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.
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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I’ve made this recipe before and it was so good. This time I would like to add mushrooms to the stew, when should I add them?
Hi Edith, you can add them in at the beginning. But if you prefer your mushrooms to be less soft you could add them towards the end as they don’t take long to fully cook.
I actually started another recipe that flopped and I had to start over, uggg. I found yours and thought it sounded easy enough and since I already had most of the same meat and vege’s cut up I gave it try.
It was absolutely delicious and instructions were easy to follow. I added some Daikon to my vege mix because I already had it.
What I enjoyed the most about your recipe is the use of V8 type juice in lieu of diced or crushed tomatoes. I’m not a fan of beef stew with a huge tomato taste and the cup of V8 was perfect. I plan on making more of your recipes, thanks for sharing this one.
So happy you enjoyed our recipe, Mability!
Love this recipe. Served to company and was very pleased
This is my go to easy meal!! It’s so delicious & easy to prepare in the morning so I can enjoy it for dinner I highly recommend giving it a try!
This was so delicious! The meat was so soft it just melted in our mouths, the potatoes, carrots, celery and peas were on point and the flavor was absolute perfection! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
This is the Best recipe for beef stew I have made, it’s Delicious and I make it for winter. Thank you
my family all love this which is awesome because they’re all unique in what foods they like.
My husband smelt it from the end of the street when I first made it and couldn’t believe it was coming from our house. I like to empty the veggie draw into it too. saving money and food
I made this Beef Stew, it turned out so good my husband and I loved it, came out great for my first time making Beef Stew.
This looks great! I’m excited to try. I have V8 Spicy Hot on hand (we use it in goulash), do you think that will make much of a difference or should I go out and get some original V8?
I think it will be fine if you enjoy it in cooking!
So delicious! I’ve made it several times, and use a can of dice tomatoes with the juice instead of vegetable juice!
this turned out pretty well. next time I wont use celery and will add potatoes a little later, maybe by an hour as I like them a little more firm. the really surprise was that my husband liked this. he is very picky so the fact he liked this is a win.
also would have helped if id remembered my crock pot is a 4 qt and not 6 qt lol
This recipe was absolutely delicious and easy to make! I’m having a dinner party next week and my husband wants me to make it for the party instead of the chicken recipe I was going to make. Thank you for the great recipe!
That would be delicious. Have fun at your dinner party, Cheryl!
Would this be ok in a 4.5 qt crockpot?
Hi Alexia, we have only tried this recipe in a 6qt crockpot but if you reduce the ingredients it should fit into a 4.5 qt. Let us know how it turns out!
what can I sub for the V8? tomato sauce?
Hi Veronica, we have only made this recipe as listed so I can’t say for sure. But you could replace the vegetable juice with tomato sauce or even a extra beef broth. It will change the flavor but will still be delicious.
This is truly the best stew ever. I make it all the time and by boyfriend goes bonkers over it. I never cared for the one my mom used to make but this is a winner. Try it you will not be disappointed.
On the flat side. Had to add extra salt. Too much rosemary flavor.
I made exact recipe without rosemary and thyme and it was very good. Every recipe I have tried from your website has been good. Thank you!
Best recipe for beef stew!! I absolutely love it ❤️
I made the yesterday…..OHHHH SOOOOO GOOOD. I mixed it up the night before, put it in the fridge, started it before I left for work, came home and it was done. Had it with some good cornbread. Will be making this all the time.
Excellent standard beef stew recipe. I’m a home cook and this will be a part of our dinner cycle. It stands well on it’s own, adjust in anyway, and the flavors express well.