Name: Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Red Wine and Vegetables
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 4 cups beef broth (low sodium preferred); 1 cup dry red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot), optional; 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 4 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or red potatoes work best), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 1 cup frozen peas (optional); Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch slurry (optional, for thickening)

Slow cooker beef stew with browned chuck, carrots, potatoes and a red wine tomato gravy. 30 minutes of prep, about 8 hours on low. Serves 8.

What Makes This Beef Stew Hearty

This slow cooker beef stew is built on cubes of chuck roast, carrots and potatoes in a tomato-and-red-wine gravy seasoned with thyme, rosemary and Worcestershire. About 30 minutes of browning and chopping up front, then the slow cooker takes over for around 8 hours while the chuck softens and the liquid turns into a thick, savory gravy.

It makes 8 servings, keeps well for several days and freezes cleanly, so it is a good recipe to cook on a weekend and eat from during the week. Many people find it tastes better on day two, once the flavors have settled overnight.

Ingredients

The recipe card has the full list. Notes on the ingredients that make the biggest difference:

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes: Chuck has enough fat and connective tissue to turn tender over a long cook without drying out. Cutting your own from a roast gives more even pieces than pre-cut “stew meat,” which is often a mix of cuts that cook at different rates.
1 cup dry red wine, optional: A Cabernet or Merlot adds depth and a little acidity. To skip it, use an extra cup of beef broth.
4 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained), 2 tablespoons tomato paste: Together these form the gravy. The tomato paste also helps thicken it.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon each dried thyme and rosemary, 2 bay leaves: The classic seasoning for a beef stew; Worcestershire adds a savory depth.
4 medium carrots and 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks: Yukon Gold or red potatoes hold their shape better than russets, which tend to break down and cloud the gravy.
1 cup frozen peas and a cornstarch slurry (both optional): Peas go in at the very end; the slurry is 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch whisked with the same amount of cold water.

How Long Beef Stew Takes in the Slow Cooker

Plan on about 30 minutes of prep (drying, browning and chopping) and about 8 hours on LOW, for a total of roughly 8 hours 30 minutes. HIGH for 3-4 hours works when you are short on time, though the beef is usually more tender on LOW. You can chop the onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes the night before; keep the cut potatoes covered in cold water in the fridge so they don’t brown.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Dry and season the beef. Pat the cubes dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. Wet meat steams instead of browning.
Brown in batches. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a single layer of beef with space between the pieces and sear until browned on most sides, then move it to the slow cooker and repeat. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and leaves the meat gray.
Soften the onion and garlic. In the same skillet, cook the onion for 5-7 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
Deglaze. If using wine, pour it into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. (Without wine, use a splash of the broth.) Those browned bits carry a lot of the stew’s flavor.
Load the slow cooker. Add the onion mixture to the beef along with the broth, tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir, then nestle in the carrots and potatoes.
Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours), until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft. Avoid lifting the lid; each peek can add 20-30 minutes.
Thicken. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, cover, and cook on HIGH for 15-20 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Finish. Stir in the peas for the last 10 minutes, just until hot. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Substitutions and Add-Ins

Bottom round or sirloin tip instead of chuck: A leaner stew, but expect firmer, drier cubes. Start checking at the short end of the cooking time.
No wine: Replace it with broth plus 1 teaspoon of balsamic or red wine vinegar to keep a little acidity.
More vegetables: Parsnips, celery and mushrooms can go in with the carrots. Green beans or spinach go in during the last 20-30 minutes so they don’t turn gray.
Thickening without cornstarch: Mash a few potato chunks against the side of the pot and stir them in, or cook the last hour on HIGH with the lid ajar. The gravy will be slightly looser and more rustic.
Gluten-free: The recipe is gluten-free as written if your broth and Worcestershire are labeled gluten-free.

What to Serve with Beef Stew

Crusty bread, biscuits or cornbread are the natural partner for soaking up the gravy. For a more filling bowl, spoon the stew over mashed potatoes or rice, or drop fluffy yeast dumplings on top for the last 15 minutes on HIGH. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette balances the richness, and a scatter of fresh parsley brightens each bowl.

Tough Beef, Thin Gravy or Mushy Vegetables

The beef is still tough. It needs more time. Chuck goes through a firm stage before the connective tissue melts. Keep cooking on LOW for another 1-2 hours and test again.
The gravy is thin. Stir in another small slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon cold water) and cook on HIGH for 15-20 minutes. Slow cookers trap steam, so stews rarely reduce on their own.
The gravy is too thick, usually after a night in the fridge: loosen it with a splash of broth or water as it reheats.
The vegetables are mushy. Cut them into true 1-inch chunks, use waxy potatoes, and if your slow cooker runs hot, add the carrots and potatoes for the last 3 hours instead of at the start.
It tastes flat. Season with more salt and pepper at the end, and add a splash of Worcestershire or a squeeze of lemon juice or cider vinegar to wake it up.

Storing, Freezing and Reheating Beef Stew

Fridge: Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Dividing a full pot into shallow containers helps it cool quickly. Eat within 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze cooled portions in containers or flat freezer bags for up to 3 months. Potatoes turn a little grainy after freezing; if you plan to freeze most of the batch, you can cook it without potatoes and add freshly boiled ones when you reheat.
Reheating: Thaw frozen stew overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring, or in the microwave, until it reaches 165°F throughout. See the safe minimum internal temperature chart for details.

FAQ

Do I have to brown the beef first?

No. You can put the raw cubes straight into the slow cooker and still get tender beef. The stew will taste milder and the gravy will be lighter in color, because browning is what creates the deeper, roasted flavor.

Can I put frozen beef in the slow cooker?

It is better not to. Frozen meat can spend too long in the unsafe temperature range while a slow cooker heats up. Thaw the beef in the fridge overnight first.

What if my slow cooker only has one setting?

Treat it as LOW and plan for the full cooking time. Always go by texture: the stew is done when a cube of beef breaks apart easily with a fork.

If you enjoy slow-cooked beef, the slow cooker French dip and slow cooker Italian beef use the same long, gentle braise to make sandwich fillings.

Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew | Easy & Hearty by Tyla