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Cozy Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Red Wine – Best Easy Dinner

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This cozy slow cooker beef stew with red wine features tender beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich, wine-infused broth. It’s the ultimate hands-off comfort meal for cold evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced into half-inch pieces
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1.5 cups dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Pat the beef chuck cubes dry with paper towels. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss the beef cubes in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Shake off any excess.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half the beef cubes in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. Let them brown undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, then use tongs to flip each piece. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the same skillet. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent and the vegetables start to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  4. Pour about 1/2 cup of the red wine into the skillet. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the browned bits. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Pour the entire vegetable and wine mixture into the slow cooker with the beef.
  5. To the slow cooker, add the remaining 1 cup of red wine, the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, dried rosemary, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir everything together gently. Add the potato chunks, pushing them down so they are mostly submerged.
  6. Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
  7. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. If you want a thicker stew, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry, stir it in, and let it cook on HIGH for 15 more minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Notes

Do not skip browning the beef; it creates deep flavor. Use a wine you would drink. Cut vegetables uniformly for even cooking. Resist lifting the lid during cooking. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker beef stew, red wine beef stew, cozy beef stew, easy dinner, comfort food, winter recipe

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/cozy-slow-cooker-beef-stew-with-red-wine-best-easy-dinner/