🍳DailyRecipes
Dinner

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

A rich and savory beef stew that tastes like it spent all day on the stove, but is made easily in your slow cooker.

By Daily Recipes Book· 🌍 American· August 11, 2026
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
dailyrecipesbook.com
Prep
20 minutes
Cook
8 hours
Total
8 hours 20 minutes
Serves
6

There is nothing quite like coming home to the smell of a hearty beef stew after a long day. Many slow cooker recipes can feel a bit thin or lacking in depth, but this version uses a few simple tricks to build a deep, dark gravy that rivals any stovetop classic. By reducing your red wine and adding a beef bouillon cube for extra savory flavor, you get a restaurant quality meal with minimal effort.

I recommend cutting your own beef chuck into large chunks rather than buying pre cut stew meat. This helps the beef stay tender and succulent without falling apart during the long cooking process. You can even prep all your ingredients the night before and just start the slow cooker in the morning for an effortless dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg beef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
  • 500g small potatoes, left whole or halved
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. 1

    Toss the beef cubes in flour until coated, then shake off any excess.

  2. 2

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the beef in batches until deep golden brown on all sides.

  3. 3

    Remove the beef and place it into your slow cooker.

  4. 4

    In the same skillet, add the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer until the wine is reduced by half.

  5. 5

    Pour the reduced wine into the slow cooker along with the beef stock, crumbled bouillon cube, tomato paste, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves.

  6. 6

    Stir everything together well to combine.

  7. 7

    Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours until the beef is very tender.

  8. 8

    Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving hot.

💡 Tips

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, as the flavors often taste even better the next day. This stew freezes very well, so consider making a double batch for future busy weeknights.

#dinner#beef#comfort food#slow cooker#healthy

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