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
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.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Just had the beef stew and really enjoyed it. It tasted very good and would repeat it again. Thanks!
This was great! Super simple. The only change I did was 1c. of dry red wine and 2c. of beef broth. Added a little something to the dish. Thank you so much and I look forward to using more of your recipes. ❤️
Made it last night, let it sit in fridge overnight….and awesomeness!!! Caraway seeds were that extra goodness. Thanks!
PS I did give it a good slug of red wine right before finishing.
This stew is SO good! I forgot to buy tomato paste so didn’t add that and I accidentally did tablespoons for all the seasoning instead of teaspoons. But it turned out amazing. Definitely making this again and again!
Followed the recipe but used beef broth/red wine combo.
Seared the meat and didn’t open the slow cooker (mistake from the past – opening too often)
Put it to cook for 8h on low. Added mushrooms after 5 hours. Added frozen peas just before the end.
The flour gave it the perfect consistency.
Great flavors – definitely not the one tone regular stew.
Thanks so much!
This is in my crock pot as we speak. I dont have to wait to taste it to leave my review. I know it will be good. I was out of red wine so I omitted it. Beef broth and better then bouillon beef instead. I also left out the thyme. We dont like that taste. Little rosemary in a spice bag, salt and pepper and paprika & garlic. No bay leaves. Cant wait!
Incredible. Will definitely use from now on
I cook this all the time! I dont add carrots and I half the baby reds and put the remaining half with sweet potatos. I add the sweet potatos 4 hours in so it doesnt turn to mush and it’s so freaking good! Sometimes I put it on Idaho mash potatos so good!
Not on Instagram or Twitter, so I’ll leave a comment here: damn delicious! Loved using the herbs and a little more vampire-fighting garlic. Great recipe. Thanks.
Has anyone tried to freeze this stew? I’ve been told potatoes don’t freeze very well so I’m thinking of leaving them out, freezing, then adding them later.
Fabulous and so easy. Definitely makes a difference to sear the meat first, then throw everything in and leave to cook. I also added a can of drained lentils, which added lovely flavour. I served mine with tiny chat potatoes and it was gorgeous. Will be making this again and again and trying different additions.
How long do you cook it for in thr crock pot??
This is the best beef stew I have ever made. I tweeked it slightly.
Thanks for the recipe – learning how to cook!
I used 3 cups of V8 juice instead of beef broth. Very delicious!
This is a fabulous recipe. I deglazed the pan with some red wine to get all of the bits up. I also followed the recommendation of ‘thekitchen’ who said that it was important to layer the ingredients. Beef should be on the bottom of the crockpot then the veggies(carrots and onions) and the potatoes on the top. I then mixed the broth, red wine deglazed liquid, garlic and spices and poured it over the top with no mixing and cooked on low all day. The beef was melt in your mouth soft and the veggies weren’t overdone. Just the best stew recipe. Thanks
Love the beef but the Worcestershire sauce was really strong. If you don’t like a lot of seasoning this recipe might be too overpowering. I even left out the thyme and rosemary and it still just was too overwhelming. But if you like lots of herbs and strong flavoring you might like it.
Hi do you think I could brown the beef today and refrigerate it and make it tomorrow?
Hi I usually don’t leave reviews on recipes I find online, but omg my boyfriend and myself are in heaven right now. We’re in a blizzard and craved something warm and I came across your amazing recipe. I can see why you ate this during the summer! So delicious!
Hi I usually don’t leave reviews on recipes I find online, but omg my boyfriend and myself are in heaven right now. We’re in a blizzard and craved something warm and I came across your amazing recipe. I can see why you ate this during the summer! So delicious!