Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food—hearty, flavorful, and packed with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas in a rich, savory broth. It’s a no-fuss dinner that practically cooks itself while you handle the rest of life.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound baby new potatoes, halved
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup vegetable juice (like V8)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear for 2–3 minutes until browned on all sides.
Transfer beef to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic.
In a bowl, whisk together broth, vegetable juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, paprika, and mustard seeds. Pour over the meat and vegetables.
Add bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours.
In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of stew liquid with flour to make a slurry. Stir back into the cooker.
Cook on high for 30 more minutes until thickened.
Stir in peas during the last 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Searing the beef adds a lot of depth to the final flavor—don’t skip this step if you have time.
For a gluten-free version, use a cornstarch slurry instead of flour.
Great for freezing: cool fully, then store in freezer-safe containers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg