My Favourite Slow Cooker Beef Stew | One Pot Chef
My Favourite Slow Cooker Beef Stew is an all-time classic that's wonderfully easy to prepare and perfect for any time of year. Succulent beef cheeks become melt-in-the-mouth tender after hours of gentle slow cooking, infused with smoked paprika, tomato paste, and a rich beef stock. Combined with hearty vegetables—potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion—plus a hint of Worcestershire sauce, this stew develops a deeply savoury, complex flavour as it cooks. Serve it with warm, crusty bread for the ultimate comfort meal that feeds a crowd and fills the kitchen with an irresistible aroma
Watch: My Favourite Slow Cooker Beef Stew | One Pot Chef
Original recipe video — click to play
Original method: 8 hours on slow cooker low setting
Ingredients
Main
- 1000 g Beef cheeks (or any beef cut), diced into chunks
Beef cheeks become exceptionally tender in the slow cooker
- 120 g Plain flour
For coating the beef
- to taste Salt and pepper
For seasoning the flour and stew
Vegetables
- 800 g Red potatoes, diced
4 large potatoes
- 450 g Carrots, peeled and diced
3 large carrots
- 3 stalks Celery stalks, trimmed and diced
- 1 small Brown onion, peeled and diced
- 225 g Frozen peas
Add in the final 30 minutes of cooking
1-2 cups; freezing prevents them becoming mushy
Flavourings
- 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
2-3 cloves
- 30 g Tomato paste
- 15 g Smoked paprika
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tablespoons to taste
Stock & Liquid
- 1000 ml Beef stock
4 cups
Method
- 1
Toss the diced beef cheeks in a bowl with plain flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
~5 minsTip: Coating the meat helps develop flavour and thickens the gravy
- 2
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until golden on all sides. Transfer to your slow cooker.
~15 minsTip: Browning builds depth of flavour; do not skip this step
- 3
In the same frying pan, sauté the diced onion and celery for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
~5 minsTip: This builds the flavour base of the stew
- 4
Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika, cooking for 1 minute to release their flavours.
~2 mins - 5
Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker with the beef.
~5 minsTip: Deglazing the pan captures all the flavour
- 6
Add the diced potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
~5 mins - 7
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours) until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
~8 hrsTip: Do not lift the lid frequently; this extends cooking time
- 8
In the final 30 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas and stir through. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or Worcestershire sauce as needed.
~30 minsTip: Frozen peas are added late to prevent them becoming mushy
- 9
Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread on the side.
~5 minsTip: The bread is perfect for soaking up the rich gravy
Nutrition
Detailed nutritional information is coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Chuck steak, brisket, shin, or any tougher, well-marbled cut works beautifully in a slow cooker. These cheaper cuts have wonderful flavour and become incredibly tender with long, slow cooking. Avoid lean cuts like sirloin as they can become dry
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