Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Whether you call it a slow cooker or a crockpot this easy recipe is full of flavorful beef chunks and cooked to perfection vegetables! Let this fix it and forget it meal cook all day so you can enjoy a relaxing dinner later!

A spoonful of tender beef and vegetables in a flavorful beef stew.

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Why Choose This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Step by Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Related Recipes
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

Why Choose This Recipe

Very Basic, Simple Recipe
Flavorful Brown Gravy
Tender Beef Chunks
Never Mushy Vegetables
A fix it and forget meal like my Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup!

Ingredient Notes

Butter - either unsalted or salted is fine.
Flour- always all purpose, never self rising

Step by Step Instructions

Get your 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker out and ready.
Heat 2 Tbs. Butter to sizzling over medium high heat in a large frying pan.
Add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute' until onions start to look translucent.
Dump in the slow cooker.
Place frying pan back on the stove top and add the stew meat.
Brown the stew meat.

Vegetables sautéed and dumped into a crockpot followed by browning of beef.

Add flour to browned meat and mix to make a paste.
Add beef broth a little at a time while mixing well to make a gravy.
Simmer to thicken slightly.
Dump into the crockpot.

Flour added to beef chunks, followed by beef broth and then dumped in a crockpot.

Add the potatoes.
Pour in remaining broth.
Put lid on and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Potatoes and remaining broth added to the crockpot.

The gravy in this stew may seem too thin at first but it will thicken as it cools.
Serve with a crusty loaf of Homemade French Bread!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Do you have to cook the meat before you put it in the slow cooker?

No, I suppose you don't, however, browning the stew meat before adds flavor to your stew and holds the stew together. Also, in my recipe you juice the dripping the meat produces when browning to make the gravy the stew is cooked in.

Can you overcook beef stew?

Yes, you sure can. Overcooked beef stew has mushy, mushy vegetables and loss of flavor.

What can I add to beef stew for flavor?

I have had many bland stews in my lifetime. If you follow my recipe you will have plenty of flavor. Flavor is why I lightly sauté' my veggies first. It pulls out the flavor but leaves it intact. I also brown the stew meat to add flavor. Then make the gravy from the meat drippings and a quality beef broth. Other than adding a bit of salt and pepper this beef stew should have all the flavor you need.

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