Slow Cooker French Onion Beef Stew in the Crockpot

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: chicken broth

Vegetable broth is lower in calories and still flavorful.

red wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic wine

💰Cheaper: grape juice

Grape juice provides sweetness and acidity without alcohol.

cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: parmesan

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

beef chuck

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs are leaner while pork shoulder is a cost-effective alternative.

Welcome viewers and introduce the dish as French onion beef stew.

Mention that the stew can be served over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, and with toasted French bread and gruyere cheese.

State the weight of the stew meat as 1.5 lbs and suggest using a good roast if stew meat is unavailable.

Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat to sear the beef.

Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and let it melt.

Season the stew meat with salt and black pepper before adding it to the skillet, placing it seasoning side down.

Sear the meat for about 3 minutes until golden brown on one side, then turn to brown the other side.

Slice the two large yellow onions into rings, keeping them as whole as possible.

Layer half of the sliced onions in the bottom of the crock pot.

Transfer the browned stew meat to the crock pot on top of the onions.

Add the remaining onions on top of the meat in the crock pot.

Sprinkle 1 oz packet of au gravy mix over the onions in the crock pot.

Sprinkle 1 package of Lipton onion soup mix over the mixture.

Pour 1 can of French onion soup over the top of the ingredients in the crock pot.

Add half a can of water to dilute the flavors.

Place 5 pats of reserved butter on top of the mixture in the crock pot.

Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours until the meat is tender.

After cooking, add about 4 ounces of gruyere cheese on top and cover to let it melt.

Garnish with parsley before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens