Whoa. Just, WHOA. The aroma in my home while I was cooking this Slow Cooker Beef stew made me drool. I checked the time every 15 minutes because of the smell. I couldn’t resist lifting the lid to taste. When I finally opened it? INCREDIBLE. You will want to try this recipe before the winter ends!

BEEF STEW INGREDIENTS

In its simplest form, beef stew is a simple dish. The primary beef stew is just chunks of beef, vegetables, broth, herbs, and spices. It is then cooked until it becomes a tasty, cozy gravy. This beef stew was already delicious, but I added extra special ingredients to give it more flavor and umami. It may seem like a long list of ingredients, but I promise that it is worth it. What you need to make the best beef stew:

Beef Stew MEAT – Stew meat is typically cubed chuck, a tougher cut. However, it becomes extremely tender when cooked slowly and low (in a slow cooker).

All Purpose Flour: By lightly coating the stew meat with flour and then searing it before placing it in the slow cooker, you can increase the Maillard Reaction. This will also enhance the flavor. The flour helps thicken the gravy in the stew.

Vegetables- We create a flavorful gravy using a mix of potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. As the vegetables break down, they thicken the gravy.

Beef Broth — Broth is the base of the gravy, and it provides the perfect moist environment to allow the meat to be cooked to perfection. Use a flavorful broth. Better Than Bouillon is our favorite to use to make broth.

Seasonings This is where you can really bring the flavor up a notch. This recipe combines Dijon, garlic, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and brown sugar with rosemary and Thyme to create a delicious gravy full of layers of flavor and umami goodness.

HOW TO THICKEN BEEF STEW

You can thicken beef stew in many ways, but I like to let it thicken as the vegetables begin to cook and break down into broth. When you lift the lid of the stew, it may appear a bit watery. However, once you start stirring, the liquid will thicken.

If you want a more firm vegetable, add it in the last half hour of cooking. Then use a cornstarch mixture (3 Tbsp. cornstarch and 3 Tbsp. water) to thicken. The gravy will reduce when the cornstarch has been added to the broth and brought to a rolling boil. This will produce a blender gravy with a glossy finish.

What else can I add?

There are many options to make this slow-cooker beef soup even more delicious. Add 8 oz. Add mushrooms (sliced in half) and the vegetables at the beginning. You can use red wine to deglaze the skillet that you used to brown the meat before adding the gravy. Want to make it look more fancy? Sub 8 oz. You can use pearl onions instead of chopped onion in the recipe below.

What do you serve with beef stew?

You can serve your Slow Cooker Beef Stew with some bread on the side, like my a data-went-parsed= “1” href=”https://www.budgetbytes.com/focaccia-rolls/”>Focaccia Rolls/a>. Or you can pour it over noodles or rice. Serve your Slow Cooker Beef stew with a side of bread, such as my Focaccia rolls, or over warm rice or egg noodles.

Ingredients

2 lbs. Red potatoes (2.40 dollars)

One yellow onion is $3.07

Three carrots (0.44)

Celery 4 stalks ($0.44)

Four cloves of garlic ($0.32)

1.5 lbs. Beef stew meat (11,24 $)

2 tbsp All-purpose Flour ($0.03)

1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)

1/8 tsp Black pepper freshly cracked ($0.02)

2 Tbsp of 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)

Brown sugar, 1.5 tsp ($0.02)

1 tsp dried rosemary (0.15)

1 tsp dried Thyme ($0.15)

Instructions

Cut the red potato and onion into dice. Cut the celery and carrots. Garlic should be minced. Place the vegetables into a slow cooker with four to five quarts capacity.

Sprinkle the flour, pepper, and salt over the stew meat. Toss the meat in flour until evenly coated.

A large skillet should be heated on medium-high. Add the cooking oil to the pan and swirl until the entire surface is covered. Stirring is not necessary. Add the stew meat to the skillet and let it cook until the bottom has browned. Stir the meat and allow it to brown on the second side. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.

Reduce the heat in the pan to medium-low. Add the Dijon, Worcestershire, Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Thyme, and rosemary to the skillet. Stir and cook on medium-low heat until all the brown bits are dissolved from the bottom of your skillet.

Pour the broth on top of the ingredients and give everything a good mix.

Put the lid on your slow cooker, and cook it on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

The meat and vegetables must be cooked until they are both tender. Stir well the stew to break down the potatoes and thicken them. You can adjust the seasonings or salt to taste. Serve the stew hot!