This rich and hearty beef stew, inspired by a popular short video, is the ultimate weeknight meal! Requiring only 10 minutes of prep time, you can set it in the slow cooker before work and come home to a kitchen filled with the aroma of home cooking. The key to its deep, delicious flavor is a simple sear and a red wine deglaze.
Contents
Key Ingredients & Why They Work
- Chuck Roast: The high-fat content and connective tissue in a chuck roast melt away over low heat, resulting in the fall-apart tender beef the video promises.
- Searing: Browning the meat in a cast-iron skillet adds a layer of complex flavor (the Maillard reaction) that you simply can’t achieve by dumping raw meat into the slow cooker.
- Red Wine & Rosemary: Deglazing the pan with red wine captures all those browned bits, creating the flavor base. Fresh rosemary adds a classic, aromatic depth to the stew.
- Cornstarch Slurry: The slow cooker method often leaves stews thin. A mixture of cold water and cornstarch (the slurry) stirred in at the end is the perfect, no-lump way to thicken the broth into a rich gravy.
Recipe Overview (Quick Steps)
- Sear & Season: Liberally season 2.5-3 lbs of chuck roast chunks with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then sear them in oil until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
- Deglaze: Use the searing pan to quickly sauté chopped onions and garlic. Pour in 1/2 cup of red wine and scrape up the browned bits, then transfer this mixture (along with fresh rosemary) to the slow cooker.
- Add & Cook: Add chopped carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker, then cover everything with beef broth and water. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Thicken: Once the stew is tender, whisk together a cornstarch and cold water slurry and stir it into the stew. Let it sit on the WARM setting for 10-15 minutes until it thickens into a delicious gravy.
Crock-pot Beef Stew
This is a rich and comforting beef stew that’s perfect for a weeknight, requiring only about 10 minutes of hands-on prep time.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker (Crock-pot) Essential for the long, low-temperature cooking time.
- 1 Heavy Skillet (Cast Iron Recommended) Used specifically for searing the beef and deglazing.
Ingredients
Beef
- 3 lbs Chuck Roast, cut into 1.5-inch chunks A good size for a large slow cooker stew.
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder Put amount to taste to your liking.
Aromatics & Deglazing
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil For searing the beef
- 1 large Yellow Onion Chopped
- 6 cloves Garlic Mined
- 1/2 cup Red Wine (Dry, e.g., Cabernet or Pinot Noir) Used for deglazing (getting up all the brown bits).
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary Chopped fresh rosemary adds the best flavor.
Vegetables & Liquid
- 5 Carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 lbs Potatoes (Yukon Gold or Red), cut into 1.5-inch chunks Choose waxy potatoes so they don't fall apart easily.
- 4 cups Low-Sodium Beef Broth The video mentions "a couple quarts," but 1 quart is a good starting point to prevent it from becoming too soupy.
- 1 cup Water Add enough to nearly cover the ingredients.
For Thickening (The Slurry)
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Cold Water Use cold water to prevent clumping.
Instructions
Sear the Beef
- Pat the chuck roast pieces dry and season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (like cast iron) over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, sear the beef for 2 to 3 minutes per side until a beautiful brown crust forms.
- Transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker insert.
Deglaze and Sauté
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onion to the same skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the garlic and chopped rosemary and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly to “deglaze” and dissolve all the flavor-packed brown bits. This is a crucial step for deep flavor!
- Pour the contents of the skillet (onions, garlic, rosemary, and wine) over the beef in the slow cooker.
Slow Cook
- Add the chopped carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the beef broth and enough water to almost cover all the ingredients.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or until the beef is fall-apart tender).
Thicken and Finish
- Once the beef is tender, turn the slow cooker setting from LOW to WARM.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to form a smooth slurry.
- Slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew until well combined.
- Cover the slow cooker again and let the stew rest and thicken on the WARM setting for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the hearty beef stew immediately!
