth (*see note)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cups potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 2 cups carrots (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 cup celery (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 cup vegetable juice (such as V8)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 sprig fresh)
- ½ teaspoon thyme (or 2 sprigs fresh)
- ¾ cup peas
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instruction:
- Combine flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt & ½ teaspoon of black pepper to taste. Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan or skillet. Add the beef and brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Place the beef in the bottom of a 6qt slow cooker.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the onion to the slow cooker.
- Add 1 cup of beef broth (or red wine per the recipe notes below) to the pan and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula.
- Add the broth to the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 8-9 hours or until beef is tender.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir into the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture). Stir in peas.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and heated through. Season with salt & pepper.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This traditional Beef Stew is loaded with tender bites of juicy beef, golden potatoes, carrots, peas, red wine, onions, garlic, and a hearty beef broth. It’s the BEST Slow Cooker recipe for Fall and Winter.
Prep: 20min
Total: 260min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 507 kcal, Carbohydrate 35 g, Protein 49 g, Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 132 mg, Sodium 1035 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 7 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ pounds stew meat (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons cold butter (separated)
- 2 cups yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup high-quality cabernet sauvignon (merlot works as well. See notes.)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp better than bouillon (or 2 beef bouillon cubes)
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 5 medium carrots (cut into chunks, about 1-inch)
- 1 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes (halved or quartered)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup Cold Water + 3 tablespoons Corn Starch (Optional)
- 2-3 drops Gravy Master ((Optional)- Adds an even richer darker color.)
Instruction:
- Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discard any large pieces of fat. Fat marbleized into the meat is fine!
- Sprinkle beef with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Toss to coat. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss again.
- Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. Brown on each side for 45 seconds. Add more oil if needed. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Reduce heat to medium and melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom of the pan, removing any brown remnants. This will give the soup lots of good flavor. If necessary, add a splash of wine to help loosen it. Transfer the onions/garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add all remaining ingredients except for the peas, corn starch mixture, and 2 tablespoons of cold butter.
- Cook on low for 7 ½ to 8 hours or high for 3½ to 4 hours, until the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are fork tender.
- Add the peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary stem.
- Optional: To thicken, combine ¼ cup COLD water with 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Slowly add it to the stew, stirring to incorporate. It will continue to thicken upon standing.
- Turn off the heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of cold butter for a smooth, velvety finish. This is a technique that chefs use called “Monter au Beurre”.Optional: Add 3 drops of Gravy Master (or Kitchen Bouquet) for an even darker color.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is such a comforting soup made by simmering beef and vegetables, in a crockpot to make a tender and savory soup.
Prep: 20min
Total: 270min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 415 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 36 g, Fat 23 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 117 mg, Sodium 1248 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 14 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp extra light olive oil (or high heat cooking oil)
- 3 lb beef chuck roast (cut into 2 inch cubes)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 4 large carrots (cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 lb Yukon potatoes (cut into bite size pieces)
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (or added to taste)
- 2 bay leaves
- parsley (finely chopped, to serve)
Instruction:
- Preheat a skillet with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef in a single layer and saute until browned on both sides. Don’t crowd the pan and cook beef in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion until lightly browned, adding more oil if needed.
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Set it on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
- Remove bay leaves, season to taste, and serve garnished with parsley if desired.
Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe
FAQ
Do you have to brown stew meat before putting it in the crock pot?
What is the secret to good stew?
For most types of stew, it takes time to develop great flavor. Stew uses collagen-rich, tough cuts of meat, which need at least two hours to break down. If you try to rush it and boil the stew, the muscle fibers will shrink and become tough. So give yourself a few hours to let it do its thing.
How do you make stew meat tender in a crock pot?