This Slow Cooker Whole30 Paleo Korean Beef Stew is an easy gluten/sugar free weeknight dinner with addicting spicy-sweet flavor! Total healthy comfort food!
PIN Slow Cooker Whole30 Paleo Korean Beef Stew
Zippy, zingy Asian goodness gonna wrap yo’ tastebuds in a COZY HUG.
That’s what eating this whole30 beef stew feels like. Except if it was a hug from a person wearing some kind of awesome jumpsuit and not a weirdo wooly sweater or something like that.
You know, because it’s a KOREAN stew which makes it VRY VRY on trend. I mean it even has runny eggs on it which, according to Instagram, is what all the cool people put on food these days.
If only it would have been made in the Instant pot lamb stew. Then it would be REAL trendy!

Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Heavy on the garlicky goodness
- PUNCHY ginger in every bite
- TENDER juicy meat
- Tangy, pickled vegetables that make your face JUST pucker in the kinda way that balances out all the other sweet-spicy flavors, but not in a “I just ate a whole lemon raw” kinda way.

Ingredients to make this BOLD flavored stew
For The Stew:
- 1/2 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 Lb Grass-fed lean stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 tsp Tapioca starch, divided
- 3 Large carrots, sliced
- 3/4 Cup Beef broth
- 3/4 Cup Apple juice (not from concentrate)
- 1/2 Cup Coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 2 tsp Fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp Chile garlic paste (or sriracha)
- 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
- 3 Cup Shitake mushrooms, sliced (4 oz)
- 4 Large eggs
- Cooked cauliflower rice or white rice
Garnishes
- Kimchi (sugar free)
- Pickled cucumber (recipe follows)
- Seasame seeds
- Bean sprouts
- Sliced green onion
- Red Cabbage (optional)
For The Pickled Cucumbers:
- 1 Cup Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
- 1 Medium cucumber, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the sesame oil and avocado oil in a large pan on high heat. Add in the beef and cook until golden brown on all sides. Add into the bottom of a 7 quart slow cooker.
- Add 4 tsp of the tapioca starch, reserving the rest for later, and stir to coat the beef. Add the carrot, broth, apple juice, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, chile paste and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Stir together the rice vinegar and apple juice and add the sliced cucumber into it. Cover and refrigerate while the beef cooks.
- After 6 hours, place the remaining 4 tsp of tapioca starch into a small bowl. Add in 8 tsp of the hot cooking liquid and whisk until smooth. While constantly whisking, stir that back into the slow cooker until combined. Add in the mushrooms and stir. Cover and cook until the meat and mushrooms are very tender, about 2 more hours.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (make sure you have enough water to cover the eggs.) Once boiling, use a slotted spoon to gently place the eggs into the boiling water. Cook for 7 minutes and then drain the hot water out and cover the eggs with cold water.
- Serve over hot cooked cauliflower rice (or regular rice) and garnish with the cucumbers (drain the vinegar/juice out!) kimchi, sesame seeds, green onion, bean sprouts and optional red cabbage. Peel the eggs and slice them on top.
- DEVOUR

How do you make beef stew meat tender?
The secret to making beef stew meat SO tender is to sauté it in saucepan coated in oil on medium/low heat until all sides are deep golden brown and DELICIOUS! This LOCKS in that juicy moisture, which is gonna keep your beef just FALL OFF THE BONE TENDER.
I realize there’s no bones here. BUT YOU KNOW.
We’re using a combo of neutral avocado oil and ZINGY sesame oil to add this annoyingly addicting Asian flavored goodness to this gluten free crock pot beef stew.
Annoying because you just want to keep eating this Slow Cooker Whole30 Paleo Korean Beef Stew even when you’re full. It’s just there with its spicy-salty-(naturally!) sweet-ginger-garlic-yumminess, runny-drippy egg, and those pickly cucumbers, TAUNTING you to go for another SLURP.
How do you thicken stew in a crockpot?
You need to use some kind of starch to absorb the juices – we’re using tapioca starch, but you could also use cornstarch. Coating the beef in a little bit of starch prevents it from losing it juices into the other liquids while it cooks, making the stew thinner.
Adding more at the end really brings the THICK and HEARTY goodness that you think about when your brain thinks “stew.”
But, between you and me, I think we should stop all that “thinking stuff” RIGHT NOW.
Instead let’s channel that energy to focus on current SLURPABLE stew situation at hand.
ANGELS SINGING HAPPY DANCING. You’re about to know what that looks like.

Other recipes you might like:
Slow Cooker Mango Chicken Curry
Thai Crock pot Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
For the stew:
- 1/2 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 Lb Grass-fed lean stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 tsp Tapioca starch, divided
- 3 Large carrots, sliced
- 3/4 Cup Beef broth
- 3/4 Cup Apple juice (not from concentrate)
- 1/2 Cup Coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 2 tsp Fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp Chile garlic paste (or sriracha)
- 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
- 3 Cup Shitake mushrooms, sliced (4 oz)
- 4 Large eggs
- Cooked cauliflower rice or white rice
Garnishes
- Kimchi (sugar free)
- Pickled cucumber (recipe follows)
- Seasame seeds
- Bean sprouts
- Sliced green onion
- Red Cabbage (optional)
For the pickled cucumbers:
- 1 Cup Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
- 1 Medium cucumber, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil and avocado oil in a large pan on high heat. Add in the beef and cook until golden brown on all sides. Add into the bottom of a 7 quart slow cooker.
- Add 4 tsp of the tapioca starch, reserving the rest for later, and stir to coat the beef. Add the carrot, broth, apple juice, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, chile paste and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Stir together the rice vinegar and apple juice and add the sliced cucumber into it. Cover and refrigerate while the beef cooks.
- After 6 hours, place the remaining 4 tsp of tapioca starch into a small bowl. Add in 8 tsp of the hot cooking liquid and whisk until smooth. While constantly whisking, stir that back into the slow cooker until combined. Add in the mushrooms and stir. Cover and cook until the meat and mushrooms are very tender, about 2 more hours.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (make sure you have enough water to cover the eggs.) Once boiling, use a slotted spoon to gently place the eggs into the boiling water. Cook for 7 minutes and then drain the hot water out and cover the eggs with cold water.
- Serve over hot cooked cauliflower rice (or regular rice) and garnish with the cucumbers (drain the vinegar/juice out!) kimchi, sesame seeds, green onion, bean sprouts and optional red cabbage. Peel the eggs and slice them on top.
- DEVOUR
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: Freestyle SmartPoints: 7. Points+: 10. Old Points: 9
(per serving – based on recipe serving 4 people, without cauliflower rice or garnishes except cucumbers)

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Amy says
I’ve always wanted to try this – The nutritional info is so so helpful and I cannot wait to make it!
https://student-scrapbook.blogspot.com/
Taylor Kiser says
I hope that you love it!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
Love crock-pot recipes year round!
Taylor Kiser says
I am with you! Set it and forget it!
Danielle says
Wow! I love the variety of colors, textures, and flavors in this dish! That it’s healthy is such a plus!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Danielle!
georgie says
this is the prettiest looking dish ever!!! those eggs are boiled to perfection! this sounds absolutely delicious, i love korean food so I reckon i’d love this!
Taylor Kiser says
You would love this then! And, thank you!
Sandi says
I am really thinking of trying this recipe soon. The colors alone make me hungry.
Taylor Kiser says
Colorful food is the best! I hope you try it!
Dahn says
oh my goodness, this is something I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner all week! This looks amazingly addictive. Great photos
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you so much!
Adriana Lopez Martin says
I love Korean style cooking and this stew looks incredible specially knowing came from a slow cooker. All the garnishes are amazing too. I want to dig in!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you! The garnishes MAKE it!
Donna says
Do you think this could be converted to Instant Pot Pressure Cooker?
Taylor Kiser says
I am sure it could! I just can’t tell you how to do it as I haven’t tried! 🙂 Let us know if you do!
Handpan les workshop says
Super nice and tasty recipe. Love the colours and photo’s. Looks super delicious and also healthy. That’s a plus 😀
Ginger says
Some extra effort required, but worth it! The stew was very flavorful! My husband loved it and wanted seconds! I didn’t add all the garnishes, but I will definitely add the egg next time. The pickled cucumbers were a very nice component to the dish. I’m a lightweight with spicy dishes, so it was a tad too spicy for me, so I may reduce the sriracha sauce next time.
Taylor Kiser says
So glad it was a hit Ginger! Sure, reduce the sriracha sauce to your liking.