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!
Featured Comment
There is truly nothing more comforting than a hearty beef stew on a cold, cold night. And it’s even better when it’s been simmering low and slow in your crockpot for the last 7-8 hours.
Aside from searing your stew meat to give it that really nice caramelized flavor, this recipe requires zero babysitting (thank you, slow cooker!). 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.
If you are short on time, there is a stovetop and an Instant Pot version also available.
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
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This is the best slow cooker beef stew I have ever eaten!!
I substituted rosemary for bay leaves.
The recipe is so good and I can’t wait to make it again. It’s a perfect comfort food and ~ damn delicious!!!
I did all the prep of cutting the night before.
Love the ingredients but I just don’t get why people waste the time to brown meat and then toss into a slow cooker. I simply brown the meat in a heavy bottom pot and then add all the ingredients into the pot with the meat and put a lid on, bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
Because not all people have 2 – 3 hours to simmer something for dinner. Some of us are willing to do the work the night before – but like to have the slow cooked taste in a quick put together meal in the evening.
Actually it really doesn’t have anything to do with the cook time. Browning the meat gives you the nice flavor of caramelized meat. It is just adding another layer of flavor. I have made stew without the browning step and it turns out okay.
Because I want it to cook while I’m at work. At least 8 hours and I don’t like to leave my gas stove on while I’m not around to watch it. With the slow cooker I can turn it on in the morning and come home to a nicely cooked stew after work. For me, even when I am home – 2 hours is not long enough to cook a stew unless I am in a hurry. The ones I make on the stove are never nearly as good as the one’s I make in the slow cooker.
Will be making this in the morning. Should I peel the red potatoes?
Completely up to you, Mike! 🙂
Noooo, don’t peel them. It’s delicious with the skins on.
Can’t wait to try this ! I have all the ingredients though the only thing I could not get to spec was 2 pounds of stewing beef best I could get was 2.95 pounds. Should I just weight it out and freeze the extra pound for later ? Thoughts would be greatly appreciated !
I have had this cooking on high for almost 6 hours now ( have already added the flour mix for thickening but the potatoes are still firm ) Have taste tested of course and the flavor is absolutely awesome. Will cook on high for an extra 30 minutes hoping potatoes soften a little more.
I cooked for 4 hrs and the. It was in warm for about 20 min, potatoes as well werent soft. I put it on pressure cook for 15 min. Lets see what happens.. (I cooked in the instant pot, slow cook-higher 4 hrs)
Made this the other day, it was soooo good. It doesn’t make 8 servings though, it’s more like 4.
hi, could I add vegetable broth instead? Really looking forward to making this!
Absolutely!
REALLY NICE, EASY TO MAKE, I HAD NEVER MADE A STEW BEFORE
Where can I buy this cooker? The stew looks delicious thank you for the receipt.
I purchased this from Williams Sonoma. 🙂
Yum. This was delicious and filled our tummy’s on a cold winter night. I used carrot and swede and potato and served with rice. Delicious.
If I double up on the meat do I need to double up on all the other ingredients as well, for instance the beef stock.
Hi Elaine! It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a meatier stew and less vegetables, you can keep the ingredients the same, but I would double up the beef stock because otherwise there won’t be enough liquid to cook the meat properly. But as always, please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications. Good luck!
Great recipe. Highly recommended
This was a great winter warmer and I will definitely be cooking it again. I always coat my meat in the flour before browning it off (meaning I don’t need to be around to thicken the sauce later and this cooks out all of the flour taste). It makes the stew sauce extra glossy and thick like a good gravy should be.
Best slow cooker recipe I have tried, now one of my besties
besties
Hello. Can the flour go in ahead of time if I won’t be around to add it at the proper time?
Thanks!
Teri, I recommend adding the flour prior to serving.
Fantastic! It appears using (last night’s) chicken stock makes no difference to the yum factor. This was delicious and the consistency was just right thanks to the flour addition at the end. I’d make this again definitely!
Thank you.
A very highly respected Chef, who has worked in Paris for several years, told me that he always use Chicken Broth. My wife was angry when I brought home Chicken instead of Beef Broth but she used it when I told her who recommended it. It was the first time in 30 years, she admitted that someone could teach her something about cooking. After that, she never used Beef Broth again.
This was so easy and delicious 🙂
Ooooh! I am currently making this, it has 4hours to go. I will post the yum factor once we’ve had dinner! I anticipate it will be delicious even though I used the remaining chicken broth from last night’s cooking (because it was there and I hate waste) and I have not used the entire weight of meat the recipe calls for – slow cooking is so forgiving!
You don’t say “I am currently…” at work, do you? You certainly just say, “I am,” right?
She said it fine, “Jed.”
LOL
Really lovely recipe, we are just waiting for it finish cooking for a second time, will definitely make again.
My husband and myself did not care for this at all, sorry.
Nobody asked if you did.
That was uncalled for. This column is asking for people’s opinions all they did was leave their opinion.