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Beef Stew Slow Cooker Recipe Easy Hearty Comfort Dinner Ideas

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A hands-off slow cooker beef stew recipe that delivers rich, deep flavor and tender beef with simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights and family dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds stew beef (chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cups beef broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free option)

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the beef cubes dry and brown them in batches, about 3-4 minutes per batch, until all sides have a deep golden crust. Avoid crowding the pan.
  2. Add a splash of beef broth to the hot skillet and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour this liquid into the slow cooker.
  3. Chop carrots, potatoes, and onion. Mince garlic while beef is browning.
  4. Add browned beef, carrots, potatoes, onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, dried thyme, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Pour in beef broth and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 7-8 hours until beef is fork-tender and vegetables are cooked through. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking.
  6. Mix 2 tablespoons flour with 3 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry. Stir into the stew and cook on high for another 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Notes

Brown the beef before slow cooking to develop deep flavor. Use chuck roast or stew beef for best tenderness. Deglaze skillet to capture browned bits. Add flour slurry at the end to thicken; avoid adding flour before cooking to prevent clumping. Season generously with salt and pepper as slow cooking dulls saltiness. For gluten-free, substitute flour with cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Avoid lifting the slow cooker lid during cooking to maintain heat.

Nutrition

Keywords: beef stew, slow cooker, comfort food, hearty dinner, easy recipe, weeknight meal, stew beef, crockpot

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