Slow Cooker Beef Stew

5 from 1 vote

This slow cooker beef stew is made with tender beef and vegetables slow cooked in rich and savory gravy. It's a comforting, from-scratch meal that’s easy to prep and perfect for serving over creamy mashed potatoes!

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

7-quart slow cooker or 8-quart

Ingredients

3 pounds chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes, excess fat trimmed
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for searing
1 medium yellow onion diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme and rosemary minced
1 cup red wine I use Pinot Noir
3 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 carrots peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup room temp water
½ cup green peas
Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

Season beef: Season the cubed beef generously with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper.
Sear beef: Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then sear until browned, working in batches as needed to get a good sear (prevents steaming). Transfer to a large 7-quart slow cooker. Do not wipe the skillet clean.
Sauté the aromatics: In the same skillet, cook onions for 3 minutes. If needed, add a splash of broth to deglaze any burning spots. Then, add minced garlic, minced thyme and rosemary, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Deglaze with wine: Stir in the red wine, scraping up brown bits to deglaze the pan. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until about halfway reduced. Transfer this into the slow cooker as well.
Add everything else into slow cooker: Whisk beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of ground black pepper. Add this mixture into the slow cooker, along with the carrots and celery. Stir to combine evenly. Tuck in the sprigs of rosemary and bay leaves.
Slow cook for 8 hours: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the beef is very tender.
Thicken the stew and add peas: 30 minutes before the cook time is up, stir in the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved with water), as well as the green peas. Cover and finish cooking for the remaining time until thickened.
Finish the beef stew with freshly chopped Italian parsley. Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves before serving. Serve warm over mashed potatoes!

Video

Notes

Sear in batches to ensure browning the meat.
Chop the vegetables into medium or large chunks to maintain texture.
Potatoes: We skip adding potatoes into the slow cooker since the stew is served over mashed potatoes. Feel free to add 2 cups red or yukon gold potatoes if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes.
Cook time: 8 hours on LOW is ideal, but 5 hours on HIGH will work too.
Best cut of beef: Beef chuck roast is best. Find a well-marbled piece (but not too fatty either) and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Add cornstarch slurry in the final 30 minutes of cooking to thicken the sauce. The ratio is 3 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water for the amount of broth this recipe calls for.
Make ahead: Prepare the entire stew, let it cool completely and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving.
Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Place cooled stew in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

Variations and substitutions:

Red wine substitute: Use equal parts extra beef broth and extra balsamic.
Green peas: Chopped green beans, added 1 hour before the cook time is up.
Dried rosemary and thyme: Use one-third of the quantities listed for fresh.
Potatoes: Add chopped or halved potatoes if desired.
Stew meat? If you can't find chuck roast, pre-cut stew meat works too, but those cuts are generally not as fatty, so it may lack some flavor.
Don't use bottom round beef (too lean)
Extra veggies: Mushrooms, pearl onions, corn.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition