This Paprika Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe is an easy weeknight dinner – just dump and go! You can also make it in the oven.
Are your weeknight dinners frazzled? I hear you! I used to be there too. And if I don’t turn to my easy dinner arsenal, I can be right back there again! BUT, this Simple Weeknight Paprika Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe is yet another dinner to help make your life easier!
This Paprika Pork Stew Recipe is pure comfort food loaded with flavor and texture. With each spoonful of this tasty stew you get a smokey and salty bite flavor from the pork, paprika, oregano, garlic and onion. Carrots balance out this dish with a slightly sweet and tender bite. Finally, the pork is so moist and fork tender.
But the best part is that this easy recipe can be made in the slow cooker during the day. Or you can make it ahead in the oven and then reheat on a busy weeknight!
This is great option for Slow Cooker Saturdays, which is part of my Easy theme night dinner categories!
Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier? Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!
The Magical Slow Cooker
One of the easiest ways to make family dinners on busy weeknights is using a slow cooker! With slow cooker recipes, you can put all of the ingredients into the pot and then set and forget. The slow cooker does all of the work and you get a home filled with wonderful aromas and a hot meal just waiting to be enjoyed!
I have had the same Crock Pot slow cooker for years and there is absolutely nothing fancy about it. But it’s never let me down and I never feel the need to get any other machines. Check out my Shop page to see the slow cooker I would get today if I were going to replace mine! It has a browning pot so you don’t have to dirty a second pan!
Check out all of my Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes!
Here are a few of my family’s favorite slow cooker dinners:
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Noodles
- Slow Cooker Pork Tacos!
- Light & Creamy Broccoli Soup
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Simple Ingredients for this Pork Stew
- Pork stew meat, cubed – You can usually find pork stew meat already cubed in the grocery store. I always have some on hand in the freezer. If not, tender pork shoulder cut into 2-inch pieces works great. Pork tenderloin, or pork loin, will also work, but will not be as melt-in-your-mouth as it’s a leaner cut of pork. I don’t recommend pork chops for this stew recipe.
- Onion – I used a large yellow onion. You can use a medium onion. You can use a red onion, white onion, or even shallots.
- Carrots – I used two medium carrots, peeled. Large carrots are fine, just make sure that the carrots, onions, and the pork are all submerged under water. If not, add more water or less carrots. Since this is a long-cooking recipe, you can either peel or wash and leave the skin on. The skin holds lots of nutrients, so this is often preferred.
- Cloves Garlic – Fresh is best, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic in a jar to save time.
- Paprika – You can use sweet or smoked paprika. You will probably not want to use hot paprika. But if you like spicy, you can add a bit of it. A substitute for paprika is chili powder.
- Dried Oregano – You can also use fresh oregano. You can substitute with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, or margarim.
- Chicken or Beef Bouillon Cubes – I used bouillon along with 3 cups water; however, you can also use 3-4 cups of chicken broth, chicken stock or beef broth or stock.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- Optional Seasonings: You can add a bay leaf for more flavor. A tablespoon of tomato paste can also add depth of flavor.
Equipment for this Slow Cooker Pork Stew
I made this recipe in a slow cooker.
However, you could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or small roasting pan with a lid. To make this stew in the oven, follow the instructions for adding all of the ingredients. Then bake covered in the oven at 400 F degrees for 1-1.5 hours until the pork is fork tender.
And mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for this Pork Stew
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) ahead!
What can I say, this one is super easy! The only thing you need to do for this recipe is prep the veggies and then mix everything in the slow cooker insert.
Up to 5 days ahead, you can peel and dice the carrots and onion. Also peel and mince the garlic. These can be stored together in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Cooking this Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe
Well, it doesn’t get much easy than this! Just add the onion, carrots, and pork to the slow cooker insert. Then add the paprika, minced garlic, dried oregano, crushed bouillon cubes, water, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
Turn the slow cooker to 6, 8, or 10 hours depending on your schedule.
Serve in a bowl by itself or over noodles.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe FAQs
Veggies that can be added in from the start of the cooking are: halved creamer (baby gold) potatoes, cubed red potatoes, diced sweet potatoes, butternut squash cubes, celery slices, diced parsnips, or other root vegetables. Veggies that you will want to add in just the last hour are: kale, zucchini slices, large chunks of bell pepper, or other soft vegetables that can get mushy. Spinach can be added after the cooking is done and will wilt down in the hot stew in just minutes. You can also add in egg noodles in the last hour and they should cook through for you! Or you can add cooked rice or cooked quinoa.
This is a wonderful meal to make a ton of and then portion out for freezing. You can either freeze all of the ingredients raw and then add them to the slow cooker frozen. In this case, you will wait to add the water until you are ready to cook. Freeze the rest of the ingredients, then add them to the slow cooker frozen with the water, and set to 8 hours.
If you want to cook and then freeze, I like to first cool it in the fridge. Then transfer it into freezer storage bags that can freeze flat and then be neatly stacked. However, you can also freeze it in reusable plastic storage containers or glass freezer-safe containers.
To thicken this stew, you can mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with ½ cup cold water until it dissolves. Then mix it thoroughly into the stew during the last hour of the cooking. It will thicken on its own as it finishes cooking.
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Simple Paprika Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound Pork stew meat, cubed
- 1 Onion, yellow
- 2 Medium Carrots (peel on or off)
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika, Smoked )Smoked or Sweet paprika)
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 4 Chicken or Beef Bouillon Cubes, crushed (or 3 cups broth or stock)
- 3 cups Water (eliminate if you use broth or stock vs of bouillon cubes)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Peel and dice the carrots. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.
Cook your Paprika Pork Stew Recipe
- Add the onion, carrots, and pork to the slow cooker insert. Then add the paprika, minced garlic, dried oregano, crushed bouillon cubes, water, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. (NOTE: you want everything to be submerged so add water as needed to cover pork and veggies)
- Turn the slow cooker to 6, 8, or 10 hours depending on your schedule.
- Serve in a bowl by itself or over noodles and enjoy!
Notes
- Can I freeze this Pork Stew? You can freeze all of the ingredients raw and then add them to the slow cooker frozen. In this case, you will wait to add the water until you are ready to cook. If you want to cook and then freeze, first cool it in the fridge. Then transfer it into freezer storage bags that can freeze flat and then be neatly stacked. However, you can also freeze it in reusable plastic storage containers or glass freezer-safe containers.
- Pork meat Substitutes: You can usually find pork stew meat already cubed in the grocery store. If not, tender pork shoulder cut into 2-inch pieces works great. Pork tenderloin, or pork loin, will also work, but will not be as melt-in-your-mouth as it’s a leaner cut of pork. I don’t recommend pork chops for this stew recipe.
- Paprika – You can use sweet or smoked paprika. You will probably not want to use hot paprika. But if you like spicy, you can add a bit of it. A substitute for paprika is chili powder.
- How can I thicken this stew? To thicken this stew, you can mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ cup cold water until it dissolves. Then mix it thoroughly into the stew during the last hour of the cooking. It will thicken on its own as it finishes cooking.
Chef Mimi says
Back when my kids were young i did do a lot of major cooking on the weekend. It’s a great way to having food to rely on throughout the busy weekdays. I don’t need to worry about that any longer, and there’s nothing to be frazzled about! It’s nice. But believe it or not I sometimes miss those days. Great stew. The pork is beautiful!
Mimi Rippee says
Oh this looks really good! Love the flavors.