Slow Cooker Beef Heart Stew Recipe
A hearty, slow-simmered take on classic goulash and stew — rich with paprika, tender beef heart, and rustic vegetables.
If you’ve never cooked with beef heart before, this recipe is a beautiful introduction. The slow cooker turns this lean, nutrient-rich cut into fork-tender morsels surrounded by a rich, paprika sauce.
Adding potatoes and carrots makes this a full meal in one pot.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 394kcal
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 1388mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6581IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 10mg
