real food & balanced natural living for moms

Crockpot Fajita Beef Stew

You’ll love this twist on a classic beef stew. Get all the flavors of sizzling beef fajitas in a hearty stew. This recipe is gluten and dairy free so it can be enjoyed by everyone.

Bowl of soup with beans, peppers, beef, and onions

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Fajita Beef Stew

Fajitas are a favorite at our house. They’re packed with veggies and easy to whip together.

I love that they’re full of whole, real foods.

This stew was created by a happy accident (like most of my recipes are haha).

I was planning on making fajitas for dinner and pulled some beef out of the freezer to thaw.

When I went to start browning the beef, I realized that I had pulled out some beef stew meat rather than steak strips like I thought.

I decided to make a U turn and I threw all of my fajita ingredients in a pot with some beef broth and it turned into an awesome stew!

bowl of fajita beef stew

What goes in Crockpot Fajita Beef Stew?

This soup combines the flavors of beef stew as well as a stack of fajitas.

Stew Beef – This soup can be made with different cuts of beef. Stew beef refers to tougher cuts of beef that take time to get tender. That’s why its perfect for stew since it simmers for a long time and it gets so tender.

Olive Oil – This is for browning the beef. You can really use any oil. My favorites are olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil.

Pinto Beans – Any bean will work for this recipe. I especially love it with pinto beans, but have also used red beans, and great northern beans which also worked great.

Bell Peppers – Any color bell pepper will work. I love to use a variety of colors – green, yellow, red, and orange all taste great.

Onion – Yellow or white onions work best for this recipe.

Diced Tomatoes – Is it normal to put tomatoes on your fajitas? Either way, the tomatoes taste great in this stew. Don’t drain the tomatoes. That juice will add flavor and depth to the broth.

Beef Broth – The broth in this recipe gives it the “stew” part of the soup. I like to use low-sodium broth and then add salt as needed.

Fajita Seasoning Packet – If you follow a gluten free and/or dairy free diet, be sure to read the ingredients of the spices since it’s common to add gluten or dairy in seasoning packets. My favorite brand for seasoning packets is McCormick, because they use basic ingredients.

Brown Gravy Packet – I had the idea to add a brown gravy packet to thicken the soup a little and it added great flavor! Again, be sure to get a gluten and dairy free gravy packet like McCormick’s. You can also just use a corn starch or arrowroot powder slurry.

Garlic – I love to use fresh garlic in my cooking, but you can also use garlic powder. Just add it to taste toward the end of cooking.

Worcestershire sauce – This is optional, but adds another depth of flavor. Try a cleaner brand like Annie’s.

Salt to Taste

bowl of beans, beef, bell peppers, stew

How to Make Fajita Beef Stew

  1. Slice bell peppers and onion into strips then set aside.
  2. Cube beef then brown in skillet with olive oil. When almost browned, add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add to a crockpot.
  3. Add pinto beans, canned tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, fajita seasoning and brown gravy mix. Stir to combine.
  4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

Notes

  • Serve with your choice of avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips.
  • McCormick has been my go-to brand because they make gluten and dairy free seasoning packets.


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