Slow Cooker Classic Beef Stew (Natasha's Kitchen Adaptation)

Name: Classic Beef Stew Recipe For Dinner - Natasha's Kitchen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 170 g thick-sliced bacon, chopped into 5 mm strips; 900 g boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2.5 cm pieces; 0.5 tbsp fine salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 30 g plain flour; 475 ml red wine; 450 g mushrooms, thickly sliced; 4 whole large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm thick pieces; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 4 whole garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 700 ml low-sodium beef stock; 2 whole bay leaves; 0.5 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp ground black pepper; 450 g small potatoes, new potatoes or fingerlings, halved or quartered into bite-sized pieces; 2 tbsp olive oil; fresh parsley, chopped

Source video by Natashas Kitchen on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

This is Natasha's Kitchen family classic beef stew, originally slow roasted in a Dutch oven, adapted here for the slow cooker. Chunks of beef chuck are browned with bacon, then simmered low and slow in red wine and beef broth with mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic and small potatoes. Bay leaves and thyme bring a cosy, savoury depth, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley at the end lifts everything. Serve with crusty bread for a comforting winter dinner.

Slow cooker notes: Original recipe braises in a covered Dutch oven at 325F for 1h45. Translated to Low 8 hours or High 4 hours in the slow cooker. Beef broth reduced from 4 cups (about 950 ml) to 700 ml because slow cookers retain liquid and very little evaporates. Bacon, beef and aromatics are still browned on the hob first as the slow cooker cannot brown. Red wine is reduced briefly in the pan to cook off the alcohol before going into the cooker. Fresh parsley garnish added at the end as in the source.

Ingredients

Main

170 gthick-sliced bacon, chopped into 5 mm strips
900 gboneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
0.5 tbspfine salt
1 tspground black pepper
30 gplain flour
475 mlred wine
450 gmushrooms, thickly sliced
4 wholelarge carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm thick pieces
1 mediumyellow onion, diced
4 wholegarlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsptomato puree
700 mllow-sodium beef stock
2 wholebay leaves
0.5 tspdried thyme
1 tspfine salt
0.5 tspground black pepper
450 gsmall potatoes, new potatoes or fingerlings, halved or quartered into bite-sized pieces
2 tbspolive oil

To finish

fresh parsley, chopped (add late)

Method

Place a large frying pan or saute pan over medium heat and cook the chopped bacon until golden and the fat has rendered. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
~6 min
Toss the beef with the half tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and the flour until evenly coated.
~3 min
Brown the beef in the bacon fat in two batches over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side, until well coloured. Add a splash more olive oil if the pan looks dry. Transfer the browned beef into the slow cooker along with the bacon.
~12 min
Pour the red wine into the hot pan and bring to a boil, scraping up all the browned bits from the base. Add the sliced mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes, then tip the lot into the slow cooker.
~12 min
Wipe the pan, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the carrots, onion and garlic over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 1 more minute. Tip into the slow cooker.
~6 min
Pour the beef stock into the slow cooker and add the bay leaves, dried thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir in the potatoes, pressing them down so they are submerged in the liquid.
~3 min
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
Tilt the pot slightly and skim off any excess fat from the surface with a spoon. Remove the bay leaves.
~2 min
Scatter over chopped parsley and serve hot with crusty bread.
~1 min

Frequently asked

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

Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than brown, so the deep savoury flavour of this stew comes from the crust on the meat and the rendered bacon fat. Skipping it gives a paler, flatter-tasting stew.

Can I leave out the wine?

You can. Replace the 475 ml of red wine with the same volume of extra beef stock plus a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or balsamic to keep some acidity and depth.

Why is the stock reduced compared with the oven version?

Slow cookers trap almost all the steam, so very little liquid evaporates during cooking. Using the full 950 ml from the original recipe would leave you with a thin, watery stew.

Can I thicken the sauce at the end?

Yes. If you prefer a thicker gravy, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water, stir into the stew and cook on High with the lid off for 15 to 20 minutes.

Can I make it ahead?

This stew tastes even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the hob or in the slow cooker on Low until piping hot.

Extraction notes (transparency): All ingredients and quantities are taken from the description and transcript. Liquid volume reduced for slow cooker physics; this is a standard adaptation, not a guess at the source. Original serving count not stated; 6 estimated from 2 lb beef plus 1 lb potatoes.