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Crusty bread dipped into a bowl of beef and barley stew
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Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew

This Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew is the ideal winter comfort food. This thick, hearty stew is full of beef, root vegetables, barley and Guinness beer for maximum flavor with minimum effort.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds beef chuck roast or stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4-6 slices thick-cut bacon cooked and chopped
  • 4 cups reduced sodium beef stock
  • 12 ounces Guinness extra stout or dark stout beer
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2-3 sprigs of thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 8 ounces whole cremini or white mushrooms stemmed and quartered (optional)
  • 1.5 pounds petite Yukon gold potatoes quartered
  • 4 cups assorted root vegetables peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (ex: Carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery, rutabaga) (we like carrots and parsnips)
  • ⅔ cup pearled barley or farro
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat with the oil. 
  • Liberally season beef on all sides with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add the beef to the pan and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add the cooked beef to a large slow cooker. 
  • In the same pan, over medium heat add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant. Add the red wine and tomato paste to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add the liquid and sauteed onions and garlic to the slow cooker. 
  • Add the bacon, beef stock, stout beer, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, mushrooms, potatoes, root vegetables and barley or farro. Stir to incorporate. 
  • Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, stirring every couple hours.
  • After eight hours, stir, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. 

Notes

You may use ½ bag of frozen chopped or pearl onions in place of the diced onion.