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Slow Cooker Wine Braised Beef Stew

Slow cooker wine braised beef stew with tender, fall-apart chuck and a glossy red-wine sauce. Browned beef, a quick wine deglaze, and long LOW braise create a rich French-inspired stew with carrots and pearl onions.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soups, Stews & Chili
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck
  • 3 lb beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes
all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
salt
  • 2 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic minced
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
dry red wine
  • 1.5 cup dry red wine
beef broth
  • 1 cup beef broth
balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh rosemary
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
fresh thyme
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
carrots
  • 4 carrots cut into chunks
frozen pearl onions
  • 1 cup frozen pearl onions
creamy polenta or mashed potatoes
  • 1 creamy polenta or mashed potatoes for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Toss the beef with flour, salt, and black pepper. Brown in batches in hot olive oil until deeply browned on the outside, about 3-5 minutes per batch, using a sizzle/whisper of smoke as your cue.
  2. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Spread it in an even layer so it braises uniformly, with a visible gap-free coverage.
Build the wine-braising base
  1. In the same pan, cook the diced onion, minced garlic, and tomato paste over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir until fragrant and the paste looks slightly darkened, about a gentle bubbling and softened onion cue.
  2. Pour in the dry red wine and scrape the bottom to loosen browned bits. Simmer for 3 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly, about a thin syrupy sheen forming at the edges, then pour into the slow cooker.
Slow braise
  1. Add the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, carrot chunks, and frozen pearl onions to the slow cooker. Make sure the carrots are mostly submerged so the stew stays tender.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the beef falls apart. Look for fork-tender beef that breaks with light pressure and a glossy sauce coating the carrots.
Serve
  1. Remove the herb stems and discard them. Serve immediately over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes, with rosemary sprigs on top if desired for a fragrant finish.

Notes

Pro tip: browning in batches keeps the pan hot and prevents steaming, which is key for a deeper, glossy sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or microwave until hot throughout. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, serve over cauliflower mash instead of mashed potatoes while keeping the stew the same.