Best Ever Beef Stew

September 29, 2012 · by

Fall is officially here, and I don’t know about you – but this is the start of soup & stew season for me.  And, what’s better than a big, hearty bowl full of beef stew.

And, this ain’t just any beef stew.  Not trying to toot my own horn or anything (or maybe I am), but I make a mean beef stew – and I hereby deem it the best ever.

Emeril Lagasse, eat your heart out – BAM!

See all those colors?  You can almost inhale the richness of the stew just by looking at the photo.  Seriously, ya’ll.  It’s amazing.  Addictive,  and amazing.  Once you make it, you won’t be able to go back to any other recipe.

I use beef demi-glace in this recipe, which you can find online here if you aren’t sure if your local store has it.  The demi glace adds so much flavor to the stew; one that your traditional beef broth or stock really can’t beat.  However; if you don’t want to buy demi-glace and don’t have any on hand – you can substitute some Swanson Flavor Boost (located with the broths & stocks in the grocery store).

It starts off with a nice coating of flour & seasoning salt on the stew meat & then it gets seared off in a pan before getting placed in the slowcooker.  The onions are also added to the skillet, and then the whole thing is deglazed with some of the liquid in the recipe.  Afterwards, it cooks all day on low in your slowcooker…and fills your whole house with some pretty amazing smells.

Which reminds me – when making this stew, please lock your doors.  Deadbolt them too. Your neighbors may just burst right in and try stealing your stew. If you don’t follow my advice & leave your doors unlocked – don’t blame me when you fall victim to stew-lifting.

You single gals out there.  Looking for a husband?  This stew is your secret weapon.  So, make you a big ol’ pot of it & start shopping for that wedding gown.

Wanna bite?

 

Oops.  Sorry. There’s a computer screen there.  You may want to go get an ice pack for that…

 

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Best Ever Beef Stew

Best Ever Beef Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 heaping teaspoons beef demi-glace (or beef Swanson Flavor Boost)
  • 4 medium to large red skinned potatoes, washed & diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled & sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced

Instructions

Shake the beef stew meat in a resealable plastic bag with the flour & seasoning salt until evenly coated. Heat the olive oil in a skillet; add the floured stew meat to the pan & brown on all sides. Remove using a slotted spoon or tongs & place into the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with pepper.

Saute the diced onion in the same hot skillet for 2 minutes. Don't worry about cleaning it out in between - that's added flavor! Transfer the onions into the slow cooker as well. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, water, & beef demi glace (or Swanson Flavor Boost) and whisk until mixed, making sure you scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat & set aside.

Add the diced potatoes, carrots, celery, & bay leaves to the slowcooker. Now, pour the broth/Worcestershire mixture in the crockpot as well. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

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Filed Under: Beef, Cooking, Soups/Stews, Southern Classics ·
  • http://twitter.com/sugarkissed_net Janine

    Yum! I love stew in the cooler weather! Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  • http://www.facebook.com/kris.kuhens Kris Kuhens

    Looks delicious!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Georgie-Bowlocks/100001987425984 Georgie Bowlocks

    Could somebody translate this recipe into English? Never mind about ‘cups’, what on earth is ‘Swanson Flavor Boost’? Monosodium Glutamate?

    • Kerry K

      Swanson’s (brand name) makes canned broth, but they now have a new product called “flavor boost” that is, I’m assuming, like a broth but with more flavor. check for it in the soup isle of the grocery store.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Georgie-Bowlocks/100001987425984 Georgie Bowlocks

        A ‘soup isle’ sounds fascinating. I’ll sail there in my gravy boat!

  • slimemold

    Great recipe; but I’d substitute red wine and beef stock for the 2 cups of water. Also, consider adding a few soft prunes, chopped; they melt into the stew and add a rich darkness but no taste of prune.

    • MrsHappyHomemaker

      If you use beef stock instead of water, make sure to omit the demi-glace or Swanson Flavor Boost – it would be too much. The prunes sound like a neat trick :)

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  • boshog

    adding potatoes carrots at the start of cooking after 10 hours you can make mashed carrots and potatoes effortlessly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/christine.l.feliciano Christine Lopez Feliciano

    Sooo delishes! Thank you for the recipe!

  • Letitia

    Looks delicious! Can i use a powdered beef bouillon instead of the flavor boost?

    • http://mrshappyhomemaker.com/ Mrs Happy Homemaker

      Yes, you can use it and it will still turn out really good – just not as ‘rich’ as it would with the flavor boost or demi glace.

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      You can, however – it won’t add as much ‘richness’ to the stew as the other would provide.

  • http://www.facebook.com/darlene.killingsworth.5 Darlene Killingsworth

    I have it made up and in the fridge. Will let it cook in crockpot tomorrow while I am at work. Can’t wait to taste it. I know it looks delicious!

  • Beth

    I made this last night and it was delicious! The hubby loved it!! I will definitely be making this again!!

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      Yay! So happy to hear this!

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  • JustMe34

    Absolutely delicious!!!!! My fiancé, who doesn’t like soup, LOVED this :0)

    • http://mrshappyhomemaker.com/ Mrs Happy Homemaker

      I’m so glad to hear this – thanks for sharing!!

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      I’m so very glad you both loved it!

  • Joyously Domestic

    I just took beef stew meat out of the freezer earlier this evening to thaw in the fridge overnight … was planning to make my plain, old regular slow cooker veggie beef soup. But, after seeing this on RecipeNewz, I will have to try this method and recipe instead tomorrow. Looks so yummy, thick and comforting!

  • Jo Walker

    Could this simmer longer or shorter than eight hours?

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      Yes! :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/brenda.zur.5 Brenda Zur

    I add also add a little tapioca to my stew, adds a touch of sweetness…mmmmm

  • Mart

    Just put it on to cook about 2 hours ago, hope it taste as good as it smells! I used 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup red wine. Can’t wait to try it !!!!

  • Liane

    I just made this and it was amazing! I added garlic, a 1/2 cup red wine in place of 1/2 cup water and some chopped French beans that I needed to use up. I ran out of time and cooked it for 6 hrs on high and that works too. Thanks for the recipe! I will add the prunes next time that sounds like a great idea. I served it with a dense Italian bread

  • Christine

    Wonderful flavorful Beef Stew!

  • http://www.facebook.com/leanne.neisenmoreno Leanne Neisen-Moreno

    This is amazing! It´s been included in our family rotation…

  • Anabelle Millan

    I’m going to make it for dinner.. thank you

  • Melanie

    Could I use an cast iron pot and cook it in the oven instead ? If yes how long and what temperature ?

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      I’m sure you could, but I’ve never attempted it before so I couldn’t help with the time & temperature.

  • Robin

    How many servings does it make?

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      About 6-8

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  • Pat

    Great stew. The only thing I dislike is that the prep time is long. I like to be able to throw it all in the crock pot and go. But other than that its awesome. My family doesn’t usually like stew but they loved it.

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      You could still throw everything in the crockpot and go if you would like – it will still be yummy! :)

  • Bev

    Hi! Quick question? Can I cook this on stove top tonight? (no crock pot?)

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      You certainly can!

  • suzih

    I made this. I rarely give reviews, but wanted to say this was absolutely worth the effort. Delicious!

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      I’m so glad you think so! Thank you for sharing!

  • Carole Ann

    I’m not an experienced cook. I’m wondering what seasoning salt is…is it seasoned salt or just ordinary salt? This looks so good I want it to be the best it can be. Thanks for any help you can give me…

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      Yes, seasoned salt :)

      • Carole Ann

        thanks Crystal, I’m making this soon!

  • Alma

    My hubby has has high blood pressure. This recipe sounds gd. But how much sodium does it have?

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      I’m not sure the exact amount, but you could cut down on the amount of sodium by using swapping out higher sodium ingredients for lower sodium ones.

  • dianel

    I see that someone wrote in about cooking in regular pan on stove top. How long would the cooking time be and would there be any other changes. I also do not own a slow cooker

  • Cookiemom

    This really is the best ever beef stew! The only thing I did different was add some garlic, just a personal preference. So glad to have found your website. Not only are the ideas and recipes awesome, but humorous as well. Take that Emeril… BAM lol!!

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  • Jessica Reel

    I think I will be making this tomorrow for the big game! I just checked and I have all the ingredients! Score!

  • Shannon

    Made this yesterday for Super Bowl Sunday….it was amazing!! I used Beefy Onion Lipton Soup mix instead of the flavor boost (because I couldn’t find it) and it was still soooooo good!!! Will make again…and again and again!

  • Viola Uhl

    Looks like something my hubby would love

  • Cindy

    Just have to say “thank you” for sharing your recipe. Finally a stew recipe that is a KEEPER! So yummy!

  • http://www.facebook.com/mkauffmancerria Maggie Kauffman Cerria

    I need help! I made this and while my house smells very good, the stew tastes almost a little too tart?!?! (Best word to describe it). Any thoughts on what I can add to make it a bit better?!

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      I’m not sure why it’s tart… very odd! You could add more Worcestershire sauce though.

  • Amanda Kline

    I made this today and will be trying it soon for supper. My only concern is its not think or “stew like” like in the picture. Any suggestions?

  • happypeacefullone

    I made this recipe and it was fantastic! It is just hubby and I to feed so we always have lots of leftovers. To get a little creative with the leftovers portion, I added a half cup of Heinz chili sauce and about a cup of day old strong coffee – (my husband likes gravy and sauce). Your recipe was very close to an old pioneer recipe called “Ketchum Canyon Stew” that was used for meals on the pioneer trails (which is a time consuming chore to make because there is no crock pot use after prepping it). Your recipe was easy, amazing and adding the ingredients did not take away from it at all…..it just gave us more sauce to clean out of the bowls with the bread I bought to accompany the meal! Thanks for sharing this!

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      Thanks so much for coming back and sharing!!

  • Amanwhocooks

    I don’t usually comment on anything but I had to come back and say Thank You for such a wonderful recipe. I did add 2 cloves of garlic and instead of 2 cups of water, I used 1 cup of water and 1 cup of newcastle brown ale. I started late so I set on high in the slow cooker for 4 and half hours. It came out so good. I invited a friend over who likes beef stew and he ended up having 3 bowls. Yeah, you read that correctly, 3 bowls. Oh and I wasn’t able to find the demi-glace so I used the swanson flavor boost. I will definitely be making this again soon. Now I’m off to heat up some beef stew leftovers as it just started to snow and I know the stew will taste even better today.

  • Amanwhocooks

    I don’t usually comment on anything but I had to come back and say Thank You for such a wonderful recipe. I did add 2 cloves of garlic and instead of 2 cups of water, I used 1 cup of water and 1 cup of newcastle brown ale. I started late so I set on high in the slow cooker for 4 and half hours. It came out so good. I invited a friend over who likes beef stew and he ended up having 3 bowls. Yeah, you read that correctly, 3 bowls. Oh and I wasn’t able to find the demi-glace so I used the swanson flavor boost. I will definitely be making this again soon. Now I’m off to heat up some beef stew leftovers as it just started to snow and I know the stew will taste even better today.

  • http://www.facebook.com/asontia Asontia Kouri

    OH my this recipe sounds so good i can’t wait to make it for me and my love tonight..

  • CD

    Do I use one packett of the Swanson Flavor Boost or two?

    • http://MrsHappyHomemaker.com/ Crystal

      Just one!

  • Jazz

    This almost looks too good to eat! Is it okay to use russet potatoes, that is all I have on hand..also, is it possible to use beef broth instead of the flavor boost..if so, how much? I’m super excited to try this!

  • Jazzy

    This looks and sounds devine! My first beef stew and my husband, my tummy and I are super excited! Right now I have some beef stock in my pantry..can I use that instead of the demi glace? If so, how much?

  • Unfancy Nancie

    This is very similar to the stew I have made for years, the only difference is I add garlic, paprika and a little tomato paste and use stock instead of water. I then cook dumplings on top of the stew…yummy!

  • Joanne

    Ok I have this on the slow cooker right now but realized I added more Worcestershire sauce then I wanted. I hope it sort of phases out as it cooks.