Each chunk of this old school Crockpot Beef Stew recipe soothes me from the within out. Tender beef and greens nestled right into a wealthy, soulful gravy, this gradual cooker beef stew will reward your endurance with each chunk.
Calling all the nice and cozy fuzzies, cuddly blankets, and flannel!
It’s time for a heat squeeze in dinner kind: crockpot beef stew.
Now that every day appears to be cooler than the final, I wished to share a recipe for a warm-you-up (and lightened-up) gradual cooker beef stew.
It’s, undoubtedly, probably the greatest crockpot soups in my arsenal (this Crock Pot Beef and Vegetable Soup is one other favourite).
Crockpot beef stew is the type of factor I like to have simmering in the home all day.
As the meat stew cooks and the broth thickens right into a wealthy gravy, the odor fills my kitchen in a nostalgic approach that jogs my memory of my Grandma Dorothy.
Various Cooking Strategies
- For a stovetop model of this soup, take a look at my basic Beef Stew, which is made in a Dutch oven.
- To make this recipe in a stress cooker, see Immediate Pot Beef Stew.
5 Star Evaluate
“I made this at present, and it was really a 5-star meal. Everybody completely beloved it, together with my youngsters who could be fussy.”
— Kelly —
Causes to Love Crockpot Beef Stew
Right here’s why you want this quaint gradual cooker beef stew in your life:
- Cooler nights are right here! With each chunk cozier than the final, this gradual cooker stew recipe warms to your core (like this Beef Barley Soup).
- A low and gradual cook dinner time makes this recipe the proper make-ahead meal throughout a busy work week. You’ll come house to beef so fall-apart tender, you’ll be able to reduce it with a spoon.
- FLAVOR OVERLOAD. With a wealthy crimson wine gravy and fragrant contemporary herbs, everybody at your desk can be begging for seconds.
- Loaded with each veggies and hearty protein, beef stew within the gradual cooker is a wholesome, filling, and satisfying all-in-one meal (though I at all times suggest serving it with this Rosemary Olive Oil Bread for absorbing additional gravy).
Translation: Making this gradual cooker beef stew recipe is WORTH EVERY MINUTE!
How you can Make Crockpot Beef Stew
This best-ever gradual cooker beef stew tastes like pure consolation in a bowl.
Have it on the prepared for the cool evenings forward.
The Elements
- Chuck Roast. Boneless chuck roast is ideal for this recipe. It’s a extra marbled reduce (marbling = taste) that turns into tender all through the low and gradual cooking. (This Italian Beef is one other scrumptious chuck roast recipe.) You additionally might use a prime or backside spherical roast.
One of the best sort of meat to make use of for beef stew
- So far as what sort of meat is finest for beef stew, my reply is (prepared for it?) NOT beef stew meat.
- Stew meat is usually a mixture of all totally different sizes and cuts, so the items could not cook dinner evenly. You would have some bites with excellent, fork-tender beef and others with robust, rubbery meat. There’s a purpose this Sluggish Cooker Beef Stroganoff (which makes use of sirloin) and this Sluggish Cooker Beef and Broccoli (which requires flank steak) every have totally different cooking instances: every makes use of a distinct sort of beef.
- Quite than buying precut stew meat, I like to recommend shopping for a single piece of chuck roast from the butcher, then slicing it into cubes your self.
- Deciding on a single sort of beef means you’ll know what reduce you’re getting, your items can be uniform in measurement in order that they cook dinner evenly, and chuck roast’s deep marbling ensures that each chunk of the meat within the stew is fall-apart tender.
- Pink Wine or Beer. Sluggish cooker beef stew with crimson wine has a lot depth of taste! Beef stew with beer can also be onerous to beat. Strive Cabernet Sauvignon for wine or a stout or porter for beer.
- Greens. The extra, the merrier! I used onion, celery, carrots, parsnip, and peas for an array of flavors, textures, and dietary advantages.
- Potatoes. The starch within the potatoes helps thicken the stew and provides some additional bulk to make each bowl filling and satisfying. For the thickest stew, a starchy potato like russet is the most effective, however when you’d just like the potatoes to maintain extra of their texture (russets have a tendency to interrupt down), select a waxy potato like crimson potatoes or Yukon golds.
- Tomato Paste. A straightforward strategy to construct concentrated taste (as in my favourite Braised Quick Ribs).
- Worcestershire Sauce. A tangy, savory addition to your beef stew and one other taste constructing block. If in a pinch, substitute with balsamic vinegar.
- Beef Broth. To offer moisture and assist the meat tenderize. I like to recommend low sodium in order that your beef stew doesn’t turn out to be overly salty.
- Flour. To assist the meat brown and caramelize. It additionally helps the gravy thicken as nicely. No want to make use of cornstarch right here.
- Thyme. Thyme is my absolute favourite herb in beef stew. It’s the best match with the foundation greens, and its earthy, savory taste is a trademark of consolation meals (like in Shepherd’s Pie).
- Salt and Pepper. Don’t be skimpy. These give the meat and greens excellent taste.
The Instructions
- Minimize your chuck roast, and place it in a big bowl. Sprinkle with spices and flour, tossing to coat.
- In a big skillet or Dutch oven, brown the meat in batches on the stove-top. When darkish and golden throughout, take away to a plate.
Tip!
Browning the meat for this beef stew does take a little bit of time, however it’s price each second.
- Identical to when making pot roast or Braised Quick Ribs the deep browning and caramelizing of the meat give it a darkish, golden, irresistible crust that enriches the gravy and makes this probably the greatest gradual cooker beef stew recipes ever.
- Sauté the greens, then add the tomato paste and spices.
- Deglaze with the crimson wine and let scale back.
- Switch every part to your gradual cooker.
- Pour within the beef broth and stir to mix.
- Sluggish cook dinner beef stew on LOW for six 1/2 to eight hours or HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, till the meat is cooked by and fall-apart tender.
- Stir within the peas (or different frozen greens if utilizing), cook dinner till tender. ENJOY!
Storage Suggestions
- To Retailer. Place cooked and cooled stew in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- To Reheat. Gently reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven or related massive pot/skillet on the stovetop over medium-low warmth, including splashes of broth as wanted. It’s also possible to rewarm this stew in a microwave-safe bowl within the microwave till sizzling.
- To Freeze. Retailer cooked and cooled leftovers in an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
The stew leftovers style even higher the subsequent day, so you may make this beef stew as soon as, then get pleasure from it for cozy lunches and dinners all week lengthy. Snag some meal-prep containers so you’ll be able to divvy up leftovers into preportioned quantities for a straightforward grab-and-go lunch.
Wine Pairing
Any full-bodied, dry Cabernet Sauvignon will pair properly with its hearty, flavorful gradual cooker beef stew.
What to Serve with Crockpot Beef Stew
Beneficial Instruments to Make this Recipe
My Favourite Sluggish Cooker
This 6-quart programmable gradual cooker has a locking lid for simple transport, and its ceramic insert is oven and microwave too.
This crockpot beef stew is the straightforward, not too heavy, richly flavored, and fall-apart tender recipe you want this season.
Let it consolation you on a cool night time quickly!
Regularly Requested Questions
Whereas uncooked meat is completely secure to place into the gradual cooker, for the most effective beef stew, you NEED to brown the meat first. The crust that kinds on the meat as you brown it’s the most important basis of the stew’s taste. It’s the key to creating an old school beef stew you’ll devour time and again. Browning the meat takes a while, however it’s price it. Brown the meat in batches and don’t crowd the pan to make sure that superb crust kinds. Be affected person. Pour your self some wine. Embrace the second.
Frozen beef will not be secure to position in a crockpot. Throughout cooking, the meat could spend too lengthy at room temperature and turn out to be unsafe to eat. To thaw beef shortly and safely: Place your meat in a zip-top bag, squeeze out extra air, and seal. Then, place it in a big bowl, and fill the bowl with chilly water. Let it sit for about half-hour. If it’s not thawed after this time, empty the water, and refill it with contemporary water.
You’ll be able to overcook stew meat in a gradual cooker, however the gradual cooker considerably reduces these odds because of the low and gradual cooking methodology and the quantity of liquid. Remember that the cooking time can range relying in your gradual cooker, so test early in case your crockpot tends to run on the warmer aspect. Chuck roast is pretty forgiving due to its marbling, so when you go over on time, all is actually not misplaced. Your greens could also be a little bit mushy, however your stew ought to nonetheless have nice taste.
I wrote this recipe to make sure the meat stew is lots thick, so that you received’t must do something additional to thicken it up. This is the reason the recipe begins with so little broth within the gradual cooker. If you happen to do wish to thicken up the meat stew extra, you may attempt whisking in a cornstarch slurry on the finish, however (and that is coming from somebody who loves her soups and stews so thick {that a} spoon can virtually arise within the bowl by itself), it really doesn’t want it. Reap the benefits of this beef stew recipe’s straightforward nature and skip it.
- 2 1/2 kilos boneless chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon floor black pepper divided
- 1/4 cup white entire wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 cups dry crimson wine equivalent to Cabernet Sauvignon, darkish beer (equivalent to an amber, porter, or Guinness—don’t use a bitter or hoppy beer equivalent to an IPA because the hops will throw off the flavour), or further beef broth
- 1 massive yellow onion
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 massive carrots
- 2 parsnips
- 3/4 pound crimson potatoes about 2 medium
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs contemporary thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme; when you like, tie the contemporary thyme along with kitchen twine to make the stems simpler to fish out on the finish
- 3 to 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups contemporary or frozen peas no must thaw
- Contemporary parsley elective for serving
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Minimize the meat chuck roast into 1-inch cubes, eradicating any massive, robust items of fats or gristle. I discovered it best to chop it into 1-inch-thick massive, spherical slices, then strips, then cubes. Place the cubes in a big bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle on the flour, then toss evenly to coat.
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Place a big, deep Dutch oven over medium-high warmth. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling and shimmering (a drop of water ought to sizzle if added to the floor), add one-third to one-half of the meat. The cubes needs to be in a single layer and never too crowded in order that they brown properly. Let the cubes of beef cook dinner undisturbed for 4 to five minutes (resist the urge to peek!), till the underside of the cubes develop a dark-brown crust and are available away from the pan simply. Flip and proceed searing till darkish and golden throughout, about 4 to five further minutes. Switch the seared meat to a clear bowl or plate.
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Add one other 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot, and as soon as sizzling, sear the remaining beef, working in batches and making certain that you don’t overcrowd the items. It could take two or three batches complete relying on the dimensions of your pan. If the pan will get too dry, add a bit extra oil as wanted.
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Whereas the meat browns, cube the yellow onion and celery. Mince the garlic.
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When the final batch of beef has been seared, switch it to a plate and scale back the warmth to medium.
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Add the ultimate tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and celery and cook dinner till the onions are delicate and translucent; about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook dinner 30 seconds, till aromatic.
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Whereas the onions sauté, peel and cube the carrots and parsnips. Scrub the potatoes and reduce right into a tough cube. Put aside.
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Stir within the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
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Improve the pan warmth to medium-high warmth and add the wine or beer (stand again, as it is going to sputter). Cook dinner, letting the wine scale back and scraping up all the brown bits from the pan. Proceed to scrape and stir till the liquid is barely decreased and thickened, 2 to three minutes.
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Switch the sautéed greens and any sauce from the pan to a 6-quart or bigger gradual cooker. Add the meat, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme.
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Slowly pour in 3 cups of beef broth.
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Stir to roughly mix.
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Cowl and cook dinner on low for six 1/2 to eight hours or excessive for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, till the meat is cooked by and fall-apart tender.
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Take away the bay leaf and thyme stems and stir within the peas. If you happen to’d just like the stew thinner, add further broth till it reaches your required consistency. Style and add further salt or pepper as desired. Serve sizzling, garnish with contemporary parsley.
- TO STORE: Place cooked and cooled stew in an hermetic storage container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven or related massive pot on the stovetop over medium-low warmth, including splashes of broth as wanted. It’s also possible to rewarm this stew in a microwave-safe bowl within the microwave till sizzling.
- TO FREEZE: Retailer cooked and cooled leftovers in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Serving: 1(of 8), about 1 3/4 cupsEnergy: 463kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 33gFats: 22gSaturated Fats: 8gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 12gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 98mgPotassium: 1246mgFiber: 6gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5414IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 4mg
