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Slow cooker beef stew is a cozy (and easy!) meal.
This crockpot beef stew recipe is chock full of tender chunks of beef and hearty root veggies all slow-cooked in a rich and meaty broth.
This crock pot beef stew is an all-in-one meat and veggie meal. It has great flavor and is designed specifically for the slow cooker. I make this beef stew if using the stovetop.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This beef stew has a rich brown gravy and lots of veggies for a homestyle stew the whole family will love.
- Technique: Sear the beef to add extra flavor—do this in batches because if you overcrowd the pan, you won’t get a good sear.
- Ingredient Tip: Use chuck roast if possible for the most tender beef.
- Swaps: You can use other root vegetables in addition to or instead of those called for in this recipe.
- Serving suggestions: You can skip the potatoes in the stew and spoon it over mashed potatoes.
Ingredients Tips for Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Beef: For the most tender results, use cubed chuck roast. Stewing beef, which is usually trimmings from steak, can also be used.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and celery add great flavor.
- Potatoes: Potatoes slightly thicken the broth and make it this stew hearty and filling. Waxy potatoes (like red, Yukon gold, or baby potatoes) hold their shape better than russets, but either can be used.
- Broth: This beefy and flavorful broth is the foundation of crockpot beef stew – use beef stock or broth. You can substitute one cup of broth for dry red wine for a boost of flavor—try Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Add it to the pan in Step 4 to deglaze it.
- Vegetable juice: Vegetable juice adds a flavor boost without making the broth too tomato-forward. It can be replaced with a reduced sodium version or bloody mary mix.
How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew
- Brown seasoned beef in a skillet, transfers to the crockpot and cook onion before adding it in.
- Deglaze the skillet with broth or wine, pour into the crockpot, and add the remaining ingredients except peas (full recipe below).
- Cook until beef is tender, stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken, then add peas and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Holly’s Helpful Hints
- Instead of a cornstarch slurry, you can thicken crockpot beef stew with potato flakes.
- If prep time is short, toss in a bag of frozen vegetable medley in Step 5.
Storing Leftover Stew
Leftover slow cooker beef stew can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen in zippered bags for up to 4 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop. Feel free to toss in any extra veggies from the fridge!
Crockpot Comfort in a Bowl
Did your family love this Crockpot Beef Stew recipe? Leave a rating and comment below.
Crockpot Beef Stew
This Crockpot beef stew is a cozy, flavorful dish with tender beef, hearty veggies, and rich gravy, perfect for any chilly day.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast or stewing beef
- 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 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
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if i’m cutting the recipe in half, does that change the cook time at all? thanks!
Hi Sam, the cook time should remain similar, but it may cook slightly quicker so you can check it a little sooner checking for fork tender beef. I do recommend ensuring your Crock Pot is at least half full for optimal results though. I hope this helps!
Delicious. Everyone went for second and third helpings!
Delicious! I didn’t have V8 around, but it was still wonderful! Thanks!
This recipe was perfectionnnnn, I couldn’t help myself but make a few tweaks and honestly it turned out sooooo good I’m obsessed. Sooo rich, hearty and flavourful. Will be making again for sure.
– 1.5 containers beef broth
– two small cans of v8
– Shoulder cut of beef go over 2lbs
– Extra cup of celery and carrots
– 2 medium- large onions from the bag of onions Spanish style
– Add chopped fresh garlic
– Sauté onions and garlic separately from beef
– Use butter instead of olive oil when searing beef
– Cab sauv wine- use about a cup maybe a splash more to reduce pan drippings
– Add a tablespoon of paprika when start cooking
– Only one fresh sprig of rosemary (last time added two and took out with 3 hours remaining)
– Do the first hour on high then 8 on low
– 1 full cup of peas
– Use the mini golden potatoes and cut into quarters
– Add one bay leaf
– Little extra worsterchiere sauce a few shakes ish
I have no room left in my freezer to freeze my crock pot cooked beef stew. Can I can it in pint jars, and if so how long do I pressure cook it?
I haven’t tried canning this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
I have to agree with all the other 5 star reviews. This was the best beef stew and so easy to make!
great recipe- loved it
Best beef stew recipe ever! I cook on high for 5 hours but I have never been successful with the stew thickening when adding the cornstarch and water mixture. I transfer stew into a pot over stove top and add bistro, thickens beautifully. I want to be able to use the stew into a meat pie. I would be using the tender flake pie shells. Do I know how I should do this? I have read several ways; bake bottom shell and then add stew, add stew to a Corning ware dish and add the top only and bake until crust is golden brown. I would like to use top and bottom of pie shell but not sure how to bake it. Any suggestions?
I’ve never been successful with the cornstarch/water mixture either. But….I HAVE found a great trick: Better Than Bullion. It’s a GAME-CHANGER! It makes the broth much thicker, adds flavor, and looks good. Add it a tablespoon at a time & stir. Add until desired consistency.
I think it was ok. It was simple to follow but it was wayyyyy bland. Definitely needed a lot more seasoning.
Slow cooked it overnight and added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of veg juice. Amazing ♥️
Probably the best beef stew I have ever made. Delicious! Will be making again.
As always “Spend with pennies” NEVER disappoints. I did leave a few things out just to make it winner for my family. I didn’t use Rosemary or Thyme or onion or celery. I didn’t have veggie juice, so I watered down tomato sauce. My husband is a beef stew lover and he looooooved this. I will be making it in our regular rotation.
I am so happy to hear your family loved this recipe Angela!
It sounds like you made a completely different recipe…
Thanks for your beef stew recipe
This is “the best” crockpot beef stew recipe. I took this to my job for a retirement luncheon for a coworker. Everybody was asking for this recipe. To tenderize the beef I season it with salt and pepper overnight and then browned it according to the instructions. The beef melted in your mouth!!
We love hearing stories like that, Monique! So happy it was such a hit.
I ‘ve tried this recipe and turned out great. Everyone was so impressed and enjoyed every single bit of the stew. I must say best beef stew recipe!
Excellent stew. Have made several times and it was a hit with my family.
Hi, sounds like a great recipe. I only have a 4 quart slow cooker. Will this recipe fit in it? Thank you.
Hi Georgia, this does fill the crockpot quite a bit so I am not sure if a 4QT would be large enough for all the ingredients to fit!
What kind of potatoes work best?
We often use a yellow potato for this recipe. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! Don’t like peas but next time I will try green beans. This is the best beef stew recipe! Thank you!
Will try this…