Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a unique twist on classic beef stew. Beef and veggies cooked in delicious Mexican spices. Weight Watcher friendly- 7 SmartPoints!
Sometimes I just want a big bowl of meat and vegetables to warm my soul. I remember as a kid, on Sundays my mom would make a huge pot of roast beef stew in the crock pot. Lately I’ve been craving dishes I grew up eating and taking a trip down memory lane. My Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the classic dish you grew up eating. Scrumptious slow cooked beef, soft and flavorful potatoes and carrots, cooked in delicious Mexican spices are the perfect meal when you are craving comfort food. This is a Weight Watcher friendly recipe and 2 cups is 7 SmartPoints.
My crock pot has been my best friend the last few months. There is something so satisfying about throwing a bunch of ingredients into the pot, letting it cook for hours, then lifting the lid up to see pure magic. Not only is the crock pot an easy way to get something cooked, it helps to create an amazing smell in the house. How great is it to come home from work to a house filled with a delicious smell of dinner?! Before you know it, summer will be here so I’m making as much as I can right now in the crock pot before it’s too hot to eat soups.
Lately I’ve been a bit nostalgic and craving dishes that I grew up eating. It is just so comforting about eating food that you ate as a child. My mom cooked almost every day during the week and I still don’t understand how she did it! Working full time with two kids and still having dinner on the table by 6pm every weeknight. I aspire to be like that! On Sundays, she always made something extra special and I remember beef stew was a dish she would only make on Sundays. Beef mixed with potatoes and carrots in a seasoned broth… delicious and a great dish to feed a family.
Mexican food is my favorite cuisines so I am always putting a Mexican flare on classic dishes. My Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the dish I grew up eating with a little bit of Mexican flare. What makes this beef stew different from the rest are the Mexican spices in the stew… Sazon and Sofrito. These two elements add a rich and decadent flavor to this stew.
I highly recommend browning meat (beef or pork) before adding it to a slow cooker for soups, stews, or chilis. Browning the meat adds a nice sear and adds more flavor. Using a cast iron skillet, heat a little bit of oil over medium heat. Add the cubed beef stew meat, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and sear for about 2 minutes. Once the meat is seared a bit, add cornstarch and mix until all the meat is coated. The cornstarch will help thicken up the sauce. Lastly, add tomato paste and beef Bouillon to the skillet. Cook for another few minutes.
After the meat is browned, add to the crock pot along with diced potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, bay leaf, water, tomato sauce, Mexican oregano and Sazon seasoning. I prefer to make my own seasoning because I have all of the ingredients already in my spice rack, but you can buy already made Sazon seasoning at the grocery store (or on Amazon)!
The last ingredient to add is sofrito. Sofrito is a mixture of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs. There are several variations of sofrito you can make. For this stew, I made my own quick sofrito using roma tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, white vinegar, and oil. Just blend these ingredients in the food processor and add to the crock pot. This adds tons of delicious flavor to the broth! The stew will cook on low for 8-10 hours. You will not believe how much flavor this stew has and how perfectly cooked the vegetables are. SOOOO GOOD!
Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Vegetable Stew is a nod to the classic dish you grew up eating. Scrumptious slow cooked beef, soft and flavorful potatoes and carrots, cooked in delicious Mexican spices are the perfect meal when you are craving comfort food. Made in the crock pot for an easy dinner! Not too spicy for all those non-spice eaters out there. Delicious, HEALTHY, and Weight Watcher friendly meal!
I hope you enjoy these bites of flavor!
Serves 5, 2 Cups Per Serving
7 SMARTPOINTS per serving
20 minPrep Time
8 hrCook Time
8 hr, 20 Total Time
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Pounds Beef Stew Meat
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 Beef Bouillon Cube
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
- 2 Medium Russet Potatoes
- 2 Medium Carrots
- 1 White Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 4 Cups Water
- ½ Cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- Cilantro for garnish
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Annatto Seeds (or Smoked Paprika)
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Roma Tomatoes
- ¼ White Onion
- ½ Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Clove Garlic
- ½ Jalapeno
- ¼ Bunch of Cilantro
- ½ Teaspoons White Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- Peel potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes and add to crock pot.
- Mince garlic and add to crock pot.
- Cut carrots and onion into 1 inch cubes and add to crock pot.
- Add bay leaf, water, tomato sauce, Mexican oregano, and Sazon seasonings to crock pot.
- Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat and add oil.
- Add stew meat, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear for 2 minutes.
- Add cornstarch, mix well, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and beef Bouillon cube and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add browned meat to crock pot.
- In food processor or blender, add tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, white vinegar, and oil. Blend well.
- Add sofrito to the crock pot, stir to mix, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
This recipe is freezer friendly!!
NUTRITION: Makes 5, 2 Cups Per Serving - (7 SmartPoints Per Serving) CALORIES: 366 FAT: 7.6 SATURATED FAT: 2.2 CARBS: 21 FIBER: 2.9 SUGARS: 3.9 PROTEIN: 51.5
29 Comments
Amber
January 18, 2017 at 11:36 am Looks good. Would regular oregano work okay? I have never bought Mexican oregano...don't really know if there's much differenceKristine
January 18, 2017 at 2:06 pm Regular oregano would work just fine! There is a slight difference in taste but it would be hard to tell. Thanks Amber!Nelly
January 18, 2017 at 12:55 pm I am big on anything that looks delicious And this surely does Cnt wait to try itKristine
January 18, 2017 at 2:04 pm Thank you Nelly! I hope you try this recipe out soon.Dawn
January 18, 2017 at 3:56 pm This looks and sounds delicious! I am with you on warm comforting foods this time of year. It is all I ever want and like to my fix before the warm weather returns. Thankfully I have many months before that happens ;)Kristine
January 18, 2017 at 5:31 pm Yes, so true!! Once warm weather hits, no more soups :( Thanks Dawn!Sarah @ SUGAR MAPLE notes
January 18, 2017 at 4:39 pm Such a nice way to switch it up from the traditional stew! Thanks for the recipe!Kristine
January 18, 2017 at 5:25 pm It's a good change!! Thanks Sarah!Becky
January 18, 2017 at 5:44 pm YUM! Those spices sound like such a tasty combination! I love this spin on beef stew!Kristine
January 19, 2017 at 11:18 am Thank you so much Becky!!Heather @Boston Girl Bakes
January 18, 2017 at 6:43 pm I agree that slow roasted Sunday dinner is just so good- love the twist on this and that it's made in the slow cooker! I'm a huge fan of the slow cooker meals :) Can't wait to try!Kristine
January 19, 2017 at 11:18 am Thanks Heather! I hope you try this slow cooker meal soon!Kelsey
January 18, 2017 at 9:40 pm This looks absolutely delicious!! I love using my crock pot, will def add this to the list! xo Kelsey | www.chasingcinderellablog.comKristine
January 19, 2017 at 10:25 am Thank you Kelsey! I hope you give this a try soon!Cassandra
January 18, 2017 at 9:47 pm Talk about a great weight watcher here. Looks amazing. Thank you I will try it. -Cass from sugarsaltspice.comKristine
January 19, 2017 at 10:23 am Yes it is! Tons of flavor packed into a dish with little SmartPoints :)! Thanks Cassandra!Megan
January 18, 2017 at 10:00 pm I love the variation on adding the Mexican flavors to this!Kristine
January 19, 2017 at 10:23 am Thank you Megan!Krysten
January 19, 2017 at 1:40 am I think that you and I are supposed to be friends! I really love mexican flavors and this looks perfect, especially with these cold nights.Kristine
January 19, 2017 at 9:53 am Hi new friend :) !! This stew IS perfect for cold nights. Thanks Krysten!Divya @ Eat. Teach. Blog.
January 21, 2017 at 6:44 pm I Love anything I can dump in the slow cooker! So much convenience!Kristine
January 23, 2017 at 10:42 am It really is the best way to cook during a busy week! Thanks Divya!Brandi
January 23, 2017 at 10:49 am Crockpot meals are the best! This one looks delicious. I'll have to add it to my list of new recipes to try.Leigh Suznovich
January 23, 2017 at 2:34 pm My crock pot works hard during the winter and it is about to work harder! This looks wonderful, can't wait to try it :-)Kristine
January 24, 2017 at 2:33 pm I know!!! I need to probably buy a second one to help keep up in the winter. Thanks Leigh!Lisa Primrose
January 23, 2017 at 6:11 pm Just made this recipe this morning and let me tell you.... It is De-lite-ful! So full of flavor and best part, it was so easy! Threw everything in the crockpot this morning and bam, dinner served. Also love the fact that it is easy on the waistline. It should be illegal for something to taste this good and not be one million calories. Thanks Krissie for another amazing receipe, this one is going in the 'will definitely make again' book. I saw another comment about using regular oregano as opposed to Mexican oregano and I can assure you, tastes great with the regular stuff.Kristine
January 24, 2017 at 2:28 pm I'm so glad you made this Lisa!! It's a favorite in my house too :)Kitty
January 27, 2017 at 3:16 pm This looks like a perfect winter meal!Kristine
January 31, 2017 at 3:53 pm It really is! So comforting!!