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Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich, dark beef stew, tender chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes.
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Make this hearty, old fashioned beef stew in your slow cooker for tender beef and rich, savory broth. It is the ultimate comfort food for cozy evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine (optional, substitute with more broth)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen peas (added at the end)

Instructions

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss the beef with salt, pepper, and flour until lightly coated.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Remove the browned beef and set it aside.
  3. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
  4. Transfer the browned beef, onions, and garlic to your slow cooker.
  5. Pour in the beef broth, red wine (if using), tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir everything together.
  6. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
  7. Add the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker. Stir gently.
  8. Continue cooking on LOW for another 2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
  9. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
  10. Taste the stew and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving hot with crusty bread.

Notes

  • For a thicker gravy, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Stir this slurry into the stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • This recipe is excellent for meal prep; the flavor deepens overnight.
  • You can use beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into cubes for this classic beef stew recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://juliameal.com/old-fashioned-slow-cooker-beef-stew/