Slow cooker Jamaican Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Jamaican Beef Stew is rich, exciting, and beautifully tender. Cooked low and slow for hours, this fantastic one-pot meal is loaded with vegetables! Warm, comforting, and hearty.
This slow cooker Jamaican beef stew recipe will have you doing the happy dance. So, break out your cool moves coz it sure does that for me. Dancing with a spoon in my mouth. Boy, oh boy, what can I say?
Infusing Jamaican flavors with beef and vegetables in one pot yields an OUTSTANDING result. This soul food stew is hearty, healthy, and oh-so delicious. Yes, I use that word way too often, but it is what it is.
We’ve all had beef stew, right? Any good beef stew enjoys tender beef and root vegetables cooked in a gravy. However, all those elements are taken to new heights with this recipe. And you get your gravy without any flour. Did I hear gluten-free?
Every element here is highlighted with Jamaican seasonings, including scotch bonnet for some heat, allspice (pimento), carrots for sweet notes, garlic, ginger, and, of course, thyme to round out the bold flavors.
Plus, no need to use your busy schedules as an excuse not to cook at home since the slow cooker does all the work while you rush off to work. Just set it and forget it for hours! Start the stew in the morning, and an effortless dinner is ready when you get home.
Along with convenience, using a slow cooker offers many other benefits. For starters, they transform inexpensive cuts of beef into fall-apart tender meat. Additionally, all the spices have time to fully absorb for more robust flavors. Another plus is that low heat destroys fewer nutrients.
So, let’s gather the ingredients and try this super easy beef stew recipe. When it’s ready, sit down and savor.
How to Slow Cook Jamaican Beef Stew
- Season stew beef with salt and pepper thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven or pan over medium heat. Add stew beef and sear for 2-3 minutes per side (flipping once) until beef browns. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. Then, add the seared beef to the slow cooker.
- Saute – Add onions, green onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, bell pepper, bay leaf, scotch bonnet or hot sauce, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add tomato paste and bouillon. Stir for another minute, add water or broth to the skillet, and scrape the sides down. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and pour it all into the slow cooker.
- Assemble – Toss carrots and potatoes into the slow cooker and add salt and pepper according to preference.
- Cook – Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Serve – Remove and serve with fresh bread. Enjoy!
It will surely be one of your favorite suppers, and the leftovers are even better.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- To make this completely paleo, leave out white potatoes and go with sweet potatoes instead. Or better yet, use plantains. Be sure to cut them in big chunks so they do not get all mushy when done
- Same with the carrots and other vegetables. I didn’t have enough potatoes, so I also included green plantains. Ripe plantains are too sweet and soft to work well
- Don’t waste your money on expensive cuts of meat. Go with the tougher and cheaper cuts, like chuck, leg shanks, and bottom round. They benefit from long hours of cooking as the collagen breaks down for fork-tender and flavorful beef.
- Browning and sautéing the stew ingredients first yields maximum flavor. But feel free to omit this step if you don’t have time. It will still be great.
- For extra flavor enhancement, add a tablespoon of brown sugar.
Slow Cooker Jamaican Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (950g) stew beef (cut into small chunks)
- ¼ cup (60ml) canola oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 green onions, diced
- 1 tablespoon (15g) garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons (10g) ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon (2-3g) fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon (2g) allspice
- 1 small bell pepper, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (or 1 teaspoon hot sauce)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (3-4g) bouillon powder, beef, chicken, or vegetable (optional, adjust to taste)
- 2 cups (475ml) broth (or water) more as needed
- 2-3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
- 2-3 pounds (900-1250g) potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 2-3 tablespoons (7-10g) parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season stew beef with salt and pepper to thoroughly cover all sides.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven or pan over medium heat. Add stew beef and brown well, turning once, 2-3 minutes per side, until beef browns up. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Add beef to the slow cooker.
- Add onions, green onions, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, bell pepper, bay leaf, scotch bonnet or hot sauce, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add tomato paste and bouillon. Stir for another minute, add water or broth to the skillet to deglaze the pan, and scrape the bottom and sides. Bring to a boil, remove, and pour into the slow cooker.
- Toss carrots and potatoes into the slow cooker and add salt and pepper according to preference.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Turn off the heat, and serve with bread. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- To make this paleo, leave out white potatoes and go with sweet potatoes instead. Or better yet, use plantains. Be sure to cut them in big chunks so they do not get mushy when done. Same with the carrots and other vegetables. I didn’t have enough potatoes, so I included unripe or green plantains as well. Ripe plantains do not work well here.
- Don’t waste your money on expensive cuts of meat. Go with the tougher and cheaper cuts, like chuck, leg shanks, and bottom round. It benefits from long hours of cooking- collagen breaks down, leaving the meat fork tender and infused with the flavors from the stew. It can’t be beat.
- As always, 10 minutes of browning and sautéing beef, vegetables, and spices yields the maximum amount of flavor. You don’t have to but it is advisable.
- If you want to get an extra touch of sweetness, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Loved it! The flavors are wonderful. May I use chicken instead of beef?ton
Hi Toni, Yes you may . Chicken works just as well,
I’m cooking for 10 people is it ok to leave out the potatoes and cook separately? My slow cooker won’t fit everything
The potatoes helps to thicken the sauce, throw in a few to achieve thickness .
Could I add gravy granules for thickness?
I am making this now while I was cooking it in the dutch oven before i put it in the crockpot I also added browning sauce and a green bell pepper onions garlic and everything you said to add and it is smelling and looking great!I really want to make that rice im going to do next maybe today looks delicious as well, I also want to try the goat stew I have always loved goat meat mmm mmm delicious!
Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks for giving it a try.
Can I make this without a slow cooker? Just in a Dutch pot?
Yes, you can make this on the stovetop.
My stew wasn’t what I expected. I believe the ginger paired with beef wasn’t my favorite. However, the taste wasn’t bad it feels as if something is missing. Perhaps, O I went wrong somewhere.
Currently making this stew and im inlove with the broth. So yummy and flavorful. Cant wait to devour it tonight. Would it be fine if i add cornstarch to thicken the broth or its best to leave it as it is.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe =)
It’s a matter of preference . Either works just fine .
Hey could I use lamb instead?
You sure can.
Hi how are you ive tried a many of beef stew recipes and they never came out right however I just made yours today and it came out perfect thank you for sharing your recipes I will be adding this back to my list now at least once a month this was perfect and once again thanks hey do you have a recipe for Barbecue ribs and ham if so could you share it with us
Made this last night. I also added some yellow wax beans, and omitted the scotch bonnet – used just a little hot sauce instead. We all loved it! The taste of the ginger & allspice was really nice; I was looking for a stew recipe with a different flavor and this was it! I’m looking forward to eating it again for lunch 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback! So glad to hear it worked out well for you. AND yes to having it for lunch- taste even better the next day.
Have been growing scotch bonnet this year because they look pretty in the greenhouse x looked this recipe up and thought ‘yum I will have to give that a go’ OMGits so delicious and homely. My boys came in from school and drifted to the kitchen asking what’s that lovely smell ‘ your dinner’ I replied. Georgeous x I did ad some green beans to this and it was good. Thanks for some enlightenment x
My pleasure! So glad to hear the boys enjoyed it too! Am so adding green beans next time I make . Thanks Tracy!
I am in the middle of cooking this receipe. Before using any receipe I check the reviews. Reviews for this receipe were “great” so it was a “go”.
Been in the cooler for about 2 hours and looking good and smelling good!
I do want to add small comment. The ingredient list includes “paprika” however it was not mentioned with the instructions. I assumed it should have been added with stovetop mixing for the sauce and included it then. Was that correct?
I am looking forward to chowing down with this beef stew in about 5 hours with a bed of rice and some nice sweet plantains!!! Thanks for the receipe and the pictures!
Yes, you guessed right . Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I know you are going to love it .
Bon Apetit!
Hi, I love beef stew but i’ve never had the Jamaican version. So I am making this dish for dinner on this rainy day. I noticed about 5 minutes after I had pressed cook that I didn’t add any ginger! I knew I had seen it listed in the ingredients. So i read through the directions again to see where I missed it. I don’t see it but i’m guessing I was suppose to add it with the garlic and bell peppers? anyway, I ended up throwing in two chunks of ginger, thats how I usually do it anyway. I’m excited to try it!
Hi Jodel! Glad you took the plunge ! That’s where it’s suppose to go. Thanks for taking the time to bring this to my attention .
Bon Apetit!
I got tripped up on this too, and the smoked paprika. I too added them with the onions, garlic, chillie peppers etc.
It’s about an hour in and smells amazing already, cant’t wait to try some more of your recipes
Hahaha Jodel…I, too, just realized, after skimming the comments, that I forgot to add the ginger! I realized the smoked paprika was missing from the instructions and added it in last minute but did not realize the ginger was left out of the instructions, too. Oh well! It was delicious even without the ginger so I’ll just make a note for next time.
Hi Imma! I stumbled upon your website because I did a Google search for baked rice recipes. I’ve spent the last few days positively salivating over all your wonderful food! This Jamaican Beef Stew was the first one I decided to try. I made it for dinner tonight, and my entire family loved it and everyone wants it added to the “regular” rotation! It was incredibly delicious, and my son, who is not a spicy guy at all ate an entire bowl (with a glass of milk, LOL) and that was even though I minced the scotch bonnet! I will most definitely be trying lots more of your recipes. Thanks so much!
Oh boy! I think you made it irresistible . My son is the same way , if its’s tasty and spicy he’ll eat it . So glad to hear it was a hit with the whole family.Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Made this recipe last weekend using our home grown scotch bonnet peppers! Spicy and delicious!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know
One of the best stews I’ve ever made. I was hoping to find a new twist on an old dish and this recipe exceeded all expectations. I’ve shared it with my daughter, who happens to be a chef, and a few other friends. Just perfect :). Big hit with my oh so picky husband!!!! Now I’m waiting for that cookbook!!!’
FIVE STARS FOR SURE (for some reason it will only allow me to mark four)
YESS!!!!Thank you , Thank you Thank you