Slow-Cooker Beef Carbonnade. A Belgian-inspired stew

Sat 29 August 2026

This slow cooker beef stew is made with Belgian beer and served over buttery egg noodles or mashed potatoes! The ultimate comfort food!

Beef carbonnade

Have you heard of it? It's a Belgian stew, traditionally NOT cooked in a slow cooker, but slow-simmered for hours on the stovetop.

It's full of a myriad of flavors: savory, sweet, a touch sour, and the texture is so silky and tender. This stew could be served over mashed potatoes or, as I prefer, buttered egg noodles. A Belgian may serve it over fries... how awesome is that!?

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3-4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (I usually use the English cut that's flat), cut into 1-2" pieces
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2-3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups beef broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup chunked carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ Tbsp beef base
  • 12 oz dark beer (brown ale is best)
  • 1 Tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour + 3-4 Tbsp beef broth
  • 12 oz extra-wide egg noodles
  • minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Season beef pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat a large skillet (cast iron works super well here) over MED HIGH heat with olive oil. Shake off excess flour and brown beef in batches (don't overcrowd the pan) for several minutes, until you get a golden brown crust on all sides. Remove beef to a plate, and continue with the remaining batches.

When all beef is browned, add beef broth to skillet and use a wooden spoon to gently loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

To the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, add sliced onions, minced garlic, beef base, beer, and mustard. Stir together, then pour in beef broth from skillet. Top that with browned beef, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.

Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

About 20-30 minutes before serving, bring a big pot of water to a boil for the egg noodles. Mix 2 Tbsp flour and 3-4 Tbsp beef broth until no lumps remain. Stir into beef stew in slow cooker. Increase heat to HIGH and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

Add egg noodles to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil or butter to prevent sticking, and a pinch of minced parsley.

To serve, add some egg noodles to a bowl or plate. Top with a few ladles of beef carbonnade and sprinkle with some more minced parsley. Alternatively, add egg noodles to the slow cooker and stir it all together, then ladle the egg noodle/beef stew mixture into bowls or onto plates.

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