This Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew is a wonderfully hearty one-pot meal. Instead of rushing it in an Instant Pot, this recipe celebrates a long, slow simmer: the barley becomes tender-chewy, inexpensive chuck beef melts into tenderness, and the cooking liquid reduces into a rich, flavorful gravy.
If you want a comforting, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that’s easy to prep and practically makes itself, this stew belongs on your weekly rotation.
What you’ll need
- Beef stock – Use a good-quality stock or broth; homemade is ideal when available.
- Onion – Chopped (white, yellow or sweet).
- Whole-grain barley – Use hulled or hull-less barley for a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Do not use quick-cooking pearled barley.
- Water – Filtered or bottled recommended.
- Celery – Sliced.
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh garlic – Minced for best flavor; a press or fine grater yields a smooth texture.
- Fresh thyme sprigs – Add whole sprigs for bright aromatics; discard before serving.
- Bay leaves – For subtle herbal depth.
- Tomato paste – Adds concentrated umami and a touch of acidity.
- Olive oil – Extra-virgin preferred; use a neutral oil if you prefer.
- Chuck beef – Cut into large, bite-size cubes.
- Fresh carrots – Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Chopped, for garnish.
If your day will be busy, you can assemble all prepped ingredients in the slow cooker bowl the night before and refrigerate. In the morning, brown the beef and start the slow cooker when you leave.
- Combine beef stock, chopped onion, barley and water in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add sliced celery, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Dollop tomato paste on top and stir to combine.
Brown the beef before adding
Thorough browning builds caramelization and adds depth and richness to the finished stew.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add half the beef cubes and brown until well caramelized, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Repeat with the remaining olive oil and beef. Scatter the carrot pieces over the beef in the slow cooker.
Reminder: use hulled or hull-less barley (not quick-cooking pearled barley), which holds up to the long cooking time with a pleasant chew.
- Cover and cook on LOW until meat and grains are tender, about 8 hours.
- Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.
- Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with thyme leaves and/or chopped parsley.
This stew is satisfying on its own, but you can customize it easily: add cubed cooked potatoes, frozen peas or green beans toward the end of cooking, or fold in sautéed mushrooms for an extra savory note. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the gravy.
Be creative and make this Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew yours
A final sprinkle of fresh parsley or thyme leaves brightens each bowl. Don’t forget crusty bread for dipping into the rich gravy.
Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew
Adapted from Cooking Light
Hearty slow-cooking stew; freezes well and reheats beautifully.
25 minutes
8 hours
8 hours 25 minutes
8 servings
Rosemary Stelmach
Ingredients
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 5.5 ounces)
- 1 cup hullless whole-grain barley (or hulled)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sliced celery (about 4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large thyme sprigs (plus leaves for garnish)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds chuck beef cubes, divided
- 2 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 16 ounces)
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Stir together the beef stock, chopped onion, barley and water in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sliced celery, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Nestle in the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, then dollop the tomato paste on top.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the beef cubes and brown until well caramelized, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining oil and beef cubes. Scatter the carrot pieces over the beef.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, until the meat and barley are tender. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with thyme leaves and/or chopped parsley.
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