American
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
Chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, and peas simmer slowly in a savory red-wine gravy with browned aromatics, thyme, and Worcestershire for deep, clean beef flavor.
6 servings · 35 minutes prep · 530 minutes cook
Ingredients
Beef and Browning
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; fully thawed
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
Slow-Cooker Stew
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth, heated
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
Directions
Brown and Deglaze
- Pat the beef chuck dry. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and black pepper, then toss with flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown the beef in three uncrowded batches, turning as needed, for 5 to 7 minutes per batch, until at least two broad faces are deeply browned; transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 2 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the wine, scrape up the fond, and boil until reduced by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.
Slow-Cook Until Tender
- Put the potatoes, carrots, and celery in a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk in the skillet mixture, hot broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, and remaining salt. Arrange the browned beef on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, keeping the lid closed, until the beef is fork-tender and the potatoes hold their edges. Use a known-functioning cooker of the specified capacity and keep the lid closed; fork-tender beef, not a single spot-temperature check, is the doneness endpoint. If the cooker loses power for an unknown or extended period, follow USDA guidance and discard the stew rather than trying to validate it with a final temperature reading.
Finish and Rest
- Discard the bay leaves. Fold in the frozen peas; cover for 5 minutes. If the gravy is thin, cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once without crushing the potatoes.
- Taste for salt and pepper, then rest the stew off heat for 10 minutes before serving. Cool leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours.
