CROCKPOT BEEF STEW

Crock pot beef stew is a hearty, no fuss meal loaded with chunks of beef, potatoes and vegetables slow cooked in a flavorful gravy.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

There’s no better meal on a cool fall or winter night that hits the spot quite like a nice big bowl of crockpot beef stew. It’s warm, flavorful and loaded with tender pieces of beef and vegetables. This truly is a comfort food classic that the whole family is guaranteed to love.

My mother has been making this for my siblings and I since we were just little kids. I still haven’t found a version that I enjoy better than this one yet. I know if you give this one a try, you’re going to love it just as much as my family and I do.

Ingredients

• Stew Meat- It’s best to buy a chuck roast and cut it into pieces at home. If you can’t get a roast for whatever reason, prepackaged stew meat is ok to use.
• Flour- This is going to help the stew meat brown and give it wonderful flavor and texture.
• Olive Oil
• Cold Butter- This is going to give the stew a really nice, silky smooth finish.
• Onion- White or yellow onion is referred.
• Garlic- Fresh, jarred or garlic paste are all ok to use here.
• Red Wine- You can omit the wine if you’d like and just replace it with some more beef broth.
• Beef Broth- Low sodium is ok to use here if you’re watching your salt.
• Beef Bullion- This can be substituted with the same amount of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar .
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Tomato Paste- Adds rich, deep flavor and enhances the flavor.
• Carrots- cut them into larger pieces so they don’t fall apart into the stew.
• Baby Potatoes- Yukon, Red or White baby potatoes are the best choice. They are flavorful and firm enough to not fall apart into the stew.
• Fresh Herbs- Rosemary, Thyme and Bay Leaves will all give this stew some beautiful flavor.
• Corn Starch Slurry- This will really help to thicken the sauce and make it more of a gravy than a broth.
• Seasoning- Salt, pepper and garlic powder all play their part to flavor the stew. Please use your best judgment here as everyone’s sensitivity and taste is different.
• Gravy Masters- This will give the stew a nice, deep color.

How To Make It

First, heat the oil up in a large pan. In a separate bowl, add the meat and season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat the meat in the flour and working in batches brown it on all sides. Don’t over cook the meat! 30-40 seconds on each side is all you need. Add the meat to a 6 QT crockpot.

Now, add in the chunks of carrot, potatoes, onion and garlic. Pour the beef broth and over the top.

Next, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and the bundle of fresh herbs. season it with salt and pepper. Set the crockpot to low for 8 hours.

Once there’s 15 minutes left, remove the bundle of herbs and add the cornstarch slurry, gravy masters and cold butter pats.

Finally, after the remaining time is finished, let the stew sit for 5 minutes to continue to thicken up and enjoy!

Do You Have To Brown The Beef?

No, you don’t have to brown the stew meat first, but I highly recommend it. The beef and stew in general will be so much more flavorful.

Pro Tips

• Brown The Meat- Take the extra time to brown the beef beforehand for lots of extra flavor and a better texture, too.
• Stew Meat- Cutting up a chuck roast yourself is the way to go here. Chuck roast has perfect marbling and melts down into tender, juicy bites. Pre-cut “stew meat” can be from mixed cuts (not always chuck), and sometimes it’s older meat repackaged.
• Herb Bundle- Wrap the fresh herbs in kitchen string to make them easier to fish out later.
• Cook Time- Low and slow is the preferred cooking time for this one. It really helps to break down the tough connective tissue, producing super tender pieces of beef.

What To Serve This With

Beef stew is a meal in and of itself. You really don’t need to serve this with anything besides a nice piece of Homemade Garlic Bread or maybe some Jalapeno, Cheddar and Bacon Corn Bread. A side salad would be a great idea, too.

How to Store Leftover Beef Stew

This can be stored in the refrigerator for three days or frozen for six month. Just be sure to put it in an air tight container.

Other Easy Crock Pot Recipes

If you like the convenience of “set it and forget it” cooking you gotta try my Crockpot Beef Stroganoff, Crockpot Chicken And Noodles and Crockpot Smothered Chicken Legs. They’re three of my top favorite slow cooker meals to make.