Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-stew
You know how sometimes when you make things in a slow cooker you sacrifice flavour for convenience? It's just not the same as slow cooking on the stove or in the oven because you don't get caramelisation on the surface, and the liquid doesn't evaporate so the sauce doesn't reduce and intensify in flavour.
And that's the case with my classic beef stew recipe which is slow cooked for hours on the stove, By popular demand, I've had abbreviated directions for how to make it using a slow cooker crammed into the recipe notes, but it's always bothered me because I knew it was fine but not as great as the stove version.
Anyway, this winter, I decided it was time to tackle that X, and here it is. All it takes is two little flavour-boosting steps:
1. Massively reduce red wine when deglazing the pan after browning the beef cubes so the flavour is concentrated rather than diluted; and
2. Add a beef bouillon cube for an extra hit of savouriness to make up for the flavour development we don’t get from the slow cooker. It has more flavour than salt!
HANDY TIP: Assemble it tonight (brown the beef, make the sauce, chop veg, put everything in the slow cooker) then turn it on in the morning before you leave for work. Imagine walking in the door after a long day at work to come home to THIS???!! :) - Nagi x
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A really good Slow Cooker Beef Stew
THICKENED SAUCE:
3 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium (750ml)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour (75g)
STOVE to SLOW COOKER:
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1.25kg/ 2.5lb chuck beef, cut 3 – 4cm/ 1.2 – 1.4" cubes
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large onion, halved then sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups red wine (500ml, I use pinot noir), sub more 0% wine or beef stock
FOR THE STEW:
1 beef stock cube (bouillon cube), crumbled (I use OXO)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves, fresh or dry
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into big bite size pieces
2 celery sticks, cut into 4cm/1.6″ pieces
400g / 14oz small cocktail potatoes (halve or quarter larger ones)
1 cup frozen peas (still frozen)
1. Mix 1 cup stock, tomato paste and flour in slow cooker until lump-free (use whisk if needed) then mix in remaining stock.
2. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper, heat oil in large fry pan (skillet) on high heat. Brown beef pieces in batches (~3 – 4 min), add to slow cooker (leave fat in pan).
3. Saute onion in remaining fat until tinged gold and softened. Add wine and boil until reduced by 75%. Add to slow cooker.
4. Add stock cube, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, stir. Add carrots, celery and potato, push in to submerge as best you can (some sticking up is fine).
5. Slow cook 10 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Stir in peas, leave for few minutes, serve stew over mash or with crusty bread for dunking!
#recipetineats #beefstew #slowcookerbeefstew
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-stew
You know how sometimes when you make things in a slow cooker you sacrifice flavour for convenience? It's just not the same as slow cooking on the stove or in the oven because you don't get caramelisation on the surface, and the liquid doesn't evaporate so the sauce doesn't reduce and intensify in flavour.
And that's the case with my classic beef stew recipe which is slow cooked for hours on the stove, By popular demand, I've had abbreviated directions for how to make it using a slow cooker crammed into the recipe notes, but it's always bothered me because I knew it was fine but not as great as the stove version.
Anyway, this winter, I decided it was time to tackle that X, and here it is. All it takes is two little flavour-boosting steps:
1. Massively reduce red wine when deglazing the pan after browning the beef cubes so the flavour is concentrated rather than diluted; and
2. Add a beef bouillon cube for an extra hit of savouriness to make up for the flavour development we don’t get from the slow cooker. It has more flavour than salt!
HANDY TIP: Assemble it tonight (brown the beef, make the sauce, chop veg, put everything in the slow cooker) then turn it on in the morning before you leave for work. Imagine walking in the door after a long day at work to come home to THIS???!! :) - Nagi x
---------------------
A really good Slow Cooker Beef Stew
THICKENED SAUCE:
3 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium (750ml)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour (75g)
STOVE to SLOW COOKER:
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1.25kg/ 2.5lb chuck beef, cut 3 – 4cm/ 1.2 – 1.4" cubes
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large onion, halved then sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups red wine (500ml, I use pinot noir), sub more 0% wine or beef stock
FOR THE STEW:
1 beef stock cube (bouillon cube), crumbled (I use OXO)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves, fresh or dry
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into big bite size pieces
2 celery sticks, cut into 4cm/1.6″ pieces
400g / 14oz small cocktail potatoes (halve or quarter larger ones)
1 cup frozen peas (still frozen)
1. Mix 1 cup stock, tomato paste and flour in slow cooker until lump-free (use whisk if needed) then mix in remaining stock.
2. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper, heat oil in large fry pan (skillet) on high heat. Brown beef pieces in batches (~3 – 4 min), add to slow cooker (leave fat in pan).
3. Saute onion in remaining fat until tinged gold and softened. Add wine and boil until reduced by 75%. Add to slow cooker.
4. Add stock cube, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, stir. Add carrots, celery and potato, push in to submerge as best you can (some sticking up is fine).
5. Slow cook 10 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Stir in peas, leave for few minutes, serve stew over mash or with crusty bread for dunking!
#recipetineats #beefstew #slowcookerbeefstew
