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Slow Cooker Beef with Mushrooms and Onions in Rich Savory Gravy

Slow Cooker Beef with Mushrooms and Onions in Rich Savory Gravy

Chunks of beef slow-cooked with mushrooms and onions until fall-apart tender, finished in a rich, savory gravy. Made for spooning over creamy mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the optional sear)
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • fresh parsley for garnish

Method
 

  1. (Optional, for deeper flavor) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the beef chunks in a single layer until well browned on at least two sides. Transfer the beef — seared or raw — to the slow cooker.
  2. Add the sliced onion, sliced mushrooms and minced garlic over the beef.
  3. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
  4. Sprinkle over the dried thyme, paprika, salt and black pepper.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, without lifting the lid, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until completely smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker during the last 20–30 minutes of cooking and cook until the gravy has thickened.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot, spooned over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles.

Notes

The olive oil is only for the optional sear — the recipe works beautifully as a true dump-and-go with raw beef. Always mix the cornstarch slurry with COLD water and add it only at the end of cooking; added at the start, it loses its thickening power over the long cook.