A delicious hearty stew with beef, carrots and potatoes in a rich sauce. All cooked in the slow cooker. Comfort food made easy this Winter!

My two favourite things at this time of year are comfort food meals and my slow cooker. So why not put those two together and create a delicious Winter inspired recipe that feeds the soul!

My Slow Cooker Beef Stew is rich and hearty, packed with chunks of diced beef, carrots and potatoes. All cooked in a thick sauce. So delicious!

How To Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

The key to getting a thick sauce in the slow cooker is to firstly coat the meat in flour and then brown on the hob.

You can do this in a frying pan or in a slow cooker pot if you have one that can go directly onto the hob.

Then add the beef back into the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and leave it to do its magic!

step by step photos for slow cooker beef stew

This stews takes about 6 hours to cook on low or 4 hours on high, so it’s perfect to throw on in the morning ready for an instant dinner when you get home in the evening.

You can see from the pictures how much sauce I have in my stew. I know some people like even more and in that case simply add more beef stock to the recipe.

Do You Have To Sear The Beef First?

If you are in a rush you can skip this step however I would recommend doing it if you can for two reasons.

Firstly, it gives a lovely caramelised taste to the outside of the beef and helps to lock in all those delicious juices.

Secondly, frying the flour coated beef first helps to stop any clumps of flour forming in the sauce in the slow cooker.

Ingredient Substitutions

Beef – I used lean diced beef but you can use other cuts of beef too. Shin beef would also be delicious.

Flour – It’s totally fine to use a gluten free flour.

Veggies – Don’t like carrots or want to add other veg? Parsnips, butternut squash chunks, turnips and sweet potato will all work well too.

Can You Make This On The Hob

Yes you can make this recipe on the hob instead. However you will need a lot more beef stock. Liquid in a stew will evaporate when cooked on the hob but doesn’t in the slow cooker.

You can find my recipe for Irish Beef Stew cooked on the hob here.

This delicious and warming beef stew is so easy to make. All the ingredients are cooked together in one pan and left to simmer for a couple of hours. The ultimate comfort food this St Patricks Day!

Can You Freeze Beef Stew

Yes absolutely. Leave the stew to cool then add to a freezer bag or container. If using a freezer bag push all the air out of the bag first.

If using a container choose one that just about fits the stew inside. The less air there is in the the container the less freezer burn you will get.

To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight then reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.

If you liked my Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!

And check out lots more of my Slow Cooker Recipes for more easy dinnertime inspiration.

beef stew served with a side serving of greens

More Recipes You Might Enjoy

Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole – No chopping, no frying, bung all the ingredients in the slow cooker and leave it to do it’s thing. This is literally the easiest casserole recipe you’ll ever make!

Slow Cooker Beef Casserole – An easy recipe for Beef Casserole all cooked together in the slow cooker. Delicious and so warming, perfect for an Autumn or Winter evening.

Sausage & Butterbean Casserole – A quick and easy family dinner recipe; Sausage & Butterbean Casserole cooked on the hob in less than 30 minutes!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Ciara Attwell
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 4–6 1x
Category: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Slow Cooker Meals

Print Recipe

Description

A delicious hearty stew with beef, carrots and potatoes in a rich sauce. All cooked in the slow cooker. Comfort food made easy this Winter!

Ingredients

800g lean diced beef
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 carrots, sliced
700g Maris Piper Potatoes, peeled and cut into medium sized chunks
400ml beef stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
optional: fresh parsely

Instructions

Add the beef and flour to a bowl and mix well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan or in the pot of the slow cooker if you have one that can be used on the hob.
Add the beef and fry until browned. I tend to do this in two batches.
Add the beef to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except the parsley.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
This is optional but once cooked you can sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
Serve with green vegetables.

Notes

Leftovers can be kept in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated on the hob or in the microwave. This stew can also be frozen and defrosted overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Looking for ways to get your fussy eater to eat a better variety of food? Try Pick Plates. These round divided plates have five compartments to be filled with a wide selection of food groups and choices of ingredients. Perfect for making food fun, interesting and appealing to picky eaters.