Slow Cooker Elk Stew

This slow cooker elk stew is loaded with tender chunks of elk, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in a rich, savory broth. If you have venison instead, it works just as well in this recipe. 

Elk is a very lean meat, and slow cooking gives it plenty of time to become tender while soaking up the flavors of the broth and seasonings. This is an easy, hands-off recipe that works especially well with tougher cuts of elk or venison stew meat.

Why You’ll Love This Elk Stew Recipe

Tender, flavorful meat: Slow cooking gives the elk plenty of time to become tender and soak up the flavors of the savory broth.

Mostly hands-off: After a little prep, the slow cooker takes over and does the rest of the work.

A hearty, complete meal: Elk, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms make this a filling dinner without needing much on the side.

Great for leftovers: The flavors get even better after a night in the fridge, so this is a good one to make ahead or enjoy for lunch the next day.

Easy to adapt: You can use venison in place of the elk, and there are several variations below if you want to change things up.

Ingredients for This Crockpot Stew

Elk: Use elk stew meat cut into bite-size chunks. Venison stew meat works here, too.

Vegetables: Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, onion and garlic make this a hearty, chunky stew.

For browning and thickening: Flour, cornstarch and vegetable oil.

For the broth: Beef stock, tomato paste, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce build a rich, savory base.

Seasonings: Paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper.

Cooking with Elk or Venison

Elk and venison are much leaner than beef, so they can dry out if overcooked. Tougher cuts, however, are great for stew because a long, slow cooking time gives them plenty of time to become tender.

Elk and venison can have a stronger, slightly gamey flavor compared to beef. The savory broth and seasonings in this stew balance that flavor without overpowering the meat.

Searing the elk meat is an extra step, but it adds a lot more flavor to the stew.

The flavors meld together in this hearty elk stew.

Variations for this Crock Pot Recipe

Root Vegetable Elk Stew: Add cubed parsnips or sweet potatoes along with the other vegetables, or use them to replace some of the potatoes and carrots. 

Herbed Red Wine Elk Stew: Encorporate 1 tablespoon each of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme and 2 teaspoons of fresh sage. Replace 1 cup of broth with 1 cup of dry red wine. 

Harissa-Spiced Elk Stew: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of harissa paste or dry seasoning, 1½ teaspoons of ras el hanout, and ½ cup of raisins or chopped dates. Adjust the harissa depending on how much heat you like.

You can also easily swap out the elk meat for venison because both types of game meat cook similarly. The crockpot is the perfect way to take advantage of these lean meats and all of their flavor potential! 

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this Elk Stew ladled over velvety polenta, truffle mashed potatoes, or nutty wild-blend rice. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a touch of sour cream. 

Here are some more suggestions to complement the meal 

• Pomegranate pear salad
• Golden brown butter cornbread 
• Sour cream and onion biscuits 
• Einkorn sourdough bread
• Texas toast garlic bread

Storage and Reheating

• In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 
• In the freezer: Allow to cool completely before ladling into airtight freezer-safe containers. Keeps for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, microwave individual portions on high for 2 minutes or until hot. 

More Game Meat Recipes 

• Chicken fried venison steak
• Duck cassoulet
• Navajo tacos
• Sous vide bison ribeye steak
• Sous vide wild turkey breast
• Venison and broccoli stir fry
• Dukkah roasted duck
• Roasted duck with orange sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

5 from 21 votes

Slow Cooker Elk Stew

By Pat Nyswonger

A hearty slow cooker elk stew with tender chunks of meat, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in a savory, lightly thickened broth. Venison works just as well in place of the elk.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 8 Servings

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds elk stew meat
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• ▢ 4 cups beef stock
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 large onion, chopped
• ▢ 4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 1 pound baby potatoes
• ▢ 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch , combined with ¼ cup cold water

Instructions 

• Add the stew meat to a shallow dish or pie plate and toss with the flour.
• Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the stew meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sear to a rich brown on all sides.  Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
• In a large pitcher combine half of the beef stock with the tomato paste, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over into the slow cooker and add the remaining broth.  Stir in the garlic, paprika and dried oregano.
• Add the onions, carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker, cover with the lid and set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 hours.
• Remove the cover and add the mushrooms, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed, and cook for an additional 1 hour.
• Increase the temperature to high and cook for 15 minutes.
• Combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water whisking until smooth.  Scoop 1 cup of the stew sauce from the slow cooker and whisk with the cornstarch mixture, then gently stir the mixture into the stew.  
• Cook for an additional 15 minutes to thicken.  Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

Sear the elk in batches. Don’t overcrowd the skillet or the meat will steam instead of developing a good brown crust.

Add the mushrooms toward the end of the cooking time so they don’t become overly soft.

For extra-tender game meat: Toss the elk with ½ teaspoon baking soda per pound of meat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse well, then pat the meat completely dry before seasoning and searing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 338kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 934mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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