Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Printable version)
Tender beef and hearty root vegetables slow-cooked to juicy perfection in a savory broth.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
→ Vegetables
02 - 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
03 - 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
05 - 1 large onion, chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
08 - 4 cups beef broth (gluten-free if needed)
09 - ½ cup dry red wine (optional)
10 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
11 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
→ Spices & Herbs
12 - 2 tsp salt
13 - ½ tsp black pepper
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 1 tsp dried thyme
16 - ½ tsp dried rosemary
→ For thickening
17 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
18 - 2 tbsp cold water
# How To:
01 - Season the beef cubes evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef in batches to enhance flavor; then transfer to the slow cooker.
03 - Place carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onion, celery, and garlic into the slow cooker with the beef.
04 - Whisk together beef broth, red wine if using, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl; pour over the meat and vegetables.
05 - Add bay leaves, dried thyme, and dried rosemary; stir gently to combine all ingredients.
06 - Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, or high heat for 4 to 5 hours, until beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
07 - Thirty minutes before serving, mix cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry; stir into the stew, cover, and cook on high for 30 minutes until thickened.
08 - Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning as needed before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Eight hours of slow cooking means tender, fall-apart beef that tastes like it's been simmering since breakfast.
- The longer it sits, the more the vegetables release their sweetness and meld into the broth, so the flavor actually improves if you make it a day ahead.
- It's naturally gluten-free, which means one meal that everyone at the table can actually eat together.
02 -
- Browning the meat is truly optional but genuinely worth it, the difference between a stew that tastes homemade and one that tastes like you forgot to plan ahead.
- Don't skip patting the beef dry before browning, wet meat steams instead of browning, and you'll regret it.
- If your vegetables are unevenly sized, they'll cook unevenly, so take thirty seconds to cut them roughly the same size.
- The cornstarch slurry must be mixed with cold water first, adding it directly to hot broth creates lumps that are almost impossible to break up.
03 -
- Make this stew the night before serving it, the flavors develop overnight and the fat rises to the top where you can skim it off if you want to lighten it up.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking the beef at the six-hour mark, some cookers finish faster than others and you don't want everything falling apart.