Slow Cooker Beef Stew
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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!
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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?
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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!
Just made this today and it was damn delicious. My husband is raving about it. The spices and Worcestershire sauce kicked it up a notch from my usual recipe. This is the second thing I’ve made from your site (the lettuce wraps are also great.) I’ll look here more often now. Thanks.
I find most beef stew boring and one note. I make it for my husband but don’t usually enjoy it myself. This one however has a complex flavor profile that is perfectly balanced. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I will make again and again.
If you omit the garlic & onions, you can share it with your dog. I also added butternut squash, Granny Smith apples and a handful of pecans…excellent
Excellent hearty stew. Really enjoyed. Nice flavours
My husband, who was never a fan of beef stew but ate it w/o complaining, loves this recipe. Making it again today and I must admit that it’s now our favorite beef stew recipe! Thanks for sharing.
I have made this in the slow cooker a few times and it was always a hit. Very tasty! Then I got an Instant Pot and decided to port the recipe over. This was my first ever Instant Pot experience so I thought it would be a good first test.
All I can say, if you think this is good in a slow cooker, you will be thrilled how incredible it tastes cooked in the Instant Pot. Kinda sold me on it right there and then. Flavours are locked it! It beat my slow cooker hands down.
Sauteed the beef in the IP and then added everything. Cooked on high pressure for 35 minutes + 15npr. Amazing!
Absolutely amazing! Best flavor
Tastes good and went over fine with the family but it’s way too thick. Alter recipe with less flour or more broth.
New favorite stew recipe!!!! Really yummy and simple crockpot stew! I can never seem to get my childhood favorite stew recipe right but this came pretty dang close! The only “negative” I have about this recipe ( isn’t even a big deal) is that the rue part of it was too thick but this was easily solved by just adding more stew broth for the right consistency. This is a great recipe for a beginner cook to make a stew that tastes like your mama made it 😉
Great beef stew! I substituted two tablespoons of corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup of water instead of flour to thicken the broth at the end and it was perfect.
Fresh herb bouquet gives this just that much extra punch. Plus, I used two cups of beef broth and one cup of good red wine. Deglazed the pan with half cup of red wine and added that in the slow cooker as well. Bit of cilantro chopped up with parsley at the end. Nice stew.
Followed this recipe to the letter (almost as I thought I had caraway seeds but did’nt!) and it turned out absolutely gorgeous. One of the best stews I have ever tasted, all the more so due the fact that this was first time I used my new slow cooker. An enthusiastic convert to slow cooking and will definitely be trying more of your recipes. Well done and thank you.
I usually refer to this or other web recipes when making beef stew, sometimes I don’t. You probably want to add some other herbs or more of what is recommended. I try to use fresh rosemarie when i can. You can tie the sprigs together with a string so it comes out at the end very easily. Last time i added one and a half dried star anise and holy moly my kids went back for third helpings rather than just the usual seconds. We love stew.
I tried swaying from the classic stew, and my family revolted. This is the classic stew, but with tons of flavor. I use Beef Chuck (never the stew meat packaged in stores). I cut out the extra fat, and always add more herbs than are called for. This stew was perfect. I cooked it in the crockpot on Low for 10 hours. I added the flour and cooked it for about 5 minutes, and it was PERFECT. For me, I would add button mushrooms, but my kids are not a fan. Also, garlic bread. So good!
All I have is sirloin tip steak. Can that work and if so does it change how this is prepared? Thank you!
Yes I’ve done it with sirloin. It does well,.