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!
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.
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.
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!
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
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
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Pin RecipeDescription
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.
- 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.
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Gwen N says
The whole family really enjoyed this. Your slow cooker recipes are brilliant. Thank you!
★★★★★