Slow cooker beef stew

Here’s a hearty slow cooker beef stew recipe—perfect for tender, flavorful beef with vegetables:

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Ingredients (serves 4–6)

• 2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck, cut into 1–2 inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine (optional, can replace with extra broth)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing, optional but recommended)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)

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Instructions

1. Optional: Sear the beef
   • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
   • Sear beef cubes until browned on all sides (adds flavor but not required).
2. Add ingredients to slow cooker
   • Place beef, carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker.
   • Stir in beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook
   • Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until beef is tender.
4. Optional: Thicken the stew
   • Mix 2 tbsp flour with 2–3 tbsp cold water to make a slurry.
   • Stir into stew and cook for another 15–20 minutes to thicken.
5. Serve
   • Remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning, and serve hot with bread or over rice.

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💡 Tips

• Add peas or green beans in the last 30 minutes for extra color and freshness.
• For richer flavor, let the stew sit for a few hours or overnight—flavors meld beautifully.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day!

If you want, I can also give a foolproof “5-ingredient slow cooker beef stew” that’s super quick and still tasty.

Do you want me to do that?