Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Tender Chuck and Vegetables

A slow cooker makes beef stew convenient when dinner can cook for most of the day. This version uses chuck, potatoes and carrots in a savory broth, with peas added near the end to keep their color. Browning is an extra step, but it creates flavor that is difficult to develop inside the moist cooker. The broth amount is deliberately moderate because a covered slow cooker loses little moisture.

What makes this recipe work

Use thawed beef, not frozen chunks, so the cooker heats the food predictably. Cut meat and vegetables consistently and keep the potatoes fairly large. Lifting the lid repeatedly releases heat and can extend cooking time. Unlike a stovetop stew, this one should not be flooded with extra broth; vegetables release liquid as they soften. Cornstarch must be mixed with cold water first to avoid lumps. Add it only once the meat is tender, and allow the hot finishing stage to cook away the raw starch taste.

Planning your cooking

Yield: 6 servings. Allow approximately 30 minutes of preparation, 540 minutes of cooking. The cooking allowance includes browning, a long LOW setting and the final thickening stage. Different slow cookers can need extra time.

Vagner Carvalho

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Tender Chuck and Vegetables

A slow cooker makes beef stew convenient when dinner can cook for most of the day. This version uses chuck, potatoes and carrots in a savory broth, with peas added near the end to keep their color.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 550

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.1 kg beef chuck (2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 large onion (200 g), diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 600 ml low-sodium beef broth (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 680 g Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 450 g carrots (1 pound), cut into thick pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into thick pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16 g) mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water
• 150 g frozen peas (1 cup)

Method

 

1. Pat beef dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef in three batches, 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Browning adds flavor; it does not need to cook the cubes through.
2. In the same skillet soften onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir 1 minute. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the measured broth, scrape up the browned bits and transfer everything to the cooker.
3. Add remaining broth, Worcestershire, potatoes, carrots, celery, bay and thyme. Stir gently. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, keeping the lid closed. Start checking meat and vegetables after that; thick or especially firm chuck may need up to 9 hours.
4. When a fork slips into the beef easily, stir the cornstarch slurry again and add it with the frozen peas. Switch to HIGH, cover and cook another 20–30 minutes, until the sauce lightly thickens and peas are hot. If the meat is still firm, continue cooking before thickening.
5. Remove bay leaves. Taste, adding the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt only if needed. Ladle evenly into six bowls. The stated time allows 8 hours on LOW plus a finishing stage and skillet browning; slow cookers differ, so texture remains the final cue.

Notes

Nutrition is a rough estimate per serving of the stated batch, excluding suggested sides and optional toppings. Brands, discarded coating, retained oil and portions affect values. Times are planning estimates; use the doneness cues. Images are illustrative.

Questions and useful substitutions

Can I use HIGH instead? Often 4–5 hours plus the finishing stage works, but the texture may differ; check the beef rather than assuming a direct time conversion. Can I omit peas? Yes, leave them out without changing the liquid. Why is the beef still chewy? Chuck needs more time for connective tissue to soften; continue on LOW until tender.

Storage and reheating

Transfer leftovers from the cooker to shallow containers; do not leave a switched-off full cooker to cool for hours. Refrigerate within 2 hours for 3–4 days. Reheat on the stove or in a microwave to 165°F (74°C), then use a slow cooker only to hold hot food, not to reheat chilled stew.

The USDA guidance on reheating leftovers explains why chilled food should be reheated promptly to 165°F rather than slowly warmed in a slow cooker.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Rough estimates for one of 6 equal portions. Suggested sides, optional toppings and additional seasoning are excluded. Actual values depend on brands, edible yield and portions; these are not laboratory measurements.

What to cook next

For a complementary side or another dinner idea, explore skillet cornbread and garlic bread. Browse the dinner collection for more ideas.