Cooking the perfect slow cooker beef stew is simple: use the highest quality ingredients you can find, and don't be afraid to make it your own. The aroma of the stew cooking all day is going to make your mouth water.
Alternatively, you can make beef stew in a pressure cooker. This saves time, but you may find it isn't as flavorful because of the faster process. Some say it's better in the pressure cooker. You be the judge!
Slow Cooker Beef, Carrot & Parsnips Stew Recipe
The great thing about cooking beef stew in the slow cooker is that it's literally DUMP and SERVE a few hours later. If you're missing some ingredients, don't worry about it! Make the creation your own. There are so many variations of beef stew, there's really no "wrong" way to make it. If you like yours spicy, feel free to add some cayenne, crushed red pepper, or even sriracha.
You may find you like chicken broth better than beef broth, or maybe you just ran out of broth all together and need to use water... just add more seasonings to make up for it. Either way, your stew is going to be delicious and will be - by far - one of the easiest dinners you've made in a long time. π
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Beef
1-2 pounds lean beef cut into 1β cubes and trimmed of fat
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 2β pieces
2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into 2β pieces
1 medium diced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons diced garlic
1 small bag of frozen mixed vegetables
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Salt and pepper
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
1 cup crushed tomatoes
How to make slow cooker beef stew
I like making beef stew year round, but it's especially popular in the fall and winter months. You can dress it up, dress it down, add some gravy, and mix up the ingredients to suit your tastes. This makes it a perfect dish for entertaining. While you're busy getting everything else ready, the beef stew is cooking away in your slow cooker without the need for standing over the stove for hours.
To make the most tender beef stew, you need to make sure it's cooked thoroughly. When you check the beef after 4 1/2 hours, don't be afraid to cook it another hour if need be. The key to making this recipe tasty and tender is cooking it long enough.
Pro tip: If you want your stew thicker, more like a gravy instead of a broth, add a few teaspoons cornstarch.
Add beef to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon oil and mix with beef. Add flour and salt and pepper and toss to coat beef.
Heat remainder of olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion (this step is left out of the photos as we did not use onions) and cook 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add beef and brown for an additional 2 minutes, but do not cook all the way through.
Add above ingredients to your slow cooker. Add beef broth, soy and Worcestershire sauces, Kitchen Bouquet, onion powder, tomatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Mix well.
Turn slow cooker to high for 4.5 hours. When timer goes off, check to make sure beef is tender. Add frozen vegetables and cook for another 30 minutes on high.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds lean beef cut into 1β cubes and trimmed of fat
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 2β pieces
- 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into 2β pieces
- 1 medium diced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons diced garlic
- 1 small bag of frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
Instructions
Add beef to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon oil and mix with beef. Add flour and salt and pepper and toss to coat beef.
Heat remainder of olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion (this step is left out of the photos as we did not use onions) and cook 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add beef and brown for an additional 2 minutes, but do not cook all the way through.
Add above ingredients to your slow cooker. Add beef broth, soy and Worcestershire sauces, Kitchen Bouquet, onion powder, tomatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Mix well.
Turn slow cooker to high for 4.5 hours. When timer goes off, check to make sure beef is tender. Add frozen vegetables and cook for another 30 minutes on high.