Hearty beef stew (in a slow cooker)

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The slow cooker is a perfect tool for preparing this hearty beef stew. The long, slow cooking time allows a tougher cut of beef to break down to melt-in-the-mouth tenderness. Meanwhile, the low, consistent heat ensures that the flavours of the vegetables and flavourings meld together, creating a rich and comforting dish. What's more, once the stew is in the slow cooker you can forget about it until it's time to eat!

A dish of beef stew in a soup bowl on a white plate with a crusty breadroll. There is a dish of stew in the background.

Regular readers will have realised by now that I adore stews and casseroles. There's something so comforting about tucking into a hearty bowl of succulent meat and vegetables, perfectly flavoured and swimming in a delicious gravy.

This stew is no exception, and the recipe is long overdue. I've got lots of beef stews on my website, South African beef bredie, easy beef stew in a Ninja and this hearty beef and barley stew to name but a few. But up until now, I haven't published a recipe for a hearty beef stew in a slow cooker.

But that's about to change! And I'm sure you'll agree that this recipe was worth waiting for.

To make the stew you'll need a good quality stewing beef which is browned in seasoned flour before being added to the slow cooker. This not only adds colour to the meat, but the flour helps to thicken the gravy. My other trick for getting thick gravy, which really works well in a slow cooker, is to add one grated potato along with all the other vegetables. The grated potato softens, releasing its starch as it cooks, thickening the gravy naturally.

Stewing meat can often be quite tough, but the long slow cooking time in a slow cooker tenderises the meat perfectly. The connective tissues in the meat break down as the meat cooks, transforming the tough fibres into soft and succulent tenderness.

The slow cooker is also perfect for cooking vegetables. I've found that if you cook vegetables in a pressure cooker you should only add them for the last 20 minutes or so of the cooking time; otherwise, the vegetables disintegrate and you end up with a pot of soup! With the slow cooker, the vegetables retain their shape and texture, while still turning out beautifully cooked and packed with flavour.

Finally for more goodness and extra texture (and because I like the taste), I've added a handful of pearl barley. Barley is packed with goodness and has many health benefits. This article 9 impressive health benefits of barley explains it in a lot more detail.

Overhead shot of hearty beef stew in a serving dish with a large spoon.

Let's get on with the recipe!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for a successful outcome
Variations
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
Save for later
Related recipes
📋The recipe

Ingredients

This stew will feed 4 to 6 hungry people. It freezes well, so leftovers can easily be stored for another meal.

Stewing beef - this should be cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. You can use chuck or braising steak, flank, topside or any other cut of beef suitable for stewing.
Potatoes and onions - the potatoes should be peeled and cut into chunks and the onion should be peeled and quartered and separated into petals. If you prefer to slice your onion thinly that will be fine. I like to keep one onion aside and grate it before adding it to the stew.
Carrots and swedes - these add a touch of sweetness. Peel them and cut them into large pieces. You may know swedes as turnips or rutabagas.
Pearl barley - this is normally sold alongside the dried peas and beans in the supermarkets. You won't need too much as it does swell up quite a lot when cooked. A quarter of a cup will be ample. You can leave it out if you don't like it.
Flour - used to coat and brown the meat.
Dried thyme - adds an earthy richness to the flavour of the stew. Substitute with rosemary or oregano, or simply leave it out altogether.
Tomato puree or tomato paste - this is highly concentrated tomatoes. You could substitute with freshly chopped tomatoes if you prefer.
Beef stock pot - mixed with boiling water to make stock. If you don't have a stock pot, substitute with an Oxo cube or equivalent. Otherwise use your favourite brand of ready-made beef stock.
Red wine - I love adding red wine to a beef stew - it enriches the flavour of the gravy. Substitute with extra stock if you don't want to cook with alcohol.
Worcestershire sauce - adds a savoury, slightly salty element.
In addition to the above you will need a small amount of cooking oil for browning the meal and salt and ground black pepper for seasoning. I like to season the flour with a little salt before browning the meat. Because the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce add a salty element I only finalise the seasoning once the stew has cooked.
I also like to add a cup of frozen peas at the end of the cooking time. These are entirely optional (but I like them 🙂 )

**You can get the exact ingredient measurements for making this hearty beef stew on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Instructions

Step 1: Combine half a teaspoon of salt with the flour and use it to coat the beef cubes.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan and brown the meat on all sides over medium to high heat.

Step 3: Transfer the browned meat into the slow cooker.

Step 4: Add the potatoes (cubed and grated), the onions, swedes, carrots, barley and thyme to the slow cooker.

Stock and red wine poured over the vegetables and beef in a slow cooker.

Step 5: Mix the tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce into the stock and pour the stock and red wine over the vegetables.

Cooked beef and vegetables with gravy in a slow cooker.

Step 6: Cook for 7 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high.

Step 7: If you are adding frozen peas, add them about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time and allow them to heat through (defrost them first). Then taste and salt and ground black pepper if necessary.

Overhead shot of beef and vegetable stew in a serving bowl.

Step 8: Transfer the stew to a serving dish and serve hot with crusty bread to mop up the gravy.

Tips for a successful outcome

Here are my top tips to ensure your hearty beef stew always turns out perfectly:

Don't skip the step of browning the meat. Browning the meat first not only adds colour, but it seals the juices into the pieces of meat ensuring they remain moist and succulent.
Adding grated potato isn't strictly necessary but it does help to thicken the gravy naturally.
If you need to thicken the gravy before serving, make a slurry with a tablespoon of cornflour (aka cornstarch) and 2 tablespoons of water and stir this into the stew right at the end until the desired consistency is reached. You may not need all the cornflour mixture.

Variations

Here are a few ideas in which you could vary the recipe to suit your own taste:

Instead of barley, add the same amount of dried soup vegetables (normally found in supermarkets in the same aisle as you would buy the barley. Dried soup mix not only contains barley, but it also contains lentils and dried peas.
The vegetables I used were only my suggestions. At the very least I would use carrots and potatoes, but you could also add sliced leeks, green beans, red bell pepper and/or celery. For additional root vegetables, why not add some diced parsnips? I would tend to steer clear of the softer vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower as these would tend to break up in the slow cooker.

Equipment

You will need a slow cooker! The one I have has settings for High, Medium and Low but to be quite honest I never use the medium setting. I also don't have a timer on my slow cooker so I have to remember to switch it off when the food is cooked. However, I'm normally at home so this isn't really a problem. If you're out at work all day you may want to invest in a slow cooker that has a timer and a 'keep warm' function.

You will also need a sharp knife and chopping board for cutting up the vegetables. If you are going to be adding grated potato you will need a cheese (or box) grater.

Storage

This stew freezes well. Allow it to come to room temperature then pack it into meal-sized plastic containers. Freeze for up to 4 months.

To use, allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it either in the microwave or in a saucepan.

Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and reheated in the same way.

Close up of hearty beef stew in small dish with a handle.

FAQ

What's the best cut of beef to use?

The tougher cuts of beef like chuck, braising steak, flank or topside are perfect for the slow cooker. These cuts of beef have plenty of connective tissue to bread down in the long, slow cooking process, resulting in tender, succulent meat.

Is it really necessary to brown the beef first?

While not strictly necessary, browning the beef beforehand enhances the flavour. Searing the meat creates a crust on the beef that not only adds a depth of flavour, but also seals in the juices, helping to create a tender result.

Can I use frozen beef chunks in this stew?

This is not recommended for the slow cooker because the beef may stay at a temperature which allows bacteria to multiply before it reaches a temperature high enough to kill any potential bacteria. Defrost the beef in the refrigerator before cooking.

What is the best way to thicken the stew?

I've mentioned using cornflour or cornstarch and also using grated potatoes to thicken the stew. Another way would be to blend some of the vegetables and stir them back into the stew, or blend a knob of butter with a tablespoon of flour and stir that in over low heat.

Save for later

If you would like to make this hearty beef stew why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Visit my beef recipes page for other delicious meal ideas using beef. Here are a few you might enjoy:

📋The recipe

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