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Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

Slow cooker beef stew with butternut squash delivers tender beef and orange squash cubes in a glossy gravy. This hands-off method browns the chuck, builds flavor with onion-garlic-tomato paste, then simmers on LOW until fork-tender.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck, cubed
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
salt
  • 1.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
onion, diced
  • 1 onion
garlic, minced
  • 3 garlic
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
dry red wine or extra broth
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine or substitute extra broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried sage
  • 1 tsp dried sage
butternut squash, cut into cubes
  • 4 cup butternut squash cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
carrots, sliced thick
  • 3 carrots sliced thick
kale, chopped
  • 2 cup kale chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and set up the stew
  1. Toss the beef chuck with the flour, salt, and black pepper until coated. Heat the olive oil in a hot skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the beef in batches and transfer it to the slow cooker.
  2. In the same skillet, cook the onion, garlic, and tomato paste for 3 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Pour in the dry red wine (or extra broth) to deglaze, scraping up browned bits, then add everything to the slow cooker.
Slow cook
  1. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried sage, and carrots to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, until the carrots begin to soften and the gravy looks cohesive.
  2. Add the butternut squash cubes to the slow cooker, then recover. Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours more, until the beef is tender and the squash is easily pierced.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the kale and cook on LOW for the last 15 minutes. Season to taste, then serve hot with a glossy gravy and visible squash and carrot pieces.

Notes

For the best texture, brown the beef in batches so the cubes caramelize instead of steaming; the browned bits in the skillet make the gravy taste richer. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat. For a lighter option, replace half the olive oil with a bit more broth during browning and use lower-sodium broth if available.