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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is such a bowl of comfort. The beef is simmered with veggies in a richly flavored broth until the morsels of beef are fall-apart tender. All you need is a generous slice of homemade bread to go with it.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp extra light olive oil or high heat cooking oil
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 4 large carrots cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 lb Yukon potatoes cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/3 cup apple cider juice (NOT vinegar)
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fine sea salt or added to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • parsley finely chopped, to serve

Method
 

  1. Preheat a skillet with oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef in a single layer and saute until browned on both sides. Don't crowd the pan and cook beef in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.
  2. In the same skillet, sauté the onion until lightly browned, adding more oil if needed.
  3. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Set it on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 9 hours.
  4. Remove bay leaves, season to taste, and serve garnished with parsley if desired. If a thicker stew is preferred, see notes below on thickening the stew.*

Notes

*To Substitute Tomato Paste: For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce. Or, add an equal amount of ketchup (although ketchup does have a slightly sweeter flavor) 
*To thicken stew: make a cornstarch slurry (mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp cold water) and stir it into the crockpot a little bit at a time, depending on desired thickness. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Alternatively, add a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour when initially browning the meat.
Make-Ahead: 
  • Refrigerate: Refrigerate cooled stew in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 
  • Freeze: Once cooled, store the stew in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months, leaving an inch of space in the container for expansion.
  • How to Reheat: Thaw overnight, and then warm in a pot over medium heat until heated through.