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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew made with fall-apart beef chuck, hearty potatoes and carrots, and a rich mahogany broth thickened at the end with a quick cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked until tender, then finished on High for a glossy, spoon-coating consistency.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef stew
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1.5-inch cubes.
  • 1 lb baby potatoes Halved.
  • 3 carrots Cut into thick rounds.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine Or use extra broth.
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes 1 can.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water For the slurry.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and load the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef chuck generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the Crockpot, then nestle the seasoned beef on top.
  3. Add the garlic, beef broth, red wine (or extra broth), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fall-apart tender, with a steady simmering look and soft vegetables.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the cornstarch slurry until the broth starts to look slightly cloudy and thicker.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens to a spoon-coating consistency.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: make sure the bay leaves come out before thickening so the stew stays smooth. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, since the thickened gravy can further thicken). For a lower-carb swap, replace baby potatoes with a similar amount of peeled turnips or a mix of cauliflower florets added near the end of cooking.