Whether you call this goulash or stew doesn’t matter – what matters is you’re getting fall-apart tender meat in a paprika-heavy sauce that’s so rich it coats the back of your spoon. And if you’ve been curious about beef heart? This is the easiest recipe to start with.
If you’re just getting into organ meats, we found that beef heart is one of the easiest places to start; it’s mild, clean-tasting, and far closer to steak than liver.
Heart is extremely lean muscle, which usually means you’d either grill it thin and fast (like Peruvian anticuchos) or avoid long cooking altogether. Lean cuts tend to toughen and dry out without fat to protect them. But the slow cooker works here because you’re braising – cooking the organ meat submerged in liquid. That liquid does what marbling usually does, keeping everything moist while 7-8 hours of gentle heat breaks down those dense muscle fibers. You end up with meat so tender it shreds with a fork, swimming in this deeply savory paprika sauce.
The only thing you need to remember: toss in the potatoes and carrots at the four-hour mark. Add them with the meat, and you’ll fish out gray mush instead of tender chunks – root vegetables cook way faster than the meat needs to braise. That’s it. A few hours later, you’ve got a kitchen that smells like Eastern Europe and a stew that feeds six people who’ll go back for seconds.
🔪 Ingredients for Beef Heart Stew
- Beef heart, trimmed and cubed: Remove all silver skin and valve tissue — any left behind will stay chewy, no matter how long you cook it. If trimming a whole heart feels daunting, heart steaks are a good option; we order ours from Porter Road.
- Lard or neutral oil (avocado, or similar): Beef heart is very lean; added fat is necessary for proper browning.
- Yellow onions, finely chopped: Cooked down to form the base of the stew’s body and sweetness.
- Garlic, minced: Added after the onions, so it softens into the stew instead of turning harsh.
- Sweet Hungarian paprika: Use fresh paprika; stale paprika will make the stew flat and dusty.
- Tomato paste
- Red & green bell pepper
- Roma tomatoes, chopped or canned diced tomatoes, drained
- Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar: Added at the end for balance; the stew should taste rich, not sharp.
- Dry red wine: If using, always let the wine simmer before adding the stock to help cook out the alcohol and deglaze the pan.
- Beef stock or bone broth: The liquid should come just shy of covering the meat, not submerge it.
- Kosher salt & Black pepper
- Carrots: Added later so they soften without breaking down.
- Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks: Yukons hold their shape better than russets during long cooking.
To Serve
- Sour cream or plain yogurt
- Chopped parsley or chives
Equipment
- Slow cooker: a large 6-quart one is ideal
- Large skillet or Dutch oven: for browning + onion base – unless your crockpot has a sear setting
- Sharp boning knife or chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Beef heart is closer to an ultra-lean steak than a typical stew cut like chuck roast. The tenderness here doesn’t come from collagen breaking down like a chuck roast; it comes from proper trimming, steady moisture, and time. Once the membranes are gone, slow cooking turns that dense muscle silky instead of tough.
📝 How to Make Beef Heart Stew in a Slow Cooker
1. Trim and Brown the Beef Heart
- Trim away all silver skin, firm fat, and valve tissue. Cut the heart into 1-inch cubes and pat them completely dry.
- If your crockpot doesn’t have a sear setting, heat the fat in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef heart in batches until the cubes develop deep color on multiple sides. If they turn gray or release moisture, the pan isn’t hot enough. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker as you go.
2. Build the Flavor Base
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and take on a light golden color.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the paprika so it blooms gently without scorching.
- Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker, deglazing the pan with a splash of stock or wine to loosen any browned bits.
3. Start the Stew
- Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper, stock, and wine (if using). Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours. At this point, the beef heart will still be firm but noticeably more tender, and the sauce will begin to darken and thicken.
4. Add the Vegetables
- Stir in the carrots and potatoes, cover, and continue cooking on LOW for 3–4 more hours. By the end, the beef heart should yield easily when pressed with a fork, and the vegetables should be tender but still holding their shape.
- If cooking on HIGH, add the vegetables after 2 hours and cook for another 2–3 hours.
5. Finish and Serve
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as needed. A final pinch of salt or a small splash of vinegar can bring the flavors back into focus if they taste muted.
- Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt and a scatter of parsley or chives.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes, drained, in place of fresh.
- No tomatoes: Add 1–2 tablespoons extra tomato paste plus a small splash of vinegar at the end.
- Vinegar: Red wine or apple cider vinegar both work; add near the end so it stays balanced.
- No wine: Skip it and use more stock, or add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire for depth.
- Heat: Add hot paprika or a pinch of cayenne with the sweet paprika, if desired.
- Goulash-leaning: Add ½ teaspoon caraway seeds or 1 teaspoon marjoram with the paprika.
- Vegetables: Parsnips can replace carrots; sweet potatoes work but soften faster — cut them larger.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Trim aggressively. Any silver skin left behind will stay chewy, no matter how long you cook it.
- Don’t rush the browning. Like all braises and stews, a good sear helps build the fond that will add depth to the broth and help the meat retain its texture.
- Add vegetables later. If you add the potatoes and carrots added too early, they’ll disintegrate and get mushy. We add them later for a better bite.
- Rest it if you can. Like most stews, this tastes even better the next day.
🍽️ How to Serve Beef Heart Stew
- Over buttered egg noodles or spaetzle
- With crusty bread for mopping up the sauce
- On its own as a one-bowl, cold-weather meal
🧊 Storage & Leftovers
- Make ahead: This stew improves after a day in the fridge.
- Refrigerate: Store cooled stew in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm over low-heat on the stove; loosen with stock or water if needed.
- Freeze: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months; thaw overnight before reheating.
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
Slow Cooker Beef Heart Stew Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- Large skillet or Dutch oven, unless your crockpot has a sear setting
- Sharp boning knife, or chef’s knife
- Measuring cups
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 2½ lb beef heart trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons lard or neutral oil such as avocado or sunflower oil
- 2 large yellow onions finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup dry red wine optional, reduce stock slightly if using
- 2 cups beef stock or bone broth
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
To serve:
- Sour cream
- chopped parsley or chives
Instructions
Trim and Brown the Heart
- Trim away any valves, silverskin, or fat from the beef heart. Cut into 1-inch cubes and pat dry.
- Heat oil or lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef heart in batches until golden on most sides. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Build the Flavor Base
- In the same skillet, lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute more, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika.
- Scrape everything into the slow cooker.
- aa moment to deglazing the payou seared in with a splash of broth or wine to capture any browned bits and pour that into the slow cooker too.
Combine the Ingredients
- Add bell peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper, and broth (plus wine, if using) to the slow cooker. Stir well, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, stir in the potatoes and carrots. Re-cover and continue cooking on LOW for another 3–4 hours, until the beef heart and vegetables are tender and the sauce is rich.
- (If cooking on HIGH, add the vegetables after 2 hours and cook for another 2–3 hours.)
Finish and Serve
- Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt or a splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor if needed.
- Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley or chives.
Notes
- Organ Meat: If you’re looking to add more organ meat to your diet, we love beef heart for its mild steak-like flavor.
- Trim thoroughly: Remove all silver skin and valve tissue from the beef heart. Any left behind will stay chewy.
- Brown in batches: Don’t crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of sear.
- Bloom the paprika: Stir paprika in off the heat so it flavors the stew without turning bitter.
- Vegetable timing matters: Add potatoes and carrots halfway through cooking to prevent them from breaking down.
- Adjust at the end: Finish with salt and a small splash of vinegar if the stew tastes flat.
- Better next day: Like most stews, the flavor improves after resting overnight.
Nutrition
Bookmark this recipe now!
❓ FAQs About Beef Heart Stew
Beef heart can be tough if it isn’t trimmed properly or cooked long enough. When fully cleaned and braised low and slow, beef heart becomes tender and sliceable, similar to well-cooked stew meat.
Beef heart does not taste like liver. It has a clean, beefy flavor that’s closer to steak, without the metallic or mineral notes associated with liver.
Yes, beef heart stew can be made without a slow cooker. Use a Dutch oven and simmer gently at 300°F like any stew, adding vegetables halfway through cooking.
Absolutely, beef heart stew freezes well. Cool completely and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently in a pot over low heat.
Chuck roast is the closest substitute for beef heart in this stew. It works well, but the finished dish will be richer and fattier, without the lean, clean beef flavor of heart.
