How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew | Get Cookin' | Allrecipes
by Allrecipes
This easy slow cooker beef stew is the perfect weeknight dinner that practically cooks itself. The recipe begins by quickly searing beef stew meat in a hot pan to develop flavour, then transfers everything to your slow cooker with fresh vegetables like onion, carrot, and celery. Using beef stock and the deglazed pan sauce, the stew cooks low and slow for 4-8 hours until the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and thick. It's a comforting, classic dish that requires minimal effort but delivers maximum flavour
Watch: How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew | Get Cookin' | Allrecipes
Original recipe video — click to play
Ingredients
Main
- 1000 g beef stew meat, cut into cubes, roughly cubed
Sear in a hot pan first for flavour before transferring to slow cooker
Vegetables
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 4 medium carrot, cut into chunks
- 3 medium celery stalk, chopped
Liquid & Seasoning
- 500 ml beef stock
Use quality stock for best flavour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
Adjust to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Adjust to taste
Optional
- 30 ml olive oil or vegetable oil
For searing the meat
- 120 ml red wine or beef stock (for deglazing)(optional)
For deglazing the searing pan
Method
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, sear the cubed beef on all sides until browned (approximately 3-4 minutes per batch). Don't overcrowd the pan. Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.
~15 minsTip: Searing develops rich flavour through caramelisation, which is key to a delicious stew.
- 2
Add the chopped onion, carrot chunks, and celery to the slow cooker with the browned beef.
~5 mins - 3
Pour the beef stock over the vegetables and meat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
~5 mins - 4Optional step
Deglaze the searing pan by pouring in red wine or additional beef stock, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour this flavorful liquid into the slow cooker.
~5 minsTip: Deglazing captures all the caramelised flavour from the pan.
- 5
Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 7-8 hours, or on High for 4-5 hours, until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
~8 hrsTip: Low setting produces more tender meat; High is faster but meat may be slightly less tender.
- 6
Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot in bowls.
~5 minsTip: The stew can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and reheated gently.
Nutrition
Detailed nutritional information is coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Searing the meat at high temperature creates a golden-brown crust through the Maillard reaction, which adds tremendous depth of flavour to the finished stew. Whilst slow cookers are wonderful for convenience, skipping this step means missing out on those rich, caramelised flavours that make the dish truly delicious
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your experience!