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slow cooker beef stew freshly cooked
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
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
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.