Comfort in a Bowl: Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Come home at the end of the day to the smell of this hearty slow-cooked stew. This easy slow cooker beef stew recipe isn’t just a meal; it’s a complete healthy comfort food experience. With tender beef, this hearty stew offers a wonderful blend of flavors, perfect for these cold winter months. Possibly the best part though is the leftovers that can be enjoyed the next day.
Comfort in a Bowl: Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew
Equipment Needed
- Slow Cooker – 6 quart or larger
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 lb yellow potatoes, chopped into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 4 medium carrots, washed, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup V8 vegetable juice
- 3 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 TBSP coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Bay leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 TBSP all purpose flour
- 2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Season
Season the cubed chuck roast with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Heat the Skillet
In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
Brown the Chuck Roast
Add cubed chuck roast to the preheated skillet and brown on all sides.
Layer Everything in the Slow Cooker
In the slow cooker, layer the browned chuck roast, chopped yellow potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and diced onion.
Prepare the liquid
In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, V8, tomato paste, coconut aminos, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaves.
Add Your Broth Mixture to the Slow Cooker
Pour your liquid over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker.
Slow Cook
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, until the meat is tender and has reached a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8°C).
Thicken the Broth
In the final hour of cooking, sprinkle the all purpose flour evenly over the stew, stirring gently to thicken the broth.
Serve
- To serve, ladle the stew into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for a burst of color and flavor, and serve with your favorite crusty bread or dinner rolls and butter.
What Can I use Instead of a Chuck Roast?
The Chuck is the cut of meat from the shoulder and is one of the most popular choices for beef stew meat thanks to its medium fat content. It’s also a tougher cut of meat, perfect for slow cooking. However if you can’t find a chuck roast, or are looking for a less expensive cut of meat, instead try a round roast. The round cut is taken from the hind legs of the cow. You will have two choices when looking at a round cut, either top or bottom. The bottom cut being the tougher of the two would be perfect for our crock pot beef stew recipe, as the long cooking time transforms this tougher cut into tender chunks of beef.
Other Substitutes
Yellow Potatoes
Red potatoes would make a suitable substitute to yellow potatoes as they’ll hold their shape well in a slow cooked stew.
Sweet Potatoes
If you don’t have sweet potatoes, simply add more carrots to the recipe.
Low Sodium Beef Broth
If you don’t have beef stock or broth, either chicken or vegetable broth would be a suitable substitute. You could also use filtered water, but some of the flavor and richness may be lost.
Storing Leftovers
One of the perks of making this Hearty Beef Stew is the leftovers. The stew’s flavors deepen as it sits, making it the meal that keeps on giving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or 2-3 months in the freezer, so that next time you’re craving a comforting meal, but don’t have time to cook, just pull a container out of the freezer, thaw, and enjoy! this stew reheats beautifully, allowing you to enjoy the rich flavors with minimal effort on those busy nights.
Conclusion
As we settle into the cold winter months, this classic beef stew recipe is the perfect solution to dinner that the whole family will enjoy, with flavors reminiscent of grandma’s old-fashioned beef stew – pure comfort in a bowl! Using a slow cooker will make this an easy recipe to enjoy on a weeknight after a busy day of work.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Comfort in a Bowl: Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker, 6 quart or larger
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 lb yellow potatoes
- 4 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and chopped
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup V8 vegetable juice
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Season the cubed chuck roast with salt and fresh ground black pepper
- In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat
- Add cubed chuck roast to the preheated skillet and brown on all sides
- In the slow cooker, layer the browned chuck roast, chopped yellow potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and diced onion
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, V8, tomato paste, coconut aminos, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaves.
- Pour your liquid over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, until the meat is tender and has reached a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8°C).
- In the final hour of cooking, sprinkle the all purpose flour evenly over the stew, stirring gently to thicken the broth.
- To serve, ladle the stew into bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for a burst of color and flavor, and serve with your favorite crusty bread or dinner rolls and butter.
