This Gluten Free Slow Cooker Beef Stew is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and chilly days! Tender beef is slow-cooked with carrots, potatoes, herbs, red wine, and gluten-free stout beer for 6 hours. This rich and hearty stew is comfort food at its finest, and great for meal prep too.
I absolutely love a rich, chunky stout beef stew. But I can’t really drink Guinness without feeling pretty ill the next day (no, I don’t drink THAT many!), so my quest: to find a damn good gluten-free stout.
I had no idea how difficult that would be.
After some snooping around online, I found a website that listed some of the available gluten-free beers in the UK. And there was First Chop. Not only were the Manchester-based craft beer’s can designs super cool, but they were also certified GF, AND they had a Vanilla Oatmeal Stout (which happens to be delicious!).
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy: This is one of those classic set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker recipes you’ll make again and again because it is just so simple!
- Simple ingredients: This delicious recipe is made with real ingredients like tender beef stew meat, fresh veggies, herbs, beef broth, and gluten free stout.
- Delicious: This easy recipe is one the whole family will love. It’s incredibly tasty and loaded with flavor.
- Comforting: Like a hug in a bowl, this is one of my favorite recipes for a pick-me-up. Nothing beats a comforting gluten-free meal!
- Meal prep: You can double the recipe or just save the leftovers for later. It tastes amazing the next day!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Brisket: The type of beef I chose this time was brisket as it makes a great stew. Chuck roast is another excellent choice.
- Fresh vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, and onions make this family favorite a complete meal by adding heartiness to this easy slow cooker beef stew.
- Tapioca starch: I skipped the all-purpose flour as this is a gluten-free beef stew recipe. I prefer to thicken my soups, sauces, and stews with tapioca flour, however, arrowroot flour (also called arrowroot starch or arrowroot powder) would work too, or you can add a cornstarch slurry at the end if that’s what you have on hand.
- Beef stock: You can add beef bone broth, or make beef stock out of water and bouillon cubes.
- Red wine: A full-bodied red wine like malbec, merlot, or cabernet sauvignon is a great thing to add to a savory beef stew. The wine adds an amazing depth of flavor and the alcohol cooks off so it’s kid-friendly too.
- Stout: Guinness is the classic stout to add to beef stew, however, I avoid it because of the gluten. A gluten-free stout like POD by Firstchop is ideal for this recipe. If you don’t want to use beer, just add extra beef broth.
- Herbs: I wanted to make this quick and simple with pantry staples so I added dried thyme and bay leaves instead of fresh herbs.
- Sea salt & black pepper: Season this easy beef stew recipe with salt and pepper.
How to make this slow cooker Beef Stew recipe
1. Prepare the vegetables: Dice the veggies and add them to the slow cooker.
2. Dice the meat into beef chunks.
3. Sprinkle the outside of the meat with tapioca starch (or cornflour/arrowroot) and mix it together until each piece is coated. I used my hands to toss the beef but a wooden spoon would work too.
4. Add the meat to the slow cooker.
5. Add herbs and seasoning: Add in the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper for flavor.
 100vw, 1024px” /></figure>
</div>
<p>6. <strong>Pour liquids: </strong>Pour the beef broth, wine, and stout over it all.</p>
<div class=)
7. Cook: Cover with lid and stew beef on high for 3-4 hours, or low and slow for 7-8 hours.
8. Thicken: Add more starch/flour in a slurry to thicken if needed.
9. Serve over your favorite mash! See below for a few mash recipes to try.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat in the microwave, stove over medium heat, or in the oven until piping hot.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
What can I serve with crockpot beef stew?
This crock pot beef stew pairs perfectly with your favorite mash. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Parsnip Puree
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Rutabaga
Mashed Sweet Potato
Cauliflower Mash
Can I add other vegetables to this stew?
Absolutely! It’s a great way to use up veggies that are a little past their peak. Here are a few to try:
- Sweet potatoes
- Green beans
- Parsnips
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Radish
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe
Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg 2.2lbs beef brisket (or chuck roast/stewing beef)
- 600 g potatoes about 4 medium
- 400 g carrots about 3-4 medium
- 200 g onions about 2 medium
- 3 tbsp tapioca flour see note 1
- 300 ml beef stock
- 100 ml red wine
- 330 ml can of stout beer I used First Chop’s gluten-free POD Vanilla Stout
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme (see note 2)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Dice the veggies and add them to the slow cooker.
-
Dice the meat into beef chunks.
-
Sprinkle the outside of the meat with tapioca starch (or cornflour/arrowroot) and mix it together until each piece is coated.
-
Add the meat to the slow cooker.
-
Add in the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper for flavor.
-
Pour the beef broth, wine, and stout over it all.
-
Cover with lid and stew beef on high for 3-4 hours, or low and slow for 7-8 hours.
-
Thicken (optional): If you need to add more starch at the end to make the stew thicker, remove 1/4 cup of broth from the slow cooker, add a tablespoon of starch/flour, mix until well combined, add another 1/4 cup of broth, mix together than add back into the slow cooker and stir. You can use tapioca or cornstarch.
-
Serve over your favorite mash!
Notes
- Tapioca starch: You can substitute cornstarch or arrowroot flour.
- Thyme: You can use up to 1 tsp of dried thyme if you prefer a more herby flavor, or use 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme.