Watch how to make slow cooker beef stew

Tracy Teel

Contributing Writer

Beef stew is a Sunday night staple in households throughout America. There's something about smelling that hearty aroma that brings families together. In winter, it's the perfect way to warm yourself from the inside out, and this seasonal favorite combines the classic flavors of beef and red wine with tender vegetables all in one.

Your slow cooker takes almost all the work out of this classic dish. All you need to do is brown the beef and sauté the onions; everything else cooks low and slow over the course of seven hours. Even the gravy thickens in the slow cooker. So, what are you waiting for? Let's get cooking!

Cooktop Cove

Beef stew

4-6

20 minutes

8 hours

8 hours 20 minutes

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2" cubes

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1½ cup carrots, peeled and large diced

1½ cup celery, large diced

½ onion quartered

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups chicken or beef stock

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, rough chopped

2 sprigs rosemary, whole

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Put a large sauté pan on high heat. Add in oil. When oil becomes hot, carefully add in beef (in small batches if your pan is not large enough, to prevent steaming the beef). Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Adjust the heat as needed. Remove from pan when all sides have browned. Place into a 6-quart slow cooker.

In the same pan, on medium high heat, add in onions, carrots, and celery. If needed, add in a bit more oil as well. Sauté for about 5 minutes until vegetables start to roast in pan and develop a nice color.

When vegetables are roasted, add in garlic. Cook for one minute just until it becomes fragrant. Add in tomato paste. Stir, toasting the tomato paste for deep flavor for about 2-3 minutes.

Deglaze with chicken/beef stock. Be sure to scrape the little bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

When all the little bits have been lifted, pour everything into the slow cooker on top of beef. Add in potatoes, thyme, and rosemary. Mix.

Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Add in 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well.

Serve with a side of polenta or rice.

Note: All slow cookers are a little bit different in temperature and calibration. This recipe was tested in Cooktop Cove's Test Kitchen using this slow cooker, which is available for purchase here.

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