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–+ servings
finished bowl of stew

Easy Crockpot Beef Stew

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 beef bouillon cube crumbled
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 4 medium carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 celery stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp cold butter
  • Chopped parsley for serving

Method
 

  1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Toss with flour.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sear beef in batches. Move to crockpot.
  3. Add remaining oil and onion to skillet. Cook 4 minutes.
  4. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute.
  5. Add wine and scrape up browned bits. Simmer until reduced by half.
  6. Pour into crockpot. Add broth, bouillon, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme.
  7. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Push vegetables down into the liquid.
  8. Cover and cook on low 8 to 9 hours or high 6 to 7 hours, until beef is fork tender.
  9. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Stir in peas. Cook 10 minutes.
  10. Stir in butter. Season to taste. Top with parsley.

Notes

  • Beef still chewy: Keep cooking. It needs more time, not less. Check every hour.
  • Thicker stew: Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water. Stir in and cook on high 15 minutes.
  • No wine: Use 1 cup extra beef broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
  • No bouillon: Use 1 packet onion soup mix, or skip it and add 1/2 tsp extra salt at the end.
  • Mushrooms: Add 8 oz quartered cremini mushrooms with the potatoes.
  • No time to sear: Add the floured beef, onion, and garlic straight to the crockpot.
  • Dried thyme: Use 1 tsp in place of fresh sprigs.
  • Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

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