Slow Cooker Beef Stew
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Everyone’s favorite cozy beef stew made in the crockpot! The meat is SO TENDER and the stew is rich, chunky + hearty!
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There is truly nothing more comforting than a hearty beef stew on a cold winter night. And it’s even better when it’s been simmering low and slow in your crockpot for the last 7-8 hours. The tender potatoes and carrots soaking up all the lovely meaty flavors, and sopping up all the broth with any bread vessel you can find – this is what dreams are made of.
reasons to make slow cooker beef stew
- Slow cooker does all the heavy lifting. Aside from searing your stew meat to give it that really nice caramelized flavor, this crockpot recipe requires minimal hands on time and zero babysitting. All you need to prep is your crusty bread for dipping, a glass of red wine, and a side salad to round out your meal.
- Leftovers taste even better. Similar to lasagna, beef stew tends to taste even better the next day, letting the flavors meld and intensify even more.
- Freezes beautifully. Beef stew makes for an ideal freezer meal, lasting up to 2 months in the freezer, perfect for the fall and winter months, a mom with a new baby or friends recovering from surgery.
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your stew. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety.
- Sear the meat. Browning the beef first is key here. That dark crust on the stew meat cubes will create such richer, deeper flavors in your stew.
- Red potatoes hold up very well. Baby red potatoes hold up much better throughout the long cook time than russet potatoes, which tend to break down and fall apart. Yukon golds can also be used.
- Potatoes and carrots should be cut in larger pieces. We want our vegetables to be cut a little larger here as they will cook down quite a bit in the slow cooker (or else they will be overcooked, fall apart and turn to mush).
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient in beef stew, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the stew. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Mix it up. Swap out the potatoes for sweet potatoes, add butternut squash, mushrooms, parsnips, or a little bit of crumbled bacon at the end of cooking time.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
pro tip
Use beef stew meat.
Stew meat is a tough cut of meat making it ideal for a slow cooker recipe as the long cook time will allow the connective tissue to break down, yielding tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth beef. Stew meat is also incredibly cost-effective, making this a budget-friendly dinner. Boneless beef chuck roast can also be used, cut into 1-inch cubes.
what to serve with slow cooker beef stew
Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Frequently Asked Questions
Boneless beef chuck roast is a great sub.
No slow cooker, no problem! We have a stovetop recipe for you here.
Yes, we have a recipe for that too.
Yes, beef stew freezes very well! Once cooled completely, you can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered
- 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika, caraway seeds and bay leaves until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth. Stir in flour mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.*
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I used organic beef and put extra potatoes and cabbage after seeing the comment about the latter. Took 12-15hrs in slow cooker to be tender, probably due to using organic meat. Worth the wait, super yummy. Thank you!
Why is flour added at nearly the end? Also, it looks more like a soup at the end, not like a stew…
Forgot to add, I opened the lid a lot so it probably extended cooking time. No flour added as I’m gluten free and like it more soupy!
Scrumptious! … Double Scrumptious !! Made this yesterday in my Crock Pot … WOW !!! So i started by reading the recipe through first, seasoned my meat to taste with salt and pepper and other spices to taste … or by eye … I just have a feel for how much to use from cooking. WOW what a tasty stew. I pretty much followed the recipe as written, i added just a few spoons of flour at the end to thicken … i added some juice from the stew to the flour in a ramekin first, when smooth i added it to the Crock Pot. I may add some peas or green beans for added color. This is a very flavorful recipe …. will definitely make this again. This is keeper !!!
I used the neighbor that I had down in my well for a few weeks instead of the beef. Best stew I’ve had in years. He was very tender and only took a few hours to marinate. I got a deal with a food packaging company and have given them this stew for the world to try muahahahahhaha
Did you substitute beans for the potatoes and what kind of wine do you recommend?
I am certain that he would rcommend a nice chianti!!!!!!!! 😉
Hahahahahaha Hannibal!
I must say, that was refreshing to read! Thanks for the laugh!
How does this recipe freeze after cooking?
I am NOT a cook, and this is the first stew I’ve ever made! It was delicious – the meat is so tender! I also added a can each of mushrooms and stewed tomatoes. Only things I didn’t add were the paprika and bay leaves, and because of COVID I couldn’t get flour so I used a gravy powder packet instead. I then served it over rice. The best part is it will last me ten meals, so my freezer is now stocked with easy meals. Thanks so much!
Very nice. We added some bacon (as we were a bit short of the beef) and served it with rick. Everyone in the family loved it. We will definitely make it again.
Very enjoyable
Easy and delicious!
This was so easy and so delicious.
I just added 1 tsp of curry powder for my taste
Made this and added a bag of frozen mixed veges, damn good!
Easy to make and delicious. I think this will be my go to beef stew recipe. I made dumplings and added to the top. Lovely!
Enjoyed by all including the fussy 3 year old. What better accolade is there?
OMG OMG OMG this is the best slow cooker beef stew recipe ever, we all thoroughly enjoyed it and the spices made it taste so lovely, I cook this at least once a week now, absolutely beautiful, thank you so much, AAA+RATED
I so agree!!!
Honestly SO GOOD. I’ve made this twice now – but the second time around I cooked off a cup of red wine and added it in. When it was nearly done, I added Maggi gravy powder instead of the flour. WOW! Recommend those two additions for sure! Will definitely keep making this one.
If I wanted to serve this with mash potatoes instead of putting them in the slow cooker, would I need to reduce the amount of stock so it isn’t too runny?
Kids loved it! Very tasty and simple. Almost had no leftovers! Thanks for the recipe!
Very quickly: got a crock pot a week ago, this was my third use and first time with this recipe. Followed the recipe to a T, except didn’t have the various spices so just tossed in a 1/4 tablespoon of Ms. dash garlic and herb salt free seasoning. Also used steak meat rather than stew meat.
FABULOUS!
Is this recipe dairy free?
Cari, if you just look at the list of ingredients, you will see that there are NO dairy products.
Was the best stew I have ever made. It was delicious! A couple of ingredients I didn’t have but that was okay. Next time. I will certainly make this again and pass it to my friends.
Made this recipe today. Added some chunks of cabbage (had some in the fridge). The flavours and combo of spices were amazing. Have to admit, this is probably the best stew I’ve made, and I am not a new/young cook. Right up there with my mom’s beef stew recipe. Thanks so much!!!
So easy and so delicious. I think it’s fail proof. Don’t cut the veggies too small when slow cooking and just enjoy. This would suit most palates I think. I’ll be making often this winter.
So easy and so delicious. I think it’s fail proof. Don’t cut the veggies too small when slow cooking and just enjoy. This would suit most palates I think. I’ll be making often this winter.