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Looking for a slow-cooker beef stew recipe? Try our easy recipe, then check out our slow-cooker beef curry, slow-cooker beef bourguignon, slow-cooker sausage casserole, slow-cooker gammon and more slow-cooker ideas. We've also got plenty more easy stew recipes to try.

Energy-efficient and reliable, a slow cooker is the must-have appliance for batch cooking. Read our tried-and-tested reviews of the best slow cookers.

Cook’s notes: If you want to serve dumplings, put 150g self-raising flour and 75g suet in a bowl with ½ tsp salt and a really good grind of pepper. Add a few tbsp of cold water and stir until it comes together into a soft dough. Roll into 12 balls. Add to the stew after 3½ hours, put the lid back on and cook for another 30 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up and are cooked through.


Slow cooker beef stew recipe

Ingredients

  • 750g beef shin or other braising beef, cut into other large chunks and fat removed
  • 2 tbsp plain flour, heavily seasoned
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100ml red wine
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 sticks celery, diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • rosemary chopped to make 2 tsp
  • 400ml beef stock
  • mashed potato, to serve
  • long-stemmed broccoli, to serve
  • a handful flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the slow cooker to high. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour then shake off the excess. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Fry some of the beef chunks, making sure not to crowd the pan, on a high heat until browned all over. This will add a lovely deep colour to the final stew. Scoop the beef out of the pan and into the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef and oil.

  • STEP 2

    Pour the red wine into the frying pan and bubble, scraping the crusty bits from the base. Tip into the slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, tomato purée, rosemary and beef stock to the slow cooker and stir. Put on the lid and cook for 4 hours, then season. Serve the stew in bowls with mashed potato, broccoli and a sprinkle of parsley, if you like.

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Authors

Janine Ratcliffe Portrait
Janine RatcliffeFood director
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