Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef stew with fork tender chunks, rich gravy, and root vegetables that simmer all day for you. ♡

This easy slow cooker beef stew is the cozy winter meal that runs on autopilot. Browned beef chuck simmers with carrots, potatoes, and a rich red wine gravy for 8 hours, so dinner is waiting when you walk through the door. For more ideas, see our Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta.

Set it in the morning, eat it at night, leftovers taste even better. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

• 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the beef
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine, or extra broth
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves bay leaves
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp cold water, for the slurry
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, for garnish

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

1. **Season.** Pat beef chunks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. **Sear.** Sear beef in 2 batches, 2 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer to the slow cooker.
3. **Soften.** Add remaining oil and onion to the same pan. Cook 4 minutes, then add garlic and tomato paste. Stir 1 minute.
4. **Deglaze.** Pour in red wine and scrape the bottom clean. Pour everything into the slow cooker.
5. **Layer.** Add beef broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Stir gently.
6. **Cook.** Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours, until beef is fork tender.
7. **Thicken.** In the last 15 minutes whisk cornstarch with cold water and stir into the stew. Cover and cook 15 minutes more until glossy. Discard bay leaves, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Why This Recipe Works

Searing the beef chuck before slow cooking is the rule that builds the gravy. Skipping this step leaves a stew that tastes thin and flat, but a hard sear on each cube creates the browned crust that dissolves into the cooking liquid as the slow cooker runs. That browned protein is where 80 percent of the flavor lives.

Chuck roast is the cut to use because it has just enough collagen to break down into silky tender bites. Lean cuts like sirloin dry out in 8 hours, and stew meat from the grocery store is often a mix of unrelated cuts that cook unevenly. Buying a whole chuck roast and cutting it into 1.5 inch chunks gives you uniform tenderness.

A cornstarch slurry stirred in at the last 15 minutes thickens the gravy without leaving raw starch flavor. Adding flour at the start coats the meat unevenly and can clump, but a slurry whisked smooth into hot liquid thickens cleanly. The gravy goes from broth thin to spoon coating in a few minutes. For more ideas, see our Pesto Chicken Caprese Skewers.

Tips

• Sear the beef in batches in a hot pan. Crowding equals steaming and gray meat.
• Use chuck roast cut into 1.5 inch chunks. Pre-cut stew meat is unreliable.
• Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the searing pan and scrape every browned bit into the slow cooker.
• Store leftovers up to 4 days. Stew flavor improves overnight as everything melds.
• Reheat on the stovetop over medium low or in 20 second microwave bursts.
• Common mistake: do not skip the cornstarch slurry. It is what takes the gravy from thin to glossy.

Variations

• Add 1 cup frozen peas in the last 10 minutes for a pop of color.
• Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste with the broth for deeper flavor.
• Add 1 cup mushrooms with the carrots for extra umami.
• Use Guinness instead of red wine for an Irish stew.
• Sub in parsnips or turnips for half the potatoes.
• Top each bowl with a dollop of horseradish cream.

Looking for more recipes? Try our Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken Veggies or Air Fryer Crispy Potato Wedges next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the sear: Browning the beef builds the gravy. Without it the stew tastes flat and the broth stays pale.
• Using lean beef: Chuck has the right collagen for a long simmer. Lean cuts dry out in the slow cooker.
• Lifting the lid often: Each peek drops the slow cooker temperature 20 degrees. Trust the process and leave it alone.
• Adding flour at the start: Flour clumps in cold liquid. A cornstarch slurry whisked in at the end thickens cleanly.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef stew with fork tender chunks, rich gravy, and root vegetables that simmer all day. Cozy winter dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 420

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 1 tsp kosher salt plus more for the beef
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine or extra broth
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves bay leaves
• 4 medium carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp cold water for the slurry
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley for garnish

Method

 

1. **Season.** Pat beef chunks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. **Sear.** Sear beef in 2 batches, 2 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer to the slow cooker.
3. **Soften.** Add remaining oil and onion to the same pan. Cook 4 minutes, then add garlic and tomato paste. Stir 1 minute.
4. **Deglaze.** Pour in red wine and scrape the bottom clean. Pour everything into the slow cooker.
5. **Layer.** Add beef broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes. Stir gently.
6. **Cook.** Cover and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours, until beef is fork tender.
7. **Thicken.** In the last 15 minutes whisk cornstarch with cold water and stir into the stew. Cover and cook 15 minutes more until glossy. Discard bay leaves, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Notes

Sear the beef in batches in a hot pan. Crowding equals steaming and gray meat. Use chuck roast cut into 1.5 inch chunks. Pre-cut stew meat is unreliable. Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the searing pan and scrape every browned bit into the slow cooker.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition data and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source.

FAQ

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