Description
This Slow Cooker Venison Stew is a thick, hearty, and comforting dish perfect for chilly days. Featuring tender venison chunks seared to perfection and slow-cooked with baby potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and aromatic Herbs de Provence, all simmered in a savory broth of beef stock, red wine, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. The long, slow cooking process melds the rich flavors beautifully, resulting in a nourishing stew packed with depth and warmth. Ideal served with crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Coating
- 2 lbs venison stew meat (or elk, antelope, moose, beef, bear or other red meat)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp pepper, divided
- 1–2 Tbsp high heat tolerant oil or fat (duck, deer, beef fat, avocado oil, clarified butter)
Vegetables
- 1 lb baby gold potatoes, quartered
- 3–4 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
Flavorings and Liquids
- 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 cups beef or venison stock
- ½ cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Bordeaux recommended)
- 5–10 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- Optional: 3 Tbsp corn starch, arrowroot powder, or tapioca starch (for thickening)
Instructions
- Prepare Venison: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pat the venison dry with a towel to remove any moisture, then toss the chunks in the flour mixture until fully coated and the flour is absorbed.
- Sear Meat: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the high-heat tolerant oil or fat. Once hot, sear the venison pieces on all sides to develop a rich, brown crust. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared venison to the slow cooker base along with the quartered baby potatoes. Next, add in the diced carrots, celery, onion, and minced garlic. Sprinkle the Herbs de Provence, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper over the vegetables.
- Add Liquids: Pour in the drained diced tomatoes, beef or venison stock, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce over all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cook: Cover and set the slow cooker to low heat for 8–9 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the meat to become tender.
- Optional Thickening: After about 6 hours, remove a few spoonfuls of broth from the stew into a separate bowl. Stir in the optional starch (corn starch, arrowroot, or tapioca) until dissolved forming a slurry. Pour this back into the stew and stir gently. Then, cover loosely and continue cooking for the remaining time.
- Serve: Once finished, serve the venison stew hot with crusty bread for a cozy, comforting meal.
Notes
- You can cook the stew on high for 4–5 hours, but slow cooking on low for 8–9 hours yields more tender meat and better melded flavors.
- If using gluten-free flour, this recipe likely works well, though not tested. Alternatively, omit flour coating and use the optional starch for thickening towards the end.
- To enhance flavor depth, dry red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux are recommended.
- Use high smoke point oils or animal fats recommended for searing to get a flavorful crust on the meat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 250g)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
