Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Freezer-friendly crockpot beef stew! The meat comes out so juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the stew is rich, chunky, and so hearty!
Featured Comment
Why you’ll love slow cooker beef stew
- Zero babysitting. Aside from searing the meat to give it that really nice caramelized flavor, the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting for you. All you really need to do is prep the crusty bread for sopping, pour a glass of red wine, and toss a simple side salad to round out the meal.
- Cozy comfort food. 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 the slow cooker for the last 7-8 hours, filling the house with the best cozy aroma.
- Leftovers taste even better. Similar to lasagna, beef stew tends to taste even better the next day, really letting the flavors meld and marry overnight.
- Freezes beautifully. Beef stew makes for an ideal freezer meal, lasting up to 2 months in the freezer, perfect for the cold winter months, parents with a new baby, or loved ones recovering from surgery.
How to make slow cooker beef stew
- Prep the beef. Pat the beef cubes completely dry using paper towels. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the beef. Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add the beef in a single layer, searing undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until a deep dark crust is formed on all sides.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the seared beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika, caraway seeds, bay leaves, salt, and pepper into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir well to combine.
- Slow cook. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender.
- Thicken. Mix together the flour and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into a smooth slurry. Then stir it into the stew and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes until thickened.
- Serve with crusty bread. Remove the bay leaves, then ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping, and dunking!
pro tip
Skip the pre-packaged stew meat.
Use well-marbled chuck roast, cut into uniform 1-inch chunks. Its high amount of marbling (fat) and collagen will break down during the long cook time, yielding tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth beef. Stew meat, on the other hand, is usually made with a random mix of leftover scraps that can turn dry or rubbery.
Storing, reheating, and freezing beef stew
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat
Gently reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock, if needed. Stir occasionally until warmed through completely.
Freeze
Let cool completely; portion the stew into freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months.
Reheat (from frozen)
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add a splash of water or stock, if needed.
what to serve with slow cooker beef stew
Tools For This Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Frequently Asked Questions
Skip the pre-packaged stew meat as it contains a random mix of leftover scraps with uneven fat and muscle. Use boneless beef chuck roast instead, dicing into uniform chunks for consistent even cooking throughout.
For the best flavor, yes. This creates a rich, caramelized crust that will deepen the flavor of the stew. You can certainly skip this step if you are short on time though the stew may have a milder flavor.
Red potatoes and Yukon Golds can both hold their shape during long cooking times.
Stir in a flour slurry (flour mixed with water or cooking liquid) during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
No slow cooker, no problem! Try this stovetop version instead.
Yes! Recipe here.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Absolutely! Beef stew freezes exceptionally well (especially in individual servings), keeping in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry
- 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
Instructions
- Heat vegetable 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.
Equipment
Notes
- Avoid “stew meat”. Stew meat is often times a random mix of lean scraps that turn out dry and rubbery.
- Sear the meat. Browning the beef first is key here. That dark crust on the 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Freeze in individual portions. This will allow for easy serving and thawing, perfect for a quick lunch or fast dinner. Always leave a little bit of space at the top of your container or freezer bag as the liquid will expand as it freezes, squeezing out the extra air to prevent freezer burn.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Delicious! Thank you for this keeper. I did brown the meat in seasoned flour first, and deglazed the pan with red wine.
Mine took 5 hours on High to completely cook the carrots.
Perfect ! My daughter loves it! Thank you
Delicious Stew!! My grandsons said that it was amazing, to smell as I cooked it and to eat. So I’ll keep it . I didn’t have beef broth so I used chicken broth and added some Better than Broth beef flavoring it was great!
I used to make a beef stew that had tomato soup as the base, and I had to boil the carrots and potatoes before adding to the crockpot because they would never get soft. This time around I wanted a new recipe that isn’t give us heartburn and didn’t require the extra boiling step.
Tried this and it is AMAZING. Definitely a hit in our house and will be added to the recipe book.
My only issue is that it never thickened after adding the flour…but I’ve found that any time I make a recipe that calls for adding cornstarch or flour at the end to thicken, I have the same issue. I think I’m doing something wrong there, but no clue what! In the end it didn’t matter, the stew was amazing anyway!
Charlotte, I dredge the meat in seasoned flour before browning. Then deglaze the skillet with wine or broth and toss all that in the slow cooker. That makes it as thick as I like, but if you want thicker, knead in some butter with your flour before tossing in at the end.
I have not made this yet, but I will this weekend and I know it will be great just from the ingredients and technique. Also the fact that I rely on “damndelicious” for many of the best recipes that I HAVE made. Mostly a word to Jackie; #1 If you don’t care for commentary or tips just scroll down to the recipe, and #2 Do us all a favor and buy a cookbook if you don’t like the blog style. All you accomplished was showing your rudeness. “No thanks!”
I loved that this recipe did not have a lot of sodium in it, and the flavor was on point.
WHY would one LOOK at a “recipe” that takes pages to “describe”! Not me, thanks
Hi Jackie! This is a blog, not a recipe page but if you prefer recipe pages, there are many sources available.
P.S. This is not an airport. Your departure does not have to be announced. Thanks so much for stopping by!
You must be very very unhappy in life!
Previous comment meant for Jackie O’Neill.
Made your stew……was delicious!!!!
Jackie, I am someone who loves cooking and making new recipes. This is a common format. Your mom must not have not taught you “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all”. The comment section is for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and questions. Bye Karen.
C U Next Time
Its clear you have to “look” because its equally clear you can’t read. There’s a little option called “skip to recipe” if your brain is incapable of comprehension.
It was good! We’d make it again.
I’ve made this twice now, very tasty, and super easy to make. The last time I made it I added cauliflower tabouli, it was very complimentary. I love hot and cold food combinations.
I generally don’t like beef stew and decided to try this due to the high ratings/reviews. They were right! This was phenomenal and even my mom, who can’t be pleased, liked it. Mine came out more soupy, which I prefer. I’ll definitely be making this again.
During the quarantine, I become excited about cooking. I can’t wait to try this at home for the upcoming weekend.
Came out delicious!!
Any of you seared the meat the night before and threw everything in the crockpot and stuck that in the fridge until the morning? Trying to make it easier before I go to work and can have something yummy to eat when I get home.
Best beef stew EVARR!! Okay seriously this was so very good. I followed the recipe almost to the letter. Had all the herbs and seasonings except the caraway seeds. We’ve got a bay tree in the backyard so I used extra fresh leaves. I substituted baby chat potatoes and slow cooked for a total of five hours on high. Perfect! Will definitely be making this again soon. Thanks heaps!
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