Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Red Wine and Chuck Roast

This stew takes 8 hours on low, and almost all of that is hands-off. You brown a 3 lb chuck roast first, then walk away.

The flour you rub on the meat does double duty. It helps the crust form in the pan, and it thickens the broth while the stew cooks, so you never stir in a slurry at the end.

One thing to know up front: this is a wine-forward stew. Two cups of red wine is a lot, and it does not cook off completely in a sealed slow cooker. If you want a milder pot, read the variation note below before you start.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the flour rub

Stir the flour, 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, and the pepper together in a small bowl. Pat the chuck roast dry, cut it into 2-inch chunks, and press the flour mixture onto every side.

2. Sear the beef

Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until each piece has a dark crust. Do not rush this, the crust is most of the flavor.

3. Load the slow cooker

Move the beef to the slow cooker. Scatter in the red onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, then add the plum tomatoes with their juice, the wine, the bay leaf, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours

Put the lid on and set the cooker to low for 8 hours. Leave the lid alone. Every peek drops the temperature and adds time.

5. Finish with the herbs

Fish out and throw away the bay leaf. Turn off the heat, then stir in the parsley and sage. Taste and add salt only if it needs it.

6. Serve

Ladle into bowls and scatter more parsley on top. Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread all work underneath.

How to Store Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Variations

Less wine, more broth

swap 1 cup of the wine for 1 cup of beef broth. The stew gets beefier and less sharp. This is a change to the original, so treat it as a different pot.

Extra vegetables

add 2 more carrots and 2 cups of quartered baby potatoes in the last 2 hours. Adding them at the start turns them to mush.

Cherry tomatoes

a handful of cherry tomatoes tossed in at the start adds sweetness and holds its shape better than the canned ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Red Wine and Chuck Roast

Chuck roast seared in flour, then cooked low and slow with red wine, plum tomatoes, and herbs until the beef falls apart. Set it and forget it.

20 minPrep time480 minCook time500 minTotal8Servings

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Ingredients

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt (divided)
• ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 lb chuck roast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 celery stalk (diced)
• 1 carrot (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 28 oz plum tomatoes
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for serving)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

Instructions

1. 1Mix the flour rub — Stir the flour, 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, and the pepper together in a small bowl. Pat the chuck roast dry, cut it into 2-inch chunks, and press the flour mixture onto every side.
2. 2Sear the beef — Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until each piece has a dark crust. Do not rush this, the crust is most of the flavor.
3. 3Load the slow cooker — Move the beef to the slow cooker. Scatter in the red onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, then add the plum tomatoes with their juice, the wine, the bay leaf, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt.
4. 4Cook on low for 8 hours — Put the lid on and set the cooker to low for 8 hours. Leave the lid alone. Every peek drops the temperature and adds time.
5. 5Finish with the herbs — Fish out and throw away the bay leaf. Turn off the heat, then stir in the parsley and sage. Taste and add salt only if it needs it.
6. 6Serve — Ladle into bowls and scatter more parsley on top. Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread all work underneath.

Cook's note: The flour rub is your thickener. Do not add more flour at the end, it will clump. If the broth is too loose, cook it uncovered on high for the last half hour.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker20 minutes480 minutes500 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.