This Gluten Free Beef Stew is the best dump-and-go dinner! Morsels of stew beef, tender potatoes, aromatic veggies, beef stock, red wine, and seasonings cooked low and slow result in a thick, healthy, and, most importantly, DELICIOUS pot of classic beef stew. Whole30 modifications included.
If you’re craving classic beef stew but need a gluten-free version that doesn’t sacrifice flavor or texture, look no further than this gluten-free beef stew recipe. This slow cooker adaptation is as simple as chopping your pick of potatoes (I love Yukon golds and even sweet potatoes here!), and a few other vegetables, browning the beef, sautéing onions and garlic, then throwing everything in the Crockpot and pushing the start button.
At this point, you can go about your day, and before you know it, you’ll return to a comforting pot of melt-in-your-mouth meat, creamy potatoes, and tender veggies braised in a flavorful, rustic broth. In short, this is a truly sensational gluten-free beef stew.
This beef stew is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food and the type of stick-to-your-bones meat and potatoes meal that happens to be really nutritious! The beef packs in muscle-building protein, while the potatoes and veggies bring loads of fiber.
If you’re looking for more hearty and healthy beef soups and stews, this Easy Beef Pho Bar is perfect for busy weeknights. Another time-saver is this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili. But first, dust off your slow cooker, and let’s get back to this gluten-free beef stew.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It’s primarily hands-off and made entirely in the slow cooker.
- Who doesn’t love a great one-dish dinner? Clean-up is a breeze!
- It’s a perfect cozy meal for chilly fall and winter nights.
- Made with real food ingredients, meaning no canned soups or packets of beef stew seasoning.
- For the reason listed above, this recipe is easy to tweak for Whole30 purposes. Win!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Stew meat – Cubed beef chuck is the best cut for stew as it benefits the most from cooking low and slow. If you can’t find pre-cubed beef chuck stew meat, I’m sure your butcher would be willing to cube a hunk of chuck for you.
- Potatoes – I love Yukon golds in this recipe. Sweet potatoes aren’t traditional, but I also love them in beef stew, you can even do a mix of both. If you prefer regular potatoes, go with varieties that hold shape during the long cook time, like Yukon gold, fingerling, or red potatoes. Russet potatoes don’t tend to do well in slow cooker recipes.
- Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour- for dredging the beef for a quick sear. I use and recommend King Arthur flour in my gluten-free recipes.
- Olive Oil- for searing the beef and sautéing the onions and garlic prior to slow cooking.
- Aromatics – Carrots, celery, onion, and minced garlic add a ton of flavor. Not to mention, make your kitchen smell incredible shortly after they start cooking.
- Spices & seasonings – Fresh or dried thyme (fresh is highly recommended), sweet paprika, seasoned salt, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and that’s it! They enhance the stew with just the right amount of flavor.
- Tomato paste – A little bit of tomato paste adds depth and density to the stew broth. Most recipes call for a small amount, so I usually buy tomato paste tubes instead of cans.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce is typically made with inherently gluten-free ingredients, but to play it safe, make sure you use a sauce labeled “gluten-free.” You may find this list of Worcestershire sauce brands certified safe for people with celiac disease helpful.
- Beef Stock – Again, beef stock is usually made with naturally gluten-free ingredients, but always double-check for gluten-free labeling. You can also use homemade beef broth or gluten-free beef broth, of course.
- Red wine – A dry pinot noir, cabernet, or merlot with plenty of tannins enhances the flavor of the beef, helps soften the fat in the meat, and brings out the best of each ingredient.
How To Make Gluten Free Beef Stew In A Slowcooker
Step 1: Sear and Sauté. Whisk the flour with ½ teaspoon of the seasoned salt in a large bowl and toss with the cubed beef until evenly coated.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dredged beef, shaking off any excess, and sear until browned on all sides. Work in batches until all meat is browned, adding a little extra oil to the pan, if needed (I use a little EVOO cooking spray), and transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté the onions and garlic until lightly golden.
Pour the onion mixture over the seared beef in the slow cooker.
Step 2: Whisk Wet Ingredients. In a bowl, stir together the wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Step 3: Combine Ingredients & Cook. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and pour the beef stock over the top.
Set the slow cooker to cook on High for 4 hours or set to Low for 8 hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender. Season with more salt, to taste, if needed.
Recipe Tip
Ninja Foodi multi-cookers and newer slow cooker models have a “Sear/Saute” function. If yours has this function and you have a few extra minutes, I recommend using it to brown the beef and sauté the onion and garlic instead of using a separate skillet. Afterward, deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Then add the remaining ingredients, and you’re ready to slow cook.
Variations
Use other veggies – Most sturdy root vegetables go great in beef stew. In addition to potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, you can add parsnips, turnips, celery root, and rutabaga. Frozen green beans, green peas, and corn are best added at the end.
Whole30 – For the Whole30 modification, substitute Worcestershire sauce with coconut aminos, be sure to use a compliant beef broth, and swap the red wine with more broth.
Serving Suggestions
This gluten-free beef stew makes one heck of a meal on its own, but serving it with any of these sides is a fantastic idea:
- Crusty gluten-free bread, dinner rolls, or cornbread
- Mashed potatoes
- Slow Roasted Green Beans
- Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
- Polenta
- Quinoa
- Gluten-free egg noodles
Storing & Freezing
Storing: After cooling, transfer the leftover beef stew to a glass container with a tight lid and keep refrigerated for no more than four days.
Freezing: If you have more stew than you can finish in four days, freeze it instead. It will last in the freezer for 2-3 months if stored correctly. After that, thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
The starches released from the potatoes act as a thickening agent, and the seared beef dredged in flour creates a beautiful stew texture. However, if you’d like it to be thicker, a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry will do the trick. First, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of cool water until smooth. Then, whisk the slurry into the stew when it’s almost finished. Please keep in mind that the stew will thicken as it sits and cools.
The answer to this question boils down to preference. For example, I like soft potatoes in beef stew, so I cook them for the whole time, but if you prefer a more toothsome bite, just add them to the slow cooker halfway through the cooking time.
More Beef Soups and Stews
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Gluten-Free Beef Stew
Ingredients
- ¼ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour King Arthur brand recommended
- 1.5 teaspoon seasoned salt divided
- 2 lbs Chuck roast cut into cubes (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup good red wine Pinot Noir, Cab Sav, or Merlot works well here
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4-5 large carrots peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks *see notes for other potato options
- 1 stalk celery sliced into small pieces
- 32 oz beef stock make sure it's gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1-2 bay leaves If they are small, I use two leaves or one large leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme you can use 1 teaspoon dried thyme, but fresh is best
- Additional salt to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the flour with ½ teaspoon seasoned salt in a large bowl.
- Toss the cubed beef with the flour mixture until evenly coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the dredged beef to the hot skillet and sear on each side until evenly browned (about 30-45 seconds per side). Work in batches until all the beef is seared and transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Add a little extra oil, or use olive oil cooking spray, if needed.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden. Pour the onions and garlic over the beef in the crockpot.
- Whisk together: wine, tomato paste, and the Worcestershire sauce and pour on top of the onions and beef.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and pour the stock over the top.
- Cook on High for 4 hours, or 8 hours on Low. The meat should be fork tender when done.
Notes
Nutrition
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BecHeflin
You just combined my favorite comfort food with my favorite potato, Amy! Thanks so much!
Amee Livingston
You are most welcome Becca!! 🙂
Jennifer F
I likey!
Amee Livingston
🙂
Meredith L. Eason
This beef stew look so attractive! Thanks for sharing recipe.
Amee Livingston
You're welcome Meredith! Enjoy!
Janice
Do the sweet potatoes get too mushy leaving them the whole time? Just wondering if I should add them the last few hours.
Amee Livingston
They do get soft, so if you like a firmer texture just add them half way through cooking time.
Tawn Edwards
Why tomato paste? Is it very important? I'm resisting opening a can of that for such a small amount.
Amee Livingston
Hi Tawn! The tomato paste adds a nice flavor to the stew, a little bit goes a long way with the paste. I buy it in the tube, occasionally for recipes where I just want a small amount to add flavor.
Kim
can this be done in the instant pot? Has anyone tried? How did it come out? How long did you cook it for?
Amee Livingston
Hi Kim! I haven't done this conversion yet, but you may find this article helpful for converting any slow cooker recipe to the Instant Pot. I hope it turns out great! https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-convert-slow-cooker-recipes-for-instant-pot/