Ingredients
Scale
- 2½ pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus a little more only if needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced or diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, divided and adjusted to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
- Optional extra slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- Chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Pat thawed beef dry and season with pepper and half the salt. Brown in batches in hot oil, then transfer to a 4–6-quart slow cooker.
- Cook onion in the skillet for 4–5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste for a minute, then garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add broth, scrape up browned bits, and stir in Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and onion powder. Pour over beef and add bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until fork-tender. Allow longer if needed.
- Remove bay leaf and skim excess fat. Turn to HIGH and stir in the base cornstarch slurry.
- Cover and cook for about 15–25 minutes, until thickened. Add optional additional slurry only if needed, allowing it to heat and thicken before reassessing. Finish gravy in a saucepan if necessary.
- Adjust seasoning, garnish if desired, and serve over separately prepared potatoes, rice, or noodles.