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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Yummy! First time making this and was very pleased.
I did substitute one half cup of the broth with red wine.
This recipe has a little different taste than the usual beef stew recipe which is nice. My husband said it was “damn delicious.”
Loved the results , but did not use caraway seeds and skipped step 5 .
Searing the beef took way more then 2-3 minutes, very well seared. I brown the onion in the same oil that fried the beef. I seared a day before cooking.
Made it…loved it…will certainly make it again…absolutely fantastic
Very robust. Think I’d cut back on tomato paste and only 1 bay leaf. I added rutabaga also. Yum
Followed everything as instructed, but what we got was not the flavourfull stew that was promised. It ended up being so bland that no amount of salt or pepper could save it. Added some ketchup, and that helped a little. Still, not what we were expecting, and a disappointment of a dinner.
Andrew,
post: 11/12/19 ketchup? Seriously??
should’ve added a can of uh-oh spaghetti O’s…
Had you have followed the recipe, it would have been a “flavourfull” stew.
Might I suggest you just buy Dinty Moore.
Best wishes to you in the kitchen 2020,
The Sarcastic Chef
If you flour the beef prior to browning it, you can skip adding flour and water in the latter part of cooking.
Fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
This was the best beef stew that I have ever tasted! Unlike other recipes, it is full of flavor. The only thing I added was celery and some red wine. My picky son even enjoyed it! Thank you!!!’
This was the best beef stew that I have ever tasted! Unlike other recipes, it is full of flavor. The only thing I added was some red wine and celery. My picky son even enjoyed it! Thank you!!!!
All my life I said I don’t like beef stew. My mom’s was terrible. (sorry Mom) I saw this and it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. It is absolutely fabulous. I have make it several times and have shared the recipe with friends. LOVE IT!!! I don’t change a thing in the recipe.
I have made this recipe so many times! This was my first beef stew i have ever made! me and my boyfriend both love it. It is so tasty! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Can i cook the beef the night before?
Yes!
Wow. Awesome recipe. First time in a while my wife finished the bow before I could. She raced over it. Will be making this again. SOON.
I’ve made this twice and both times it was delicious!
I have tried a few beef stew recipes and I always seem to get it wrong. My problem is, I neve know how much water should go in the slow cooker. Should all the meat me submerged or not? One time the meat submerged in the broth was tough but the pieces that was not was fine. So confusing!
You don’t need to submerge all of the meat. Just follow the recipe.. it should turn out wonderful!
I used leftover pot roast that had potatoes, onions and carrots. I just added the seasonings to the broth, cooked on high for 2 hrs, thickened and added frozen corn and peas. It was amazing and enjoyed by all. Thx for being my reliable go to!
Very delicious. My husband ate half the pot before I came home
Very disappointed in the recipe. It was very bland. The only thing I didn’t add was carrots. I used sweet potatoes instead. Would not make again.
you screwed it up who would put sweet potatos in! Don’t dog the recipe when you messed up the ingredients.
I was thinking the same thing.
I added corn, mushrooms, & french style green beans. Was wonderful!!!
Perfect reply Mark. Don’t blame the recipe for altering ingredients. You’ll never find a stew recipe with sweet potatoes.
Wow! seriously!? You change it and then complain about it?
This was so good! Replaced some of the broth w red wine and added some celery and red pepper flakes. Anytime I am looking for a recipe i use one from damn delicious if available because it is always damn delicious!! Thank you!
Thinking same thing to add..hpw much red wine did you add?
Allycat, substitute 1 cup of a good red wine for 1 cup of broth. Deepens the flavor tremendouly
Very flavorful! I opted for the long-cook option, but after 8 hours, the potatoes weren’t cooked enough, so I put on high cook for 90 minutes. Next time, on high for 4 hours will probably work better.