Description
This hearty Crock Pot Beef Stew is a comforting slow-cooked meal packed with tender beef, nutritious vegetables, and a rich savory broth. Perfect for busy days, this stew combines classic flavors with simple ingredients to create a satisfying dish that’s ideal for family dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Stew Base
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Vegetables
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the beef: In a large bowl, toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper until they are evenly coated, ensuring the flour sticks well to the meat for a better sear and thickening effect.
- Sear the beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding, searing them for about 3 to 4 minutes per batch until all sides are nicely browned. This step adds flavor and texture.
- Transfer to crock pot and add ingredients: Place the seared beef into the crock pot. Add the beef broth, red wine if using, carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, and bay leaves. Stir all ingredients together to combine well.
- Cook the stew: Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender and vegetables are fully cooked through, absorbing all the rich flavors.
- Add peas and finish cooking: In the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas to heat through without overcooking. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the fresh chopped parsley over the stew for a burst of color and fresh flavor. Serve the stew hot, ideally with crusty bread for dipping if desired.
Notes
- For a thicker stew, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- This stew pairs wonderfully with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth.
- If red wine is not preferred, substitute with an equal amount of additional beef broth.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and also freeze well for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
