Slow Cooker Spanish Beef Stew

📝Shopping list

To make this amazing slow cooker beef stew, you will need these key ingredients:

• stew meat - cut into bite-sized chunks
• flour
• salt and black pepper
• fire roasted tomatoes - canned, with all juices
• tomato paste
• onions -  diced (one small to medium onion)
• carrots - cleaned and cut into large chunks
• baby or fingerling potatoes - cleaned and cut in half (unless they are tiny as pictured)
• red bell pepper* - diced
• dry white wine
• smoked paprika
• garlic - minced* (i use jarred)
• dried oregano
• bay leaf
• green olives* - sliced
• non stick cooking spray

🔪Instructions

This great recipe involves just a few simple steps:

Preparing your slow cooker

Prepare your slow cooker by coating it in a non-stick agent.  Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings. 

 NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface.  Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface.  Check the manual for your slow cooker if you have any concerns. 

Assembly

Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.  

🍲Place beef chunks into a zipper top bag along with flour, salt, and pepper. Gently shake closed bag to lightly coat beef and set aside.

🍲Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. Add coated beef and all remaining ingredients, except bay leaves and olives. Stir to combine.

🍲Gently place bay leaves on top of mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

🍲After 7-8 hours (on low), carefully remove bay leaves using tongs. Stir in olive slices.

🍲Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

🍽Serving suggestions

The tasty stew is a full meal on its own. Serving with a heel of crusty bread and a crunchy garden salad is all you need. Or, some crunchy tortilla chips make a great go-with.

Dijon parmesan cauliflower and garlic mushrooms both make delicious side dishes. A bowl of black beans soup makes a great starter for this meal.

🔁Substitutions

1. Green bell peppers can be used in place of red in this dish based on your flavor preference.
2. Use beef broth in place of wine.
3. For a sweeter dish, swap out raw red peppers for roasted red peppers
4. 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, can be used in place of the jarred garlic as can 1.5 teaspoon of dried garlic powder
5. As with classic beef stew, red wine can be used in place of white wine in this recipe for a deeper flavor. Alternatively, a dry sherry wine is good substitute.

Storing

Store leftovers of your Spanish stewed meat in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Leftovers will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and 4-6 months in the freezer.

I like to store leftovers of this hearty meal in meal-sized containers. This makes for easy reheat-and-eat next day meals for the whole family

😉Hints & hacks

1. To make this easy beef stew recipe even easier, use frozen, already-diced onions and carrots. This will save a ton of chopping time and is readily available in the freezer aisle of most markets.
2. Looking to add some spice to your delicious stew? Add diced chilli peppers to the mix.
3. This recipe works with different cuts of meat. Pre-cut beef stew meat is easiest. Chuck roast, flank steak, and skirt steak are also great options. I suggest going with whatever cut of beef makes the most sense economically.
4. I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
5. In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
6. Always double check to make sure your slow cooker is on and plugged in!!!