Craving a tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef stew but don’t want to spend all day cooking? This slow cooker garlic butter beef and potatoes is the perfect solution. Fork-tender beef stew meat is braised for 6 hours until fall-apart tender, absorbing all the rich flavors of the garlic butter sauce along with potatoes and aromatics. It’s the ultimate comforting hearty meal for cold weather and so easy to make, with just a quick prep time and the rest hands-off in the slow cooker.
With just 10 minutes of prep time, you’ll have a rich and delicious home-cooked meal with this easy crockpot garlic butter beef stew. Let your slow cooker do all the work turning budget-friendly beef stew meat ultra-tender and flavorful after a braise with garlic butter. Potatoes soak up the delicious sauce making this the perfect cold weather comfort food. Coming home to the incredible aroma of this beef stew after a long day will have you looking forward to dinner every night. It’s simple to prepare with basic ingredients and so versatile to mix up with your favorite seasonings.
Can I use a different cut of beef?
Yes, you can use other cuts like chuck roast or bottom round. Just make sure to trim off excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces before adding to the slow cooker.
Can I prep this the night before?
Absolutely! Simply prepare all the ingredients except the butter the night before and refrigerate. Then dump everything into the slow cooker and add the butter right before turning it on in the morning.
My slow cooker stew came out too thin/watery. How can I thicken it?
You can make a quick slurry by whisking together 1-2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water. Remove 1/2 cup stew broth from cooker, whisk in slurry, then pour back in and stir to combine. Cook 30 minutes more.
Can I substitute ingredients if I have an allergy or dietary restriction?
Yes! You can use gluten-free tamari instead of Worcestershire sauce. Omit thyme if allergic. Swap olive oil for avocado oil for paleo or use all broth instead of wine for alcohol-free.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef stew meat simmered for hours in the slow cooker with baby potatoes, garlic, and herbs. Topped with butter for rich flavor. The perfect hearty and comforting meal on a cold day.
Ingredients:
- 500g (1 lb) beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
- 450g (1 lb) baby gold potatoes, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1⁄2 tsp chili powder
- 1⁄4 tsp cumin
- 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) red wine or beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 70g (5 tbsp) butter, sliced
Instructions:
- Add the beef stew meat to the slow cooker.
- Add in the halved potatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir well to coat everything evenly with the seasonings.
- Pour in the red wine (or beef broth) and Worcestershire sauce. Mix again.
- Place the pats of butter over the top. Recipe by Ineskohl.info
- Cover and cook on high heat for 6 hours, until beef and potatoes are very tender.
- Remove lid and skim off any excess oil from the surface before serving.
- Serve beef and potatoes into bowls, spoon over the rich garlic butter sauce. Enjoy!
Notes:
The slow cooking makes the meat incredibly tender. The meat even pulls apart easily with just a spoon. Using baby potatoes means you get maximum butter and herb flavor absorption. Topping with butter bastes the beef and potatoes as they cook, keeping everything moist and rich-tasting.
Tips:
- Cut the beef and potatoes into uniform pieces so everything cooks at the same rate. Try to keep the potato pieces around 1-inch.
- Brown the beef first for deeper flavor. Add a tbsp of oil to a skillet and quickly brown the beef before adding to the slow cooker.
- Sauté the aromatics. For a flavor boost, cook the onion, garlic, and spices in oil 2-3 minutes before adding to pot.
- Layer ingredients don’t stir initially. Place potatoes on bottom, then beef, then other ingredients. This prevents over-stirring.
- Use gold or red baby potatoes. They hold their shape better than russets and absorb more flavor.
- Sprinkle a bit of cornstarch over the stew if too thin. This will help thicken it up nicely.
- Add hard veggies the last hour. Carrots, celery or parsnips can get overdone if cooked entire time.
- Garnish with parsley and shredded parmesan for freshness and tang. Squeeze lemon over to brighten flavors.
- Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days. Can be frozen too. The flavors continue improving over time.
- Play with spice combos. Swap cumin for smoked paprika, use Italian herbs instead, or cajun spices for a kick.
Nutrition Information (Per serving):
Calories: 330, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 430mg, Fiber: 2g
