Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Whoa. Just, WHOA. I’ve never smelled anything as lovely and drool-inducing as the scent in my house while I cooked this Slow Cooker Beef Stew. The aroma had me checking the clock every 15 minutes to see if it was done yet. I couldn’t wait to lift the lid and take a quick taste. And when I finally did? INCREDIBLE. This is definitely a recipe you want to make before winter is over!

Ingredients for Beef Stew

Beef stew, in its most basic form, is really simple. It’s just chunky pieces of beef, vegetables, broth, and some herbs and spices, all cooked down until it forms a delicious cozy gravy. But I took this beef stew up a few notches with some extra special ingredients that add more umami and flavor to the stew gravy. The ingredient list may look long, but I promise it’s worth it. Here’s what you’ll need for the most incredible beef stew ever:

• Beef Stew Meat - Stew meat, which is usually cubed chuck steak, tends to be a tougher cut, but it softens to an extremely tender texture when cooked low and slow (like in a slow cooker).
• All-Purpose Flour - Lightly coating the stew meat in flour and then searing it before it goes into the slow cooker increases the Maillard reaction and deepens the flavor. The flour also helps thicken the stew’s gravy.
• Vegetables - We use a hearty and flavorful mix of carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes to create a naturally flavorful gravy. The vegetables also help thicken the gravy as they break down into the broth.
• Beef Broth - Broth acts as the base for the gravy and provides a nice moist environment for the meat to cook to tender perfection. Make sure to use a broth with great flavor. We like to use Better Than Bouillon to make our broth.
• Seasonings - This is where we really take the flavor to the next level. For this recipe, we combined garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to make an over-the-top good gravy that is full of layered flavor and umami goodness.

How to Thicken Beef Stew

There are multiple ways to thicken a beef stew, but I prefer to allow the stew to thicken naturally as the vegetables cook and begin to break down into the broth. The stew may look a little watery when you first lift the lid, but once you begin to stir the vegetables (especially the potato) will begin to thicken the liquid in the slow cooker.

Alternately, if you prefer a firmer vegetable, you can add them in the last hour of cooking and then use a cornstarch slurry (3 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water) to thicken your stew. Once the cornstarch is mixed into the broth and brought to a boil, it will thicken into a gravy. This method will result in a less flavorful gravy and a glossy appearance.

What Else Can I add?

This slow cooker beef stew is pretty lush as is, but there are always options if you want to add more! Try adding 8 oz. mushrooms with the vegetables in the beginning (sliced in half) for more vegetable goodness. If you have some red wine on hand, deglaze the skillet used to brown the beef with the wine before proceeding with the gravy. Want it to look extra fancy? Sub 8 oz. pearl onions in place of the chopped onion in the recipe below.

What Do you Serve with Beef Stew?

Beef stew is a pretty well-rounded meal on its own, but you’ll want to sop up every drop of that deliciously thick brown gravy. I suggest serving your Slow Cooker Beef Stew with some bread on the side, like my Focaccia Rolls, or over a bowl warm rice or egg noodles.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Use your slow cooker to make this incredible Beef Stew full of aromatic rosemary and garlic, fork-tender beef, and colorful vegetables.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost $16.20 recipe / $2.03 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 8 1.25 cups each

Calories 269kcal

Author Beth - Budget Bytes

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. red potatoes $2.40
• 1 yellow onion $0.37
• 3 carrots $0.44
• 4 stalks celery $0.44
• 4 cloves garlic $0.32
• 1.5 lbs. beef stew meat $11.24
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour $0.03
• 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
• 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.08
• 2 cups beef broth $0.27
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard $0.13
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce $0.06
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.06
• 1.5 tsp brown sugar $0.02
• 1.5 tsp dried rosemary $0.15
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme $0.15

Instructions

• Dice the onion and red potatoes. Slice the carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Place the prepared vegetables in a four or five quart slow cooker.
• Place the stew meat in a bowl and sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over top. Toss the meat until it's evenly coated in flour.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom. Stir and then allow the beef to brown on a second side. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
• Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium-low. Add the broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium-low until all the browned bits have dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.
• Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker and everything a good stir.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
• After cooking the meat and vegetables should both be tender. Stir the stew well to allow the potatoes to slightly break down and thicken the gravy. Taste the stew and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25cups | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 591mg | Fiber: 3g

Love Beef Stew? You’ve got to try my Chicken Stew next!

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew - Step by Step Photos

Prepare the vegetables for the stew first. You’ll need to dice 2 lbs. red potatoes and one yellow onion, slice 4 stalks of celery and 3 carrots, and mince 4 cloves of garlic.

Place all of your chopped vegetables in a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker.

Place 1.5 lbs. stew meat (beef chuck) in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper over the meat. Toss the beef until it’s evenly coated in flour, salt, and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When it’s very hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and let it cook until browned on the bottom, then stir and allow it to brown on the second side again. Do not stir often, or the beef will not have a chance to brown. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and add 2 cups beef broth, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tsp brown sugar, 1.5 tsp dried rosemary, and 1.5 tsp thyme. Heat and stir the ingredients until all of the browned bits are dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker. It’s okay if the broth does not fully cover the ingredients in the slow cooker at this point.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.

After four hours on high (or eight hours on low) the stew should look a little like this. The meat and vegetables should both be tender. The gravy may look a little thin at this point, but don’t worry…

Give the stew a good stir and the potatoes will break down a bit and thicken the gravy into a nice rich consistency. Depending on the type of broth used, you may want to taste the stew and add salt to your liking (I did not add any).

Serve the Slow Cooker Beef Stew as is or spooned over a bowl of hot rice or pasta. THIS will keep you warm and full on cold winter days!

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls

$10.31 recipe / $1.72 serving

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

$4.64 recipe / $0.77 serving

Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs

$8.00 recipe / $2.00 serving

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

$9.22 recipe / $1.15 serving

The post Slow Cooker Beef Stew appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thai cooking's most famous ingredient?

Two main ingredients are the heart of Thai cuisine: curry and rice. These two essential elements come together to create an unforgettable flavor.

Thais call this combination "Khao pad Krai," which translates to "the best dish." This is because the two basic foods can be combined to create something truly delicious and irresistible.

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As Khao Pad Krai did, passion and purpose can be combined to make you successful. If you put them together, you'll produce something extraordinary.

If you find yourself craving Thai food, keep in mind that Thai food is more than rice and curry. You'll be amazed at how much fun you can have experimenting with different ingredients!

Which are the best Thai spice?

Galangal (lemongrass), coriander, turmeric and cinnamon are the best Thai spice. You can also use clove, cardamom black peppercorn, clove, cardamom clove, cardamom, fennel seed, star anise, cloves and cayenne pepper as spices.

Rose petals, bay leaves and pandan leaves are all valuable spices.

What's the difference between curried and curry?

There is no difference in spelling. Both terms refer to the exact same thing: An Indian dish that combines meat and vegetables with different seasonings.

Curry derives its name from the Hindi word kari which means "to rub." The spice mixture is then applied to the food. Curry foods are usually cooked until golden brown.

Curried dishes are no longer reserved for special occasions. They're now commonplace in India. They can include chicken, beef, lamb, fish, vegetables, and rice.

Curried dishes can be served alongside plain white or brown rice. The most common accompaniments are raita (a yogurt paste) and chutney.

What are the principal Flavours in Thai Cuisine?

Thai cuisine includes several distinct regional cuisines. These include Northern and Central Thai cuisines, as well as Southern, Eastern, Western, Eastern, Western, Northeastern Thai food. Each region has its unique flavour profile.

Thai food is known for its sweet, salty and sour flavors.

Thais love sweetness because it makes their dishes more delicious. Sweet ingredients such as palm sugar (gula melaka) and coconut milk play a significant role in Thai cuisine.

Thailand is also known for its sourness. Hot dishes can often be paired with sour foods. This helps to balance the heat.

Thai food is not complete without spicy food. Thai recipes often include spices such as galangal and ginger root.

What Thai spice will I need to make Thai food home?

In order to cook authentic Thai food at home you will need five spices: black pepper (cayenne), coriander seeds (coriander seeds), turmeric and cinnamon. Each ingredient is unique and plays an integral role in the creation of delicious dishes.

Black pepper enhances the savoury flavors of curry powder, while cinnamon gives it sweetness. Coriander seeds provide a spicy kick and turmeric gives curry powder the yellow color it is known for. Cayenne peppers are hot, and cilantro adds freshness. Finally, cinnamon can add depth and complexity in any dish.

You can find each of these spices at your local grocery store, but if you'd instead buy them online, here are our recommendations for where to shop.

Can you spice up a drink?

It's amazing how spices can add flavour and flavor to food. But how can you make them live when they're used in drinks.

Spices are wonderful because they can add depth and flavor to any beverage. There's nothing better than adding cinnamon or nutmeg in your glass of wine or beer, whether it's coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or cocktails.

However, most recipes call for ground spice so you will need fresh whole spices. Although this is logical, it can be costly, time-consuming, and takes up storage space.

This is where the magic happens. With some creativity, your favourite spices can be made into powdered forms that are easy to use. You can then mix the spices into your favorite beverages to make delicious spiced drinks.

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No matter which method you use, the powder will be much easier to measure and store than whole spices. The powder is stable so you don't run low on stock.

Mixing different spices can create new flavors. Peppermint and spearmint can be combined to make minty water. Ginger and cardamom pods can be used to make spicy ginger Tea.

Once you are proficient in making powdered spice, you can also apply this technique to herbs. Some popular herbs include basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

The possibilities are limitless. You can use powdered spice to enhance the flavour of your drinks or dishes like soups, salads, or pasta.

Statistics

• According to the McCormick Science Institute, indigenous Indian spices were cultivated as early as the 8th century BC in the gardens of Babylon. (spicecravings.com)
• According to Healthline, pink Himalayan salt is estimated to contain up to 84 minerals and trace elements, which gives the salt its special pink color. (spicecravings.com)
• India contributes to 75% of global spice production. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

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• HomePage

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• Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.


• Amazon.com : Morton & Bassett Whole Nutmeg 1.9 Oz : Nutmeg Spices And Herbs : Grocery & Gourmet Food

healthline.com

• Is Pink Himalayan Salt Better Than Regular Salt?


• Turmeric and Curcumin are proving to have health benefits.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• Acute Inflammation and Metabolism - PubMed


• PubMed - Aging, inflammation, the environment

How To

How to Cut Shiitake Mushrooms

So, the shiitakes are growing well. There's nothing wrong about them. However, how do you cut them without cutting yourself? We tried everything. Even scissors. But they keep falling out our hands. What's the problem?

It's possible to do this by using a trick. You must put a rubber band around the mushroom's stem and twist it tight. That way, you won't slip and cut yourself.

It may sound too simple. It is. But it's also very useful.

The rubber band makes the stem slippery, so it feels natural when you pick it up. Plus, it doesn't hurt to hold the stem tightly.

Go ahead, try it. It's so easy to chop mushrooms now.