Description

This slow cooker venison stew is a thick, hearty, and healthy dish featuring tender venison chunks simmered with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and a rich blend of herbs and spices. Perfectly cooked over low heat for 8-9 hours, the stew develops deep flavors enhanced by red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and beef or venison stock. Ideal for a cozy meal, it can be thickened optionally using cornstarch or other starches to achieve a luscious texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Coating

2 lbs. venison stew meat (or elk, antelope, moose, beef, bear – really any red meat)
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided

Fats and Oils

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

Herbs and Seasonings

2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
5-10 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Liquids

1 (15oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups beef or venison stock
½ cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet or Bordeaux)

Optional Thickener

3 Tbsp. cornstarch, arrowroot powder or tapioca starch

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Instructions

Prepare the Venison: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pat the venison dry with a towel to remove moisture, then toss the meat chunks in the flour mixture until fully coated and the flour is absorbed.
Sear the Meat: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the high heat tolerant oil or fat. When hot, sear the venison chunks on all sides to brown them well. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. This step seals in juices and adds depth of flavor.
Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared meat to the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the quartered potatoes on top of the meat. Layer the carrots, celery, diced onion, minced garlic, Herbs de Provence, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper over the potatoes. Then add the drained diced tomatoes, beef or venison stock, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
Slow Cook the Stew: Cover and set your slow cooker to low heat. Cook the stew for 8-9 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the meat to become tender.
Optional Thickening: After about 6 hours, if you prefer a thicker stew, remove a few spoonfuls of broth from the slow cooker and stir in your choice of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or tapioca starch) until fully dissolved creating a slurry. Pour this slurry back into the stew, stir to combine, and continue cooking with the lid slightly skewed for the remaining time.
Serve: Once done, ladle the thickened stew into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread for a warm, comforting meal.

Notes

This stew is very flexible in terms of the meat you use; any type of red meat like elk, antelope, moose, beef, or even bear can be substituted for venison.
Patting the meat dry before coating with flour is essential for proper browning.
Searing the meat before slow cooking enhances the flavor significantly.
Using dry red wine such as Cabernet or Bordeaux adds a lovely depth to the broth but can be omitted for alcohol-free versions.
The optional starch slurry helps achieve a thicker, heartier stew consistency.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and often taste better the next day as flavors deepen.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1.5 cups)
Calories: 189
Sugar: 5.7 g
Sodium: 1098.9 mg
Fat: 2.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 1.4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Fiber: 3.9 g
Protein: 10.6 g
Cholesterol: 19.9 mg