Achieving the Ideal Texture: Solutions for Thin Slow Cooker Stews

While slow cookers are convenient, they come with their drawbacks. Unlike oven cooking, slow cookers don’t evaporate liquid as effectively, often resulting in stews that are too runny.

If you encounter this issue, you have three solutions:

Thicken your slow cooker beef stew by combining melted butter and flour, using a 1:1 ratio of flour to butter.

To thicken a stew in a slow cooker using cornstarch, a general rule of thumb is to use about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water for every cup of liquid in the stew.

You can also put your stew uncovered in an oven preheated to 200c/400F and let the liquid reduce naturally. This will usually take approximately 20-30 minutes.