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There’s nothing quite like walking into a kitchen filled with the aroma of a slow-cooked meal, and this Crockpot Italian Beef Stew delivers on flavor every single time. It’s one of the easiest comfort food recipes you can make, with quick prep before the slow cooker takes over the heavy lifting.
Once the ingredients are in the crockpot, you’re free to go about your day while dinner finishes cooking. As the stew simmers, the smell in the house is truly amazing. This rich, flavorful beef stew is perfect served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice for a hearty, satisfying meal.
Why Pre-Browning the Beef is Worth It
While this isn’t technically a “dump-and-go” recipe, the extra step is well worth it. If you’re truly pressed for time, you could skip the dredging and partial cooking — recipes are always adaptable.
That said, we highly recommend pre-browning the beef. This step adds incredible depth of flavor by helping the garlic, onions, peppers, and floured beef meld together. The result is a much richer, more flavorful Italian beef stew that tastes like it simmered all day.
You could even finish cooking this on the stovetop if you wanted to. If you prefer a faster, more hands-on method, [find our Stovetop Italian Beef Stew recipe here]. With all this said, let me share how easy it is to cook this incredible slow-cooker beef stew recipe.
Italian Been Stew Recipe
Serving Size: 6
Prep:30 minute
Cook Time: (slow cook) 4 hours on high
Italian Beef Stew Ingredients
1-1/2 to 2 lbs.stew meat, lean
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Olive Oil
1/2 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 poblano chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 bag mini carrots
1 tsp. Italian spices
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 bay leaves
1- 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce with green peppers, celery, and onion (or plain)
Maderia Wine, half a can measured from your emptied stewed tomatoes
1-14.5 oz. beef broth
How to Make Italian Beef Stew in the Crockpot
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep and Braising the Beef
Using aChef's knife, prepare veggies per recipe directions, set to the side.
Then add the beef, flour, salt, and pepper to the gallon-size plastic bag. Shake until the meat is fully coated.
Heat olive oil in the pan and add the meat to a large non-stick skillet.
How to braise beef for stew
The braising process and these steps are the same whether you make the beef stew on the stovetop, crockpot, or slow cooker.
Cook meat on medium/low heat. Add the garlic and onions.
Next, cook in oil by turning with a spoon so as not to scorch. Add a little more oil if needed.
Add peppers and cook for 5 minutes on low.
Add beef broth to the pan. Mix, let it cook for 5 minutes, and then pour it carefully into the crockpot
Italian Beef Stew - This recipe can be made in the crockpot, slow cooker or Instant Pot on a crock-pot setting. Easy to make, flavorful dish that can be served with noodles, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or rice. DearCreatives.com
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours30 minutes
Ingredients
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. stew meat lean
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Olive Oil
1/2 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 poblano chili pepper seeded and chopped
1/2 bag mini carrots
1 tsp. Italian spices
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 bay leaves
1- 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce with green peppers celery and onion (or plain)
Maderia Wine half a can measure from your emptied stewed tomatoes
1-14.5 oz. beef broth
Instructions
Wash and chop all your veggies keep garlic and onion together in one bowl, add peppers in another bowl.
Take beef from package dump into a plastic baggie with flour, salt, and pepper.
Start to heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Add the floured meat mixture to the heated pan, then cook a bit.
Turn and add garlic and onions, continue cooking on a med./low heat.
When slightly browned add the peppers cook about 3-5 more minutes.
Then add beef broth. Stir together then add entire pan to the crockpot.
Next, add the stewed tomatoes. Use the empty can to measure Mederia Wine half-filled into can.
Pour measured Maderia into the crockpot.
Add the rest of the spices.
Then add carrots.
Cook on high 4 hours. *see notes
Notes
Cook on high at least 4 hours. Check for meats tenderness. If the internal temperature has not been met it needs to be cooked longer. It will be finished when the meat is a tender and the internal temperature of 160F has been met. Serve with noodles, potatoes, rice or bread.
Optionally you can add potatoes into your stew as shown in the video tutorial.
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