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.
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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
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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…