Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Red Wine and Mushrooms

Name: The BEST Beef Stew Recipe - Hundreds of 5-Star Reviews!!
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 900 g beef tri-tip or braising steak, cut into 4cm (1.5 inch) chunks; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for browning; salt, to season the beef generously; 3 medium carrots, diced; 1 large onion, diced; 3 medium celery sticks, diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp butter; 10 mushrooms, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp plain flour; 240 ml red wine; 240 ml tomato sauce; 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 0.5 tbsp caster sugar; 2.5 tsp Italian dried herbs; 1.5 tbsp salt; black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste; 700 ml beef broth; 400 g baby potatoes, left whole if small, halved if larger; 150 g frozen peas; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Source video by Tatyana's Everyday Food on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

This hearty beef stew is built on slow-braised beef, a classic mirepoix and buttery mushrooms, finished with red wine, tomato and a generous handful of herbs. The original recipe simmers on the hob for over an hour, but it converts beautifully to the slow cooker for a hands-off, deeply flavoured pot of stew. Browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables on the hob first is essential for the depth of flavour. Baby potatoes and peas are added later so they hold their shape, and a scatter of fresh parsley finishes it off.

Slow cooker notes: Original is a hob simmer. Adapted for slow cooker: beef and vegetables browned on the hob first, then transferred to the slow cooker with the liquids. Beef broth reduced from 4 cups (about 950 ml) to 700 ml because slow cookers retain liquid. Baby potatoes added at the start since the slow cooker is gentler than a hob simmer. Frozen peas and fresh parsley added in the final 20-30 minutes so they keep their colour and texture.

Ingredients

Beef

900 gbeef tri-tip or braising steak, cut into 4cm (1.5 inch) chunks
2 tbspvegetable oil, for browning
salt, to season the beef generously

Mirepoix

3 mediumcarrots, diced
1 largeonion, diced
3 mediumcelery sticks, diced
4garlic cloves, minced

Mushrooms

2 tbspbutter
10mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tbspplain flour

Stew base

240 mlred wine
240 mltomato sauce
3 tbspWorcestershire sauce
1 tspsmoked paprika
0.5 tbspcaster sugar
2.5 tspItalian dried herbs
1.5 tbspsalt
black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste
700 mlbeef broth

To finish

400 gbaby potatoes, left whole if small, halved if larger
150 gfrozen peas (add late)
2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped (add late)

Method

Pat the beef chunks dry and season generously with salt. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot.
~5 min
Brown the beef in batches for 7 to 10 minutes, turning so it sears on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.
~10 min
Pour about 100 ml water into the hot pan and scrape up the caramelised bits with a wooden spoon. Tip this into the slow cooker.
~2 min
Add another splash of oil to the pan. Sauté the diced carrots, onion and celery for 4 to 6 minutes until the onion turns translucent and starts to caramelise.
~6 min
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then transfer the mirepoix to the slow cooker.
~1 min
Melt the butter in the same pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and brown for 4 to 5 minutes, then season with a pinch of salt.
~5 min
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute to take the raw edge off the flour, then transfer to the slow cooker.
~1 min
Add the red wine, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, sugar, Italian herbs, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth.
~2 min
Add the baby potatoes. Stir well to combine, cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender and the potatoes are fork tender.
In the final 20 to 30 minutes, stir through the frozen peas and let them warm through.
~25 min
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Scatter with chopped parsley just before serving.
~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I really need to brown the beef and vegetables first?

Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than sear, so all the deep, savoury flavour comes from browning the beef, sautéing the mirepoix and caramelising the mushrooms before they go in the pot. It's worth the extra pan.

Can I leave out the red wine?

Yes. Replace it with an extra 240 ml of beef broth. The stew will still be delicious, though the wine adds a noticeable depth and richness.

What's the best cut of beef to use?

Use a well-marbled braising cut. Chuck steak or stewing steak both work brilliantly in a slow cooker and will become meltingly tender after a long, low cook.

Can I add the potatoes later instead of at the start?

You can, but in a slow cooker the potatoes are gentle enough to hold their shape from the start. If you prefer firmer potatoes, add them about 3 hours before the end on Low or 1.5 hours before the end on High.

How do I thicken the stew further?

The flour cooked with the mushrooms thickens it nicely. If you'd like it thicker, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it in during the last 20 minutes with the lid off.

Extraction notes (transparency): All ingredient quantities taken directly from transcript. Liquid reduced for slow cooker conversion. Original calls for tri-tip or roast; tri-tip is uncommon in the UK so chuck or braising steak suggested as substitute in ingredient notes.