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Serving spoon with meat, potatoes and sauce.

Slow Cooker Elk Stew

This recipe for crockpot elk stew is simmered in a rich, flavorful broth with tender chunks of elk meat, potatoes, onions and mushrooms. At the end of the cooking the savory broth is slightly thickened.
5 from 17 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 338kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds elk stew meat
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoons 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 carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 8 oz. small 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

  • Making wild game tender: If you're looking to tenderize your elk meat, try sprinkling a couple of teaspoons of baking powder on it. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it off and pat it dry before searing the meat.
  • Work in batches to sear the meat and do not crowd the skillet. Crowding the skillet will cause the meat to steam and not brown properly.
  • Adding the mushrooms at the end of the cooking time will keep them from overcooking.

Nutrition

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