I love warm and hearty meals when the weather isn’t cooperating, and we all know the crock pot is our friend on busy days. This Red Wine Braised Beef is the perfect dish for that, from my milestone birthday celebration with friends to Sunday night with my parents.
This has become one of my go-to comfort meals when I want something cozy and flavorful. Even my son has made it a few times for us, and everyone raves about it every single time.
I’ll be honest that I don’t measure the carrots and just add as many as feels right. Chuck roast is often on sale at my local grocery store, and bulking it up with the veggies and serving it over mashed potatoes helps stretch my budget, too.
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Is this dish gluten-free?
Yes, this dish is gluten-free, so it’s a good choice if you’re avoiding gluten in your meals. Corn starch is the thickener, and there’s no flour in this and no soy sauce, with its hidden gluten.
As I mentioned, I serve it over mashed potatoes that obviously have no gluten, but this would be great with roasted potatoes or even if you cut up some potatoes and let them cook with the rest of the meat.
What kind of beef is best for this dish?
I use chuck roast because it has the great marbling that helps keep the beef tender as it cooks slowly. The fat melts into the dish during cooking, though you do want to trim it before you start.
Pro tip: The inside of the beef should feel soft and easy to pull apart when it is fully cooked. If the meat still feels tough, let it cook a little longer on low heat to give the fat more time to melt and make the beef tender.
What kind of red wine should I use for this recipe?
For this recipe, use Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir for the best flavor. You want a wine you would actually drink, not cooking wine, since cooking wine doesn’t taste as good in the dish.
That said, you don’t need to buy anything super expensive. Choose a mid-range bottle that you enjoy drinking, which gives the dish good flavor without making the recipe more expensive.
What kind of carrots are best for this recipe?
Use whole carrots for this recipe and peel and slice them before adding them to the dish. Aim for about 2 cups, but the recipe is forgiving, so a little more or less will still work.
Skip the baby carrots for this recipe (and in general when you’re cooking). Whole carrots hold their shape more, and they bring better flavor to the dish.
What’s the best way to cut and cook the beef?
Cut the beef into 1 1/2-inch cubes so the pieces stay distinct while cooking. If you cut them too small, they’ll shred into strings instead of staying tender chunks.
Trim away any major pieces of fat from the meat, but you don’t need to get all of it. It melts off as it cooks, so this isn’t the kind where you end up with chewy pieces you don’t want to eat.
Make sure to sear the beef before you add it to the crock pot. This adds flavor and seals the juice inside, and it doesn’t add much time.
If you’re short on time, you can cook the beef on high for 4–5 hours, but it will be tougher and can get stringy. This type of recipe is meant to cook on low heat to let the collagen dissolve slowly.
How to Make Red Wine Braised Beef
Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat, then sear the beef in batches until each piece develops a deep brown crust.
Be careful not to crowd the pan, or the meat will steam instead of browning. As each batch finishes, transfer the seared beef to the crockpot.
Pour a small amount of your red wine into the hot skillet and scrape up all the flavorful browned bits of fond stuck to the bottom. Pour the wine and fond directly into the crockpot to enhance the sauce.
Add the onion, carrots, garlic, remaining red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs to the crockpot. Stir everything gently to make sure the flavors start to combine before cooking.
Cover the crockpot, and cook it on low for 7–8 hours. Check to verify the meat is tender and falls apart easily when you press it with a fork or wooden spoon.
About 30 minutes before serving, remove the rosemary stems and bay leaves. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry, stir it into the crockpot, and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy gravy.
Keep the dish on the keep warm setting in your crockpot until it’s time to serve it up. Spoon the beef and sauce over mashed potatoes for a comforting, hearty meal everyone will love.
Crock Pot Red Wine Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Beef Chuck Roast boneless, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 yellow onion large, chopped
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced into coins
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear it in a hot skillet until each piece is browned. Transfer beef to the crockpot.4 pounds Beef Chuck Roast
- Pour a little red wine into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits, then add that mixture to the crockpot.
- Add the onion, carrots, garlic, remaining wine, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and herbs. Stir to combine.1 yellow onion, 4 carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 cups Dry Red Wine, 1 1/2 cups beef broth, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove the rosemary stems and bay leaves. Mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water, then stir that into the crockpot. Cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens and shines.2 tablespoons cornstarch
Notes
- If you’re short on time, you can cook it on high for 4–5 hours, but the meat may be a little tougher and stringy. Slow cooking on low lets the collagen melt fully, giving the beef a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich, flavorful sauce.
- If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use one teaspoon of dry thyme in its place.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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