Beef Stew Recipe-Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipes

Beef Stew — Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Recipe

This beef stew is a hearty bowl of beef cubes, carrots, celery, and tomatoes simmered in beef broth with red wine, tomato paste, and herbs until the meat is tender. The stew itself can be kept gluten-free with plain ingredients — the one item to check is the Worcestershire sauce, so choose a gluten-free version if you need the whole dish to be gluten-free.

The slow cooker suits stew because the long, gentle cooking is exactly what stewing beef needs to become tender, and the flavours have hours to come together. It suits family dinners, cold-weather cooking, and anyone who wants a filling main that is mostly hands-off once the pot is filled.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion and 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots and 2 stalks of celery
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup red wine and 2 cups beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 teaspoon sugar, plus salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Brown the beef

Cut the beef stew meat into cubes and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the beef cubes. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides, then remove it from the pot and set it aside. Browning first gives the stew a deeper flavour.

2. Soften the vegetables and build the stew

Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook until softened. Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, red wine, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. For the slow cooker version, transfer everything to the cooker at this point, add the browned beef, cover, and cook on low until the beef is tender.

3. Simmer until tender

On the stovetop, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally so everything cooks evenly, then add the beef back in and simmer for a further 30 minutes. In the slow cooker, simply leave the stew on low for the longer cooking time until the beef is tender — the exact time depends on the size of your beef cubes. Take out the bay leaf before serving.

Tips for a better stew

Brown the beef in batches if your pot is crowded — meat packed tightly together steams instead of browning, and the browned surface is where much of the stew’s flavour comes from. Cut the beef cubes to a similar size so they finish at the same time, and scrape the bottom of the pot when you add the wine and broth, because the browned bits stuck there dissolve into the sauce. Keep the stew at a gentle simmer or on the low cooker setting rather than a hard boil: steady low heat is what turns stewing beef tender. Add the bay leaf early for flavour, but remember to fish it out before serving. Taste at the end and adjust the salt then, once the sauce has had its long cook.

Serving and storage

Serve the stew hot with crusty bread or a side salad — choose gluten-free bread if you need the whole meal to stay gluten-free. Let leftovers cool before refrigerating, then store them in sealed containers in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen and reheat on the stovetop until piping hot throughout; stew often tastes even better reheated, once the flavours have had time to settle.

Nutrition note: protein comes mainly from the beef; check USDA FoodData Central for exact values for your cut and portion.

Quick questions

Can I make it ahead? Yes — stew is one of the best make-ahead meals. Cook it, cool it, and keep it in the fridge following the storage guidance below; the flavours settle and deepen overnight, and it reheats well on the stovetop.

Do I have to use red wine? No. The wine adds depth, but you can replace it with extra beef broth and the stew will still work — the long cooking of the beef, tomatoes, and herbs carries the dish.

More slow-cooker recipes

For more slow-cooked beef, try our beef brisket or the French-style beef bourguignon. You can browse more ideas in our healthy food recipes collection.

Sources

• Healthy diet — WHO fact sheet
• USDA FoodData Central
• Dietary Guidelines for Indians (ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition)

By the FitNTip Editorial Team · Last updated: 22 February 2023

How FitNTip builds its guides: our articles are compiled from official public sources — including the Indian Food Composition Tables (ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition), USDA FoodData Central and the WHO healthy diet guidance — and reviewed against them when updated.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or plan a major change in diet or training, talk to your doctor first.