Crockpot Beef Stew is a hearty dinner made with tender beef and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory broth. It’s an easy slow cooker meal with minimal prep and plenty of cozy, homemade flavor.
Serve it with no-knead bread, garlic cheddar biscuits, homemade garlic bread, or a simple green salad.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Crockpot Beef Stew
- Why Make It: Browning the beef and deglazing the skillet adds rich flavor without requiring a long ingredient list.
- Time-Saver: Use pre-cut stew meat and baby potatoes to reduce chopping and peeling.
- Tools: A 6-quart slow cooker and large skillet.
Total Time: 4 Hrs 30 Mins Servings: 8 Cooking Method: Crockpot
Ingredient Notes
- Beef Chuck Roast or Stewing Beef: Chuck roast is my favorite cut for crockpot and classic homemade beef stew because its marbling and connective tissue become perfectly tender when slow-cooked. Cut the beef into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Flour: A light coating helps the beef develop a rich, golden-brown crust.
- Beef Broth or Stock: Choose lower-sodium broth so you can easily adjust the seasoning to taste at the end.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold, red, and baby potatoes hold their shape particularly well during slow cooking and can be left unpeeled. If using russets, peel them first, as their skins are thicker.
- Carrots and Celery: Cut them into fairly chunky pieces so they retain their texture and hold up well during the long cooking time.
- Vegetable Juice: Adds tomato flavor, subtle sweetness, and extra depth to the gravy. Tomato juice works well, or substitute additional beef broth with a little tomato paste for a similar effect.
- Frozen Peas: Add them at the very end so they stay bright, fresh, and tender rather than becoming mushy. Replace with frozen mixed veggies or a carrots and peas mixture.
How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew
- Toss the beef in flour, then brown in a skillet, and set aside.
- Sauté the onions in the skillet.
- Add the beef to the slow cooker, along with the veggies (full recipe below).
- Pour the beef broth and seasonings on top. Cook until tender, then thicken with a slurry.
Can’t wait? Cut the cook time in half with my Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe.
Save Some for Later
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- The gravy will thicken as it chills, so add a splash of beef broth when reheating if needed.
Slow Cooker Soups for Chilly Nights
Did you enjoy this Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Crockpot Beef Stew
Tender beef and chunky vegetables simmer low and slow in a rich, herby gravy. This classic Crockpot beef stew is an easy, comforting dinner made for chilly days.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast or stewing beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cups beef broth divided, or beef stock *see note
- 3 cups diced potatoes peeled**
- 2 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces, about 2 cups
- 3 ribs celery cut into 1-inch pieces, about 1 cup
- 1 cup vegetable juice such as V8
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Place the beef in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the onion to the slow cooker.
- Add 1 cup of beef broth (or red wine per the recipe notes below) to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula.
- Add the broth to the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme.
- Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours or until beef is fork tender.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture). Stir in the peas.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Browning: Brown the beef in small batches without overcrowding the pan. If the pan is too full, the beef will steam instead of browning. Browning the beef adds extra flavor to the stew.
- Broth: 1 cup of red wine can be substituted for 1 cup of beef broth. If using red wine, add it to the pan after searing the beef to deglaze. Let it simmer in the pan for about 1 minute before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Peas/Beans: If you add fresh green beans in place of peas, they will need about 45 minutes to cook. Frozen peas just need to be heated through, they can be added during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Potatoes: Any variety of potato can be used in this recipe. Red potatoes, Yukon golds, or baby potatoes do not require peeling and hold their shape better. Baking or russet potatoes should be peeled.
- Leftovers: Leftover beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 372 | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 1181mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3453IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This is by far the best beef stew I’ve ever tried. The Worcester sauce and V8 made for a deep rich broth . I had planned to freeze
the leftovers but lo and behold, there weren’t any! . Kudos to you and thanks for this recipe !
Margaret
So happy you enjoyed it, Margaret!
I don’t know why this recipe only has three stars. I love it! I use ground thyme and rosemary. Garlic powder. I substitute one can of tomato sauce, the smallest one available. Plain. I throw in a little A1 instead of Worcestershire. This is delicious! The first time I tried it I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then lowered it to low for the following 4 hours and it was delish. This time I’m trying it on low for 8 or 9 hours.
So glad you love this recipe, Virginia!
What a great idea to include V8!
This stew would be delicious, except for the thyme. I put it in my mouth and all I could breathe in was this awful powdery flavor. Omit the thyme! I had to dump the entire pot out because I knew no one in my family would eat it.
I’m really sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this recipe Polly. It has been quite a hit with readers and my family. Did you use only ½ teaspoon of thyme? That should not produce a powdery flavor, nor overwhelm the flavor of the stew. The great thing about a recipe like this is that you can adjust to your tastes and omit the thyme. Rather than toss the food, I’d suggest that you could make another batch that may help balance it out.
I received very positive feedback on my stew! I loved preparing it- all of the freshness was fabulous and healthy. The calorie count is quite reasonable and I had plenty to share and freeze.
I recommend this recipe.
I love this recipe. My stew turned out so nice and hearty. The flavors are really good. It’s true, browning the meat, red wine, and lots of herbs really does the trick with the deep flavor. And the cornstarch to thicken it! Five star meal. Thank you very much!!
You’re so very welcome Sophie. So glad to hear that you love the stew so much!
I followed this recipe exactly and did not have any flavor even after seasoning. I wasn’t able to get it to thicken and also some of my carrots were not cooked. Unfortunately I won’t try this again.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it Marybeth. This recipe has been a great hit with readers (4.92 rating from 212 votes). I can’t say why it didn’t work out for you. Thak you for trying it.
Absolutely loved this. By far the best beef stew I have ever made. Simple and delicious!
My husband can’t eat onions due GERD. Any idea how this will be when omitting onions? (He is OK w/garlic.)
It’ll change the taste Jane, but it’ll still be delicious! Adding some fresh garlic if he can have it is a great idea!
I have this in my crockpot now. Smells delicious. Can’t wait to try this. I could never get a hearty gravy on mine but I think this is it!!
Just started this but the initial setup is what use to do. Wonderful reminder. Thanks. For a simple ingredient recipe
You’re very welcome Cheryl! Enjoy the stew!
This is a very good recipe that does not need any tweeks. Anything you do to it will not be making it better, it will just make it more suited to your taste. Yes, I eliminated the vegetable juice, and I’m not a fan of thyme, so I put in very little, but whatever you do, if you follow bulk of the recipe, you’ll have a hearty, cold-weather beef stew that is absolutely delicious! My family loves this recipe.
Absolutely Fabulous! I’ve been making stew all our married life (37 yrs), and even though your ingredients are almost exactly the same as I would use, something just made it pop! Hubby could not quit the compliments! Followed your recipe to a T, except deglazed pan with a splash of red wine, and added a couple shakes of Worcester.
Raw potatoes. Followed instructions , cooked it on high for 4 hours and the potatoes are still raw . What went wrong ? I’ve made this before but cooked it on 9 hours and it was perfect.
Sorry to hear that Ktaylor! They definitely shouldn’t be raw after 4 hrs on high. It is possible that you cubed them much larger than we did when making it.
We don’t like peas can I sub in corn instead and when would I put the corn in. What other veggies could we put in also
You can replace them with green beans (which should be added earlier). You could also try mushrooms or other root vegetables which can be added with the potatoes. If the corn is frozen or canned it just needs to be heated through so it can be added in the last 5-10 minutes.
THIS THING IS MOONEY!!!! Make it once a week now for my family they call it dad’s famous beef stew. I add one diced jalapeno to it to bring the heat, and keep the seeds to make sure everyone is lit up!!! LETS GOOO!!!!!!
I made this! I followed the recipe, pretty much. I thought it was great! I added a few drops of wine while browning the beef, just so the flavor was imbedded in the beef. Deglazing the pan with a little red wine made the whole house smell wonderful! Great recipe! Thanks. To take it up a notch if you wish, some “Slap your Momma”, or cajon seasoning, adds an interesting twist. Found this by adding some to my bowl! I loved it both ways.
Great suggestions Joe, thanks for sharing!
I made your beef stew today and it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Pretty sure I could have licked the crock pot clean. The meat fell apart and everything was divine. I did salt and pepper more throughout the cooking process to season it to my liking but other than that, a wonderful recipe I will add to a regular rotation. Thank you!
This recipe turned out fantastic! I did it exactly by the instructions I think next time I will add baby carrots instead of regular carrots. And remember to cut the beef along with the grain and not against the grain!
This was not good. It was flavorless. The meat had no flavor even though I seasoned it before even putting it in the flour mixture. I added seasoning to the crockpot while cooking and it still didn’t have any flavor. It also took significantly more than 5 hours on high. This is just not good.
Sorry that you didn’t enjoy the stew Charlotte.