The Perfect Crock Pot Beef Stew
Temps dropped below the 80’s this week and I knew it was time to pull out the crock pot!
Who doesn’t love a hearty beef stew on a chilly fall day?!
This delicious beef stew was easy to make and a family favorite!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need!
Meat – beef chuck roast
Veggies – baby new potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic
Seasonings – thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, mustard seeds, bay leaves, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper
Liquids – beef broth, vegetable juice (like V8), Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste
Other – extra-virgin olive oil to sauté the meat and flour (I used gluten free flour) to thicken the gravy
How to Make Beef Stew in Slow Cooker
It’s really easy to make this crock pot beef stew recipe! Here’s a brief rundown of steps. (Scroll down for the detailed recipe.)
Warm olive oil in a large skillet.
Season beef with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and brown all over.
Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic into a greased 6-quart slow cooker.
Whisk together the liquids and seasonings until well combined; pour over the the beef and vegetables.
Toss in bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low heat until meat is super tender and falling apart at the touch.
Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with parsley and enjoy!
How long to cook beef stew in slow cooker? This recipe calls for 7-8 hours on low and then an additional 30 minutes if you’re thickening the broth. While you can cook on high for 3-4 hours, I do not recommend it. Low and slow is the way to go to achieve tender, fall-apart meat and deep flavors!
How to thicken a beef stew in slow cooker? If you want the liquid to be more like a gravy, you’ll create a slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup stew broth until combined and smooth. Slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.
Beef Stew Crock Pot Recipe Notes
Don’t cut the cubes of beef too small or they’ll fall apart before being able to soak up all the flavor from slow cooking all day.
Brown the beef! Browning the beef before adding in all the other ingredients is key! Forming a nice crust on all the pieces of beef locks in flavor. This extra step is so worth it!
You can peel your potatoes if you want, but for baby new potatoes, it’s not necessary. If they are on the extra large side, you might want to quarter them.
Chicken broth can replace the beef broth if that’s all you have, although the overall taste will not be as deep.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck roast , cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1 pound baby new potatoes , halved
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 large sweet onion , diced
3 cloves garlic , minced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup vegetable juice (such as V8)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen peas , thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic into a 6-quart slow cooker.
In a bowl, whisk together the beef broth, vegetable juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, oregano, paprika, and mustard seeds until well combined; pour over the the beef and vegetables.
Toss in 2 bay leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth to create a slurry. Slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.
Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 1045mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6405IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
