Slow Cooker Marsala Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef marsala stew in a white bowl with potatoes.

4.63 from 16 votes

Slow Cooker Marsala Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef Marsala stew will fill your house with tantalizing aromas as it simmers. You'll look forward to dinner all day long!

Prep Time30

Cook Time4

Total Time4 30

Course: Soups and Stews

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (more if needed)
16 ounces white mushrooms, halved or quartered
4 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 cups frozen pearl onions (or 1 cup chopped onions)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup Marsala wine (use dry wine, not sweet)
2 cups low sodium beef stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons cornstarch (more if needed)
1 cup frozen peas (unthawed)

For Serving (optional)

mashed potatoes, cooked rice, or noodles

Instructions

Trim excess fat from the chuck roast and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the cubed beef to the bowl, toss to coat.
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place beef in a single layer in the heated skillet and brown meat on all sides. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan, adding more oil as necessary. Beef will be browned but not cooked through. Place meat in slow cooker when browned.
1 tablespoon olive oil
To the same pan, add mushrooms. Spread into a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned (add a splash of beef broth to pan if there’s too much browning). Add mushrooms to slow cooker when browned.
16 ounces white mushrooms, halved or quartered
Add carrots, celery, and pearl onions to the same pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until celery begins to soften. Add tomato paste and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add marsala wine and cook, scraping brown bits off bottom of pan, for 1 to 2 minutes or until wine has reduced slightly.
4 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces, 3 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch pieces, 2 cups frozen pearl onions, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ½ cup Marsala wine
Add vegetable mixture to slow cooker. Add beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf to slow cooker, stirring to combine.
2 cups low sodium beef stock, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours, or until beef is tender and vegetables are soft. Carefully remove thyme stems and bay leaf.
In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth.
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Increase heat to high (if on low) and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook for 30 minutes or until thick. If not reaching desired thickness, add another 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water.
Stir in frozen peas. Taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.
1 cup frozen peas

Video

Notes

Salt: If you use unsalted beef broth, you may need to add up to an additional 1 teaspoon kosher salt. When stew has finished cooking, taste and season to your liking.
Shortcut: If you're in a hurry, skip the browning step and just add everything to the crockpot. The stew will turn out fine.
Stew with potatoes: If you love potatoes in stew, add a couple cups of diced potatoes, or halved baby potatoes.
Storage: Refrigerate stew in a covered container for up to 4 days. Because this stew does not contain potatoes, it freezes well, too. Cool to room temperature and store in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

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