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 followed this recipe all the way and it turned out great! I didn’t have caraway seeds so that’s the only thing I didn’t include. Turned out great! I did put 4 cups of beef broth versus 3 , because my carton of broth had 4 cups in it. I didn’t want it to go to waste. Turned out great! Perfect for a cold, winter day sided with some cornbread
I found that the flour didn’t thicken it enough, so I had to add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of stew broth, but aside from that small glitch, this recipe is perfect. Delicious. Will make again.
This stew is perfect as written. My husband, the ultimate critic even liked it! Thank you for never disappointing.
I was wanting a beef stew for the crockpot and this is it. I followed the recipe as written and it was delicious. My husband loved it! I have never been disappointed in any recipe I have tried from Damn Delicious and many are in my regular menu rotation. This beef stew will be my regular stew from now on. Thank you!!
I agree! This is our go to beef stew. The only thing I change is add peas at the end of cooking. Never been disappointed with any of her recipes.
Can I use bottom round
I’ve made this a few times and it’s fantastic. I’ve not altered the recipe at all and it comes out wonderful. I love it.
Made this today and thought it was pretty good. I even added a splash of red wine vinegar in my bowl and found it very favorable. Would make this again.
My family loved it! I made a few small changes: I coated the meat in small amount of flour and sautéed it with the onion and garlic. Then I deglazed the pan with 1/2 cup dry red wine before adding everything to the slow cooker. Subbed Yukon gold potatoes and fresh herbs.
Will this fit in a 5 quart crock pot? Thanks – thinking of making it for Christmas Eve and that’s the size cooker I have.
(I gave it five stars so I could post my question – based on the other reviews, that’s probably right!)
A little late, but for those who are wondering – this would not fit in my 4-quart crock pot so I used my 6-quart Ninja 3-in-1 cooker on the slow cooker setting. I used top sirloin instead of stew meat – makes ALL the difference! And I found that 2 lbs. of potatoes was just too much. I put in a little over a pound.
I used moose meat instead of beef, and it turned out amazing! This recipe is packed full of flavour, and the meat is very tender!
They only allow me one moose tag per year, so sticking with beef for this one. Need to make sure the moose meat lasts.
We made this tonight for dinner. Delicious! Highly recommend giving this one a try.
Bland, bland, bland. O and tasteless. I needed to add quite a bit of flavor ingredients and I have a feeling it still will be unpopular. Sorry!
@Lynne,
You might want to get a covid test.
You must have done something wrong, because, I made it and my family, and myself, absolutely loved it! I thought it had plenty of flavor. I made it exactly how the recipe read.
Please get checked out for covid…
No, I agree. I’ve made this several times, but always double the tomato, Worcestershire, and herbs.
If you’re someone who eats everything spicy, I would recommend diversifying, or your taste buds are going to be forever ruined.
Absolutely gorgeous, added mushrooms near end of cooking.
I didn’t quite have 2lbs of stew beef, so I added some sliced fresh mushrooms to make up for some of the lost beef flavor/texture. It was a great addition!
Absolutely fabulous, added mushrooms near the end and a few gravy granuals.
Fabulous, my husband really enjoyed it. Had slow cooker on high for 7 hours, then turned down to low, added a few gravy granules at end. Also added mushrooms near the end.
It came out exactly like the picture ! My whole family loved it! I added regular baby potatoes not red ones and definitely add green squash ! So delicious !!! Everything else I followed exactly !
First time writing a review.. ever.
This is perfect. Made it exactly.
I went for the high cook method.. after 3.5 hours the beef was tough and I though “man I messed it up I don’t get why”. Then I tried a carrot and realized it wasn’t cooked enough. Turned it down to low, let it ride for 3 more hours and it came out beautifully. I didn’t salt so I can feed it to my 14 month old, and it’s still delicious. Add a dash of vinegar to your own bowl and it opens up nicely. Add a glass or two of red wine to your meal and there you go.
Definitely will be making again, be sure to choose high quality beef and take your time.
Made this today with a twist used Malbec wine for 1 of the cups of broth. Next time I will sautéed the onion and garlic. But all and all delicious. Love recopies from damn delicious never disappointed
Yep. This was delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
This was absolutely delicious, my new go to recipe. I did also deglaze beef with dry red wine, made a little bit more broth (little less than double) and added mushrooms at the end. Amazing, thanks for sharing