Flavorful Beef Stew Recipe in the Slow Cooker
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This hearty, beef stew recipe is made in the slow cooker and is oh so comforting on a cold, winter’s day.
Or just when you need a little comfort. No snow necessary.
Unlike other beef stew recipes, this one is highly seasoned and quite thick. Leftovers are great because the flavors really gel and the stew thickens even more.
I serve it over hot egg noodles with a side of cornbread and all I can say is YUM.
Just a note – if you are short on time, you might want to try my quick and easy Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe instead.
Prep the Beef Cubes
Start this beef stew recipe with about 2.5 pounds of beef cubes (about 1 inch each) for stew from your grocer’s meat section.
Toss 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I use Emeril’s Essential Essence), and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper into a gallon size plastic storage bag with zip closure. Shake it up to combine.
Dump the beef cubes into the bag and shake it all up again, until the beef cubes are coated with the flour mixture. Set this aside while you get everything else ready.
Prep the Veggies
Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and 1 medium onion. To make the job super easy, I just quarter the onion and let my Ninja food processor do the rest of the heavy lifting.
Cube two medium russet potatoes (no need to peel, unless you don’t like the peels, of course).
Slice 3 large carrots, and 3 large ribs of celery – you should end up with about one cup of slices for each vegetable.
Prep the Sauce
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of cold beef broth or stock and 1 packet of McCormick Beef Stew for Slow Cookers Seasoning Mix. (You probably could use a different brand, but this is the one that my grocery store carries).
Make sure that the broth is cold. If it is warm the beef stew seasoning will start to clump up and the sauce will not be smooth. If this happens to you, don’t stress – the lumps should melt themselves out in the crock pot, just make sure to stir it a few times throughout the slow cooking process.
Add one teaspoon of paprika to the sauce and also 1/2 cup of red wine. The wine will serve to tenderize the meat as it cooks.
So, if you choose to skip the wine, make sure to replace it with some other acidic substance. I can’t vouch for your results if you use a substitution, but beer might work well. If you choose to go with a citrus like lemon or vinegar, certainly DO NOT use a half cup which seems like it would be too much – I don’t think that would taste very good.
Brown The Meat
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, dump in the beef cubes and brown them on all sides.
Remove the browned beef cubes to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Sauté the Onions and Garlic
Add the chopped onions and garlic to the warm skillet. Sauté until translucent. Add 1/2 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan and keep the onions and garlic from sticking.
Add the onions and garlic to the beef cubes in the slow cooker.
Place the cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, and celery on top of the beef and onions. Toss 2 bay leaves in the slow cooker, too.
Pour the prepared sauce over everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Stir occasionally throughout the cooking process. If the beef stew starts to stick to the sides, add a little more beef broth to thin the liquid.
As an aside, I think that this beef stew recipe would probably be great for the Insta-Pot too. But since I haven’t jumped on the craze yet – I can’t say for sure.
Ready to Serve
This beef stew recipe is ready to serve when the meat is tender.
Serve over a bed of hot egg noodles and a with a side of cornbread.
Yum!
Did You Try This Beef Stew Recipe?
Tell us what you think? Did you make any adjustments or substitutions?
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Flavorful Beef Stew Recipe in the Slow Cooker
A delicious and satisfying beef stew recipe for the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 1/2 lbs beef cubes for stew
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon season salt (I use Emeril's Essence)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups cold beef broth plus 1/2 cup additional beef broth for deglazing pan
- 1 packet McCormick Beef Stew Seasoning
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 large ribs celery, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Combine flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a gallon size, zip style, plastic bag.
- Toss beef cubes into plastic bag with the flour mixture and shake it up to coat each cube.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk two cups beef broth and the beef stew seasoning packet.
- Add the paprika and 1/2 cup dry red wine to the sauce mixture.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the flour coated beef cubes to the hot skillet and brown them on all sides. Remove to 6 quart slow cooker.
- In the still hot skillet, add in the minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté until translucent while adding in 1/2 cup of plain beef broth to deglaze the pan.
- Add cooked onion mixture to beef cubes in slow cooker.
- Top beef and onions with cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and 2 bay leaves.
- Pour sauce mixture over everything in the slow cooker.
- Slow cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or slow cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Stir occasionally throughout cooking and add a little more beef broth if stew starts to stick to sides.
- Beef stew is ready when the meat is tender.
- Serve over a bed of egg noodles with a side of cornbread.
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