Smart Recipe Kitchen

2026-02-21

This stew is comfort food with practical prep. Browning the beef first adds deep flavor, and the slow cooker does the rest. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Pat beef dry. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with flour.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. In same skillet, sauté onion 3 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Deglaze with 1/2 cup broth, scraping browned bits.
4. Add skillet mixture to slow cooker with remaining broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
5. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4–5 hours, until beef is very tender.
6. Remove bay leaves. Stir in peas during last 10 minutes.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with parsley.

Why it works

Browning creates flavor compounds you can’t get from slow cooking alone. Flour lightly thickens the broth as the stew cooks, producing a rich but not heavy texture.

Timing

• Prep: 25 minutes
• Cook: 4–8 hours (hands-off)

Serve with crusty bread. Leftovers taste even better the next day and freeze well for up to 3 months.