Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Rich Gravy

When it’s cold outside, is there anything more satisfying than a slow cooked stew?

Yes my friends, one that tastes as amazing as this.

I’ve never been entirely convinced about cooking beef (unless it’s a tasty curry) in the slow cooker as it always seems to be a little bland.

I made it my mission to solve this and after trying this, I kid you not, 20 times, I feel like we are finally there. A tasty, delicious, thick Slow Cooker Beef Casserole. The beef is tender, the veggies wholesome and beer gives a rich gravy. 

I hope it warms up your midweek meals this winter.

You’ll love this Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe because: 

Packed with rich flavour.
Includes lots of hidden veg.
Great for batch cooking

FAQs on the Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe

Do I have to brown the beef before I put it in the slow cooker?

Short answer; no. Long answer; you don’t have to but I do feel that in this case, it is worth the 10 minutes or so as it adds a lot of flavour to the dish. 

This isn’t always the case. In a Slow Cooker Beef Curry for example, the spices add so much flavour that it’s not needed, but here, you want it to be.. BEEFY, right?

All that said, if you don’t have time, don’t stress just throw it in. It’ll be maybe, 20% less tasty, but sometimes needs must don’t they?

Can I cook this in the oven if I don’t have a slow cooker?

Sure. Cook at 160C for about an 2 – 3 hours or until the beef is soft and tender. You will almost certainly need to add some more liquid. Probably about 300 – 400ml of stock but check it as it cooks and adjust accordingly.

What beef should I use for this?

Something like ‘Braising Steak’, which is the name supermarkets and butchers use for a few different cuts of beef that need slow cooking.

These include chuck, skirt, leg and flank.

It’s also sometimes labelled as Stewing Steak. Any of these cuts that need to be cooked slowly are fine for this recipe.

Which slow cooker do you use?

I love this one (available to buy on Amazon) as it has a pan that you can use on the hob to brown your meats first and then transfer straight into the cooker. It’s very lightweight too. 

Can I freeze leftovers of this recipe? 

Yes this freezes really well. Just pack into tubs when cool and freeze. Then defrost and heat through thoroughly when you want to serve.

Fancy some other easy Slow Cooker recipes ?

• Super Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Curry – This is one of the most loved recipes on this site, over 200 reviews!
• Slow Cooker ‘Roast’ Gammon Ham – Such an easy and yummy Sunday roast joint.
• Slow Cooker ‘Roast’ Beef Joint – Another super simple and delicious roast joint, complete with gravy.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this recipe. Please rate the recipe using the below!

Also, if you fancy showing me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations and try and share as many of them as I can.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Rich Gravy

This Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe is packed with flavour - it's the ultimate comfort food. Lots of chunky vegetables and a rich gravy make this a complete meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Family Food

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Servings 6 People

Calories 386kcal

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef cubes See Note 1.
• 3 tbsp Plain flour
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1 Onion See Note 2.
• 3 Cloves Garlic See Note 2.
• 600 ml Beer See Note 3.
• 3 Carrots Peeled and chopped.
• 1/2 Swede Peeled and chopped. (Rutabaga if you're in the USA.)
• 2 Beef stock cubes
• 3 tbsp Tomato puree
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Imperial - Metric

Instructions

• Coat the beef in the plain flour until it's well covered.
• Heat the oil in a pan (or in your slow cooker pan if it's the type you can use on the hob) and brown the beef, in batches, don't overcrowd the pan, until it's browned and golden.
• Add all of your other ingredients, with all of the browned beef, into the pan. Remove from the heat (or transfer to your slow cooker pan if you have used a different pan for the browning).
• Pop the lid on and cook in the slow cooker for 5 - 6 hours on HIGH or 8 - 9 hours on LOW (this will vary slightly depending on the size of the cubes of meat and vegetables but don't worry, it's difficult to overcook this!)

Notes

Note 1 - Beef

I use 'Braising Steak', which is the name supermarkets and butchers use for a few different cuts of beef that need slow cooking. These include chuck, skirt, leg and flank. It's also sometimes labelled as Stewing Steak. 

Note 2 - Onions and Garlic

I use pre prepared frozen, chopped here. An onion weighs about 150g, so replace with that pre chopped weight. Garlic is about 5g per clove so I use 15g (3 teaspoons).

Note 3 - Beer

Any ale/bitter is fine for this. If you don't want to use alcohol, you can replace it with beef stock (in addition to the cubes mentioned). Also, if your bottle of beer has less than 600ml (some are 500ml) just make up the difference with stock.

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 40436mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 5146IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 5mg