A simple rustic Italian beef stew recipe loaded with aromatics and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and mushrooms. This only takes 15 minutes to prep, and I let the crock pot do all the heavy lifting. The result? Fork tender perfection! Be sure to see the video tutorial for how to make this Italian beef stew (below).
The prospect of a bowl of slowly-stewed beef, Italian style, always has me excited! Especially on cruelly cold days, Italian beef stew is high on the list of dishes I make without a second thought. So is the case with Greek-style beef stew, cauliflower and chickpea stew, and this carrot ginger soup, by the way.
Why this Italian Beef Stew Recipe Works
There are countless of recipes for Italian beef stew. And to me, adding your own twist is what makes it extra special.
This slow cooker Italian beef stew is a very basic recipe. Beef chuck roast, deeply browned and then slow-cooked in a red wine broth with loads of carrots, mushrooms and aromatics.
I serve my Italian beef stew simply with a piece of rustic Italian bread, or even homemade challah. Heaped over traditional Italian Creamy Polenta is perfect on a cold night, but I do occasionally rebel and serve over Lebanese rice.
What Kind of Meat to Use for this Beef Stew?
It goes without saying that you should not waste your money on an expensive cut of beef for this stew. I like beef chuck roast. As it cooks slowly, the meat's connective tissue breaks down to tender perfection. If you check your stew and find that the meat is chewy, it simply means that it needs some more time to cook.
Watch the Video for How to Make this Italian Beef Stew:
Crock Pot Italian Beef Stew
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
Easy, rustic Italian Beef Stew made right in your crock pot or slow cooker! Only a few minutes to prep this comforting meal.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 ½ lb beef chuck roast, fat-trimmed, and cut into roughly 1 ½ inch cubes
- Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4-5 large rainbow carrots (about 12 oz), cut into large pieces
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 28 oz can whole peeled tomato
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 16 oz white or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Instructions
- Mix the flour and garlic powder together.
- Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the meat into the flour mixture to coat.
- In a large cast-irons skillet, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil. Brown the meat deeply for about 3-4 minutes on each side; crust should form. Remove from heat.
- Now, place the browned meat in the bottom of a large crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients except the mushrooms. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 ½ hours. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes or so.
- Enjoy with your favorite Italian bread or even homemade challah!
Notes
- Pro Tip: Do not spend too much money on your cut of beef used for this recipe. An inexpensive beef chuck roast is the best option. As it cooks slowly, the meat's connective tissue breaks down to tender perfection. If you check your stew and find that the meat is chewy, it simply means that it needs some more time to cook.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Entree
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Recommended for this recipe: Cast Iron Skillet; Large Crock Pot
Can I include cubed potatoes in the beef stew?
Sure!
Sounds marvelous…making this wk.
Is it possible to add frozen peas? Red peppers?
Sure, Linda. I don't see why not! Enjoy!
Hi Suzy,
I am definitely planning to make this stew soon. Quick question: could I used cube steak instead of chuck roast? We just bought a 1/4 beef and didn't get chuck roast, but we have plenty of cube steak!
Thanks for this and all your delicious recipes!
Hi, Kelli. I think that would work just fine here.
This is one of my favorite recipes yet from your catalog. So savory! Other than using a slightly larger roast, I took the liberty of making only 3 small changes: 1) I used regular carrots in lieu of the multi-colored variety; 2) I added a can of beef broth to the other liquids called for in the recipe; and 3) After browning the meat, I deglazed the pan with a little red wine, and after the liquid was reduced I pre-cooked the mushrooms in the same pan, until almost all the water from the mushrooms had evaporated. All the beef flavors from the browning went straight back into the cooker with the mushrooms with about 30 minutes left to cook. Delicious with some sourdough bread on the side! Will definitely make this many more times to come. Thanks Suzy...
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Stevan!
This was a wonderful and rich stew. I made polenta to go along with it and used some of the sauce from the stew (as well as some water) to make the polenta as well as some parmesan cheese (both in the polenta and on top of the stew).
Big hit with the family!
Wonderful! Thanks, Ragna.
I plan to make this for tonight or probably tomorrow, as I keep it on my woodstove overnight for more flavor. I notice that you don't include any nutritional data. I am counting calories (pandemic weight, lol), so I am curious how much I can allot myself. It is so easy to pig out on something delicious.
I'm with Diana - I found the Covid 19 - this recipe looks amazing. Do you have any data on the nutrition?
Hi, Melissa. I don't have the nutritional information for this recipe quite yet. It was written before we had the capability to calculate that, and we're slowly working our way back to add.
Hello! I also am looking for nutritional information. We've tried your Ribollita and love it, but we are watching our calorie intake and need numbers for this soup too! Thanks so much!
Hi, Carla. This is an older post, so we don't have the nutritional information on it at the moment. We are working on adding this as we update the posts. In the meantime, you can check out free nutritional calculators online. They allow you to enter all of the recipe ingredients and get a basic estimate of calories and such.
Sooo tasty! It was my daughter’s first try at your recipes. She loved it. Thanks Suzy!
I'm so happy to hear that, Brenda! Thank you!
The only thing I would change about this recipe is to use beef broth instead of vegetable broth and possibly some more flour to thicken it a bit as that is the way I like stew, thicker, less soupy.
Thanks for sharing, Paul!
I do not eat meat other than poultry and fish......can I make this with boneless and skinless chicken parts.
Thank you,
Judie
Hi, Judie. Sure! The flavor profile would be a bit different, but still yummy!
Did you try with poultry? I only eat poultry and fish too
Can I use potatoes also since my daughter isn’t crazy over mushrooms?
Sure! That would work!
Can you make this in an instant pot?
Hi, Jacquelyn. I'm sure it is possible, but I have not tried it specifically with this recipe, so I don't really have any tips I can share. If you go for it, please let us know your experience. Thanks so much!!
I made this yesterday. It was wonderful! Second day wonderful! Tomorrow I expect will be phenomenal! Paired with challah bread sends it over the edge!
Awesome!!! Thanks so much!
Made it tonight & loved it!
Added 1 pinch of dried basil & 2 small bay leaves, but that's it, and it was delicious. Had some thin sliced French bread with it also.
Thank you,
Richard
Yay! That's great to hear!
Hi,
Can one use a dutch oven instead of a crock pot?
Sure! You can cook it in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 2.5 to 3.5 hours. I recommend a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
great recipe with lots of deep flavor.
as a technical side note, i think your spellcheck changed sprigs (of rosemary and thyme) incorrectly to springs.
Glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for catching the typo!
This. Dish. Delicious does not even begin to how happy my taste buds were all dancing around in my mouth. I've made many stews over the years, and this is by far, the BEST. If I were a judge in a cooking contest and you presented this Ah-maaaazing dish, you'd get the #1 award.
Awww...thank you so much, Ellen! We love this stew around here, and I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it too!