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Wholesome Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe

Wholesome Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe
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★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews

This Wholesome Crockpot Beef Stew is a comforting, slow-cooked dish featuring tender beef cubes, hearty vegetables, and a rich, flavorful broth enhanced by red wine and herbs. Perfect for a cozy meal, it uses a combination of searing, slow cooking, and finishing techniques to achieve a rich and velvety texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Seasoning

  • 2 ½ pounds of stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ¼ cup flour

Cooking Fats

  • 3–6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons chilled butter (split into 1 tbsp and 2 tbsp portions)

Vegetables and Aromatics

  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 medium carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary

Liquids and Flavorings

  • 1 cup cabernet sauvignon or merlot wine
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons tomato concentrate
  • ¼ cup cold water mixed with 3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
  • 2–3 drops Gravy Master (optional, for deeper color)

Instructions

  1. Prepare and Season the Meat: Cut stew meat into 1-inch cubes, leaving marbled fat but discarding large fat pieces. Season evenly with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss until coated.
  2. Sear the Meat: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches to avoid overcrowding, brown each side of beef cubes for about 45 seconds. Add more oil if needed. Transfer browned meat to the slow cooker.
  3. Sauté the Onions and Deglaze the Pan: Reduce skillet heat to medium and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Cook chopped onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Pour a splash of wine into the pan and use a spatula to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
  4. Cook the Stew: Add carrots, potatoes, beef stock, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato concentrate, bay leaves, rosemary, and remaining olive oil to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7½ to 8 hours or on high for 3½ to 4 hours, until vegetables are tender.
  5. Add Final Ingredients and Thicken: In the last 15 minutes, add peas to the slow cooker. Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprig. If a thicker stew is desired, whisk together cold water and cornstarch to form a slurry, then slowly stir it into the stew until thickened.
  6. Finish and Serve: Turn off heat once desired thickness is reached. Stir in 2 tablespoons chilled butter to create a smooth, velvety finish (Monter au Beurre). Optionally, add 2–3 drops Gravy Master for richer color. Serve hot and enjoy.

Notes

  • Use good-quality stew meat with some marbling for best flavor and texture.
  • Deglazing the pan with wine adds depth to the stew’s flavor.
  • To avoid a bitter taste, do not add cornstarch slurry too early.
  • Adjust salt and seasoning at the end if needed.
  • Gravy Master is optional and mainly adds color; it can be omitted if unavailable.
  • Leftovers store well and flavors deepen after a day.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot beef stew, slow cooker beef stew, hearty stew, comfort food, beef recipe, easy stew recipe, winter stew

Find it online: https://tastybynova.com/wholesome-crockpot-beef-stew-recipe/