Description

This Slow Cooker Venison Stew is a thick and hearty dish perfect for cozy meals. It features tender venison meat seared to lock in flavor, slow-cooked with baby gold potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and a blend of herbs and spices. Enriched with beef stock, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce, this stew delivers deep, robust flavors with minimal effort.

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
1–2 Tbsp. high heat tolerant oil or fat (duck/deer/beef fat, avocado oil, clarified butter)

Vegetables and Herbs

1 lb. baby, gold potatoes, quartered
3–4 large carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
4–5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Herbs de Provence

Liquids and Flavor Enhancers

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups beef or venison stock
½ cup red wine (dry red like a Cabernet or Bordeaux)
5–10 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Optional: 3 Tbsp. corn starch, arrowroot powder or tapioca starch (for thickening)

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Instructions

Prepare the Meat: 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 and toss chunks in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
Sear the Venison: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil or fat. Once hot, sear the venison pieces on all sides until browned, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared venison to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the quartered potatoes next, then layer in carrots, celery, onion, garlic, Herbs de Provence, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.
Add Liquids and Seasoning: Pour in the drained diced tomatoes, beef or venison stock, red wine, and dashes of Worcestershire sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
Slow Cook the Stew: Cover and set the slow cooker on low heat for 8 to 9 hours to allow flavors to meld and meat to become tender.
Optional Thickening: After about 6 hours of cooking, remove a few spoonfuls of broth and mix with the starch of choice until dissolved to form a slurry. Stir this slurry back into the stew and slightly skew the lid to allow steam to escape. Continue cooking for remaining time.
Serve: Once finished, serve the stew hot with crusty bread for a comforting meal.

Notes

You can cook the stew on high for 4–5 hours, but 8–9 hours on low is preferred for better flavor and more tender meat.
This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour, but it likely will work fine. Alternatively, omit the flour coating steps and use the starch for thickening as described.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 320
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 800mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 30g
Cholesterol: 85mg