This is the most delicious Crockpot Beef Stew – the beef is fall apart tender, and it is the ultimate comfort food for fall and winter.
How to make this recipe
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Start by searing the seasoned beef in a large skillet for 3-4 minutes until browned.
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Grease crockpot with butter, then add in seared beef and juices. Sprinkle with flour then stir to combine.
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Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed, except for frozen veggies and fresh parsley. At the last hour of cook time, add frozen veggies.
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When stew is cooked, add half the parsley, saving the other half for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Beef chuck – Beef chuck or any other affordable, tougher meats like tenderloin, top loin and sirloin tough will work great in this stew. You'll want to skip the lean, pricier meats because the tougher meats will become very tender in this stew.
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- Butter – You can switch butter out for olive oil or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or sunflower oil.
- Flour – Using cornstarch in place of flour will give the same thickening effect to the stew.
- Italian seasoning – If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can use a mixture of all or some of these spices: basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
- Thyme – Extra Italian seasoning, marjoram, or rosemary can replace thyme in this recipe.
- Yellow onion – Red onion, shallots and white onions are all substitutes for yellow onion.
- Worcestershire sauce – You are able to use balsamic or tomato paste to replace Worcestershire sauce, however using these substitutes aren't always ideal. The flavour of balsamic can overpower the dish and the amount of tomato paste needed doesn't justify the purchase of a whole can.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic or jarred minced garlic will work.
- Celery – Celery is an aromatic in this dish and is a classic ingredient in stews. You can replace celery for one of your favourite veggies or leave it out entirely.
- Carrot – Apply substitution notes from celery.
- Baby potatoes – I use Yukon gold baby potatoes, but you can replace this with red or white baby potatoes. If you're looking to make this recipe a low carb meal, you can leave out the potatoes or replace them with an extra serving of your favourite vegetables.
- Beef stock – Homemade beef stock is the best option but store-bought stock or broth in any flavour is fine also.
- Red wine (dry) – Pick any dry red wine of your choice (i.e. merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, or pinot noir).
- Frozen veggies – Get any frozen veggies blend of choice or opt out of this and just use your fresh vegetables.
- Parsley (to garnish) – If you don't like parsley, basil or cilantro are other options to consider.
Can you put raw beef in slow cooker?
The easiest part of the recipe is that it allows you to make it all in the slow cooker at once. Which means, yes you can put raw beef into the slow cooker. What you should know is that it is better to saute your beef first if you have time, for the added flavour.
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Does beef stew get more tender the longer it cooks?
Depending on how long you have to cook your stew, you can set your slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The cooking time you set for your dish won't make too much of a difference on how tender your beef gets. The tenderness of your beef will be almost identical with either cooking time.
How can I make my beef stew more flavourful?
To make your beef stew more flavourful, follow these tips:
- saute the beef ahead of time
- add dried herbs at the beginning
- add fresh herbs near the end
- use wine
- use aromatics.
If you have any doubt that your stew doesn't have enough flavour, add extra salt and pepper too – it can make more of a difference than you may think. If you think something is bland, sometimes salt is the easiest solution!
Storing and reheating
After enjoying your stew, after the dish has cooled down to room temperature, take any leftovers and store them in glass meal prep bowls by individual servings. This allows you to meal prep this dish and enjoy it throughout the week without the fuss. When you're ready to enjoy your beef stew, take the individual serving and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed.
You can store your leftovers in the fridge for up to five days!
Freezing and reheating
The best part of this dish is that it is freezer friendly. This means that if you have any extra leftovers that you wouldn't be able to eat throughout the week, you can freeze those servings in the freezer for up to three months! Once you're ready to enjoy your stew, allow the dish to thaw in room temperature or within a fridge and then warm it up! You can warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
More slow cooker recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this pasta into leftovers
- I get all my beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Crockpot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 cups baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 750 g bag frozen veggies
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sear beef on high heat in a large skillet for 3-4 minutes until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Grease your crockpot with butter, then add in seared beef and juices. Sprinkle flour overtop, then gently toss to coat.
- Add remaining ingreidents in the order in which they are listed, except for frozen veggies and fresh parsley. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours, adding the frozen veggies in the last hour of cook time.
- When stew is ready, stir in half the parsley, saving the other half for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
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