Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I put raw beef straight into a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can totally cook raw beef in a slow cooker. Many slow-cooker chili recipes have a step for browning the beef before it goes into the Crock-Pot. While this step isn't necessary, caramelizing the meat creates richer, bolder flavors.

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

Using the wrong cut of meat.

The long, slow cook time leaves lean meat, like sirloin, tough and chewy, while tougher cuts, like chuck, break down and become really tender.

Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

Seasoning Your Stew

For seasonings, I like Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and a good red wine. I've also used a dark beer in place of the wine and been very happy with the results. You can certainly play with your own favorite seasonings, but I would recommend keeping them fairly simple.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Her recipe uses bacon, red wine, tomato paste & beef broth to enhance the yummy beef flavors! But I believe the secret to the tender beef is… slow roasting the stew in a covered pot in the oven! That's it!

How to Substitute Tomato Sauce or Puree for Tomato Paste. You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.

Forgetting the Acid. The paradox of beef stew is that all that braised goodness can be a little bit heavy on the palate. It's easy to forget to add some sort of wine, vinegar, or yes, even lemon juice, to brighten things up. Adding some fresh thyme in the last 30 minutes of cooking can help brighten things up as well.

Why do you put brown meat in stew? ›

"Creating that Maillard reaction, where you are caramelizing the proteins and natural sugars in your meat, is building flavor. That flavor will then slowly make its way into the braising liquid and create a depth of flavor you just can't achieve otherwise."

Use cornstarch to thicken your stew towards the end of cooking, as cooking it for a long time can break down the starch and your stew will thin out again.

The idea is to cook the carrots and potatoes at the end of the simmering process, so they don't become mushy. Just make sure to keep an eye on the stew to see if you need to add additional broth or water to keep it from drying out.

Can you overcook stew in a slow cooker? Slow-cooker stew recipes are pretty forgiving, but cooking the stew too long can cause the meat to dry out and can also reduce the stewing liquid too much, leading to off flavors. If serving is delayed, switch your slow cooker to warm until you're ready to eat.

If you are making a slow-cooked recipe that calls for ground beef, like chili, beef stew, or meat sauce, browning the meat beforehand makes a huge difference. Ground meat should always be browned in a skillet and drained before adding it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients.

Browning Is Better

And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.

You can add beef to the slow cooker without browning. Searing it in a hot pan to create a caramelised crust is not necessary but can make a richer flavour. Simply add the meat to your slow cooker with aromatics, stock and sauces and cook either on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 5-8 hours.

For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in. It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one.