Description
Hearty slow cooker beef stew brings classic comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your dining table. Tender meat, rich gravy, and perfectly cooked vegetables meld together, creating a soul-warming meal you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.5 pounds stew meat
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 5 medium carrots
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 cups yellow onions
- 1 cup frozen peas
Seasoning and Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2–3 drops Gravy Master (optional)
Thickening Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the beef by cutting into uniform cubes, removing excess fat while preserving marbled portions. Season thoroughly with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Dust lightly with flour, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high temperature. Sear beef in batches, allowing 45-second caramelization on each side to develop robust flavors. Prevent overcrowding by working in multiple stages. Transfer browned meat directly into slow cooker.
- Reduce skillet heat and melt butter. Sauté onions until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Deglaze pan with beef broth, scraping accumulated flavor-rich brown bits using a silicone spatula. Pour onion-garlic mixture into slow cooker.
- Combine remaining ingredients including beef broth, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary. Mix thoroughly to distribute seasonings evenly. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-8 hours or high setting for 3-4 hours until vegetables become tender and meat reaches melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
- During final 15 cooking minutes, incorporate frozen peas. For enhanced thickness, create cornstarch slurry by mixing cold water and cornstarch. Gradually introduce into stew while stirring continuously to prevent lumping.
- After cooking completes, terminate heat and integrate cold butter, executing a classic “Monter au Beurre” technique. This final step introduces luxurious velvety texture and rich depth. Optional: enhance color with subtle Gravy Master drops for additional complexity.
Notes
- Choose chuck roast or bottom round for maximum tenderness, ensuring rich flavor and soft meat after slow cooking.
- Trim excess external fat but keep marbled fat for incredible depth and juiciness in the final stew.
- Pat beef dry before searing to achieve perfect golden-brown crust, which locks in robust meaty flavors and creates delicious caramelization.
- Replace wheat flour with cornstarch or gluten-free flour blend to make the recipe celiac-friendly without compromising texture.
- Swap root vegetables like parsnips or turnips for potatoes to lower carbohydrate content and add unique flavor profiles.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (on low) or 4 hours (on high)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg