My Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe is filled with tender chunks of seasoned beef with perfectly cooked potatoes and veggies in a delicious and thick gravy.
If you’re a fan of comfort food, then you definitely need to try this recipe along with my homemade rolls or cornbread on the side to make it the perfect dinner.
I’ve taken my Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe and reworked the recipe to accommodate the slow cooker.
This recipe for beef stew is so easy and results in tender chunks of beef, perfectly cooked potatoes and veggies and a broth that’s seasoned to perfection!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Let the slow cooker do all the work and come home to a delicious, comforting dinner on a busy weeknight!
Ingredients Needed for Crockpot Beef Stew –
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this hearty stew. You can find the exact measurements, along with a handy print button located in the recipe card below.
- Beef Chuck Roast – make sure to trim any excess fat
- Onion
- Garlic
- Beef Broth or Stock – use a low sodium version if watching salt intake
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Baby Gold Potatoes – any potatoes will work, just make sure they’re cut to an even size
- Baby Carrots – I prefer baby carrots, but chopped larger carrots will work too
- Celery – if you’re not a fan of celery, you can omit this from the recipe
- Thyme
- Bay Leaf
- Cornstarch – to thicken the stew
- Frozen Peas – if you’re not a fan of peas, you can leave these out too
What Is The Best Stew Meat?
A common question that is asked about how to make beef stew, is what type of beef should you use? While you could probably get away with using just about any cut of steak, a Beef Chuck Roast is my personal favorite.
Make sure to trim the chuck roast of any excess fat, as any excess fat can cause a greasy gravy base afterwards.
Chuck Roast is also great because while it’s a naturally tough piece of meat, it becomes nice and tender when it’s slowly cooked (or cooked under pressure).
How To Make Beef Stew –
SEAR THE BEEF – The first thing you’re going to want to do is trim, season and sear the beef in a hot skillet.
I know it’s an extra step that dirty’s another pan besides the slow cooker, but it’s worth the extra effort. Giving the beef a nice sear will create a gorgeous brown crust on the beef which will lock in juices and create a delicious flavor to the stew.
ADD INGREDIENTS TO SLOW COOKER – All that’s left to do is toss in the potatoes, veggies and beef, along with the ingredients that make up the flavorful broth and let your slow cooker do it’s magic.
FINISHING THE GRAVY – Just before you’re ready to enjoy, add a quick cornstarch slurry (cornstarch + water) to the slow cooker, along with some frozen peas (if you’re using them) and let the gravy thicken up a bit.
How Long To Cook Beef Stew?
Unlike the pressure cooker, the slow cooker works best when it’s given plenty of time to tenderize and cook the stew.
After much testing, I’ve found the sweet spot for cooking beef stew is 6 to 7 hours on LOW.
Now, if you’re in a bit of a time crunch (happens to the best of us), I have had excellent results with 3 to 4 hours on HIGH.
I do think the flavors are a bit more developed on the low setting, but my family still enjoys it when I’ve got less time to work with.
Working with even less time? Check out my Instant Pot Beef Stew, which is ready in less than an hour!
How Can I Make My Stew Flavorful?
Have you ever made a stew, only to find it lacking in flavor? The worst!
You won’t find that problem with this recipe! Here’s what we’re doing to pack in the flavor…
- Sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker – this brings another depth of flavor to the beef
- Use tomato paste for a deep tomato flavor that doesn’t dilute the gravy
- Worcestershire sauce packs a nice umami flavor that’ll really brighten everything else. Add more if you want!
- Garlic, Onions and Herbs add a nice earthy balance and flavor to the stew
- Use Beef Broth instead of water
- Season to Taste at the end with salt and pepper. Sometimes a little extra salt and pepper is all it needs. (just don’t add too much or it’ll be over powering)
How To Make Ahead –
If you’re wanting to prepare this recipe ahead of time, here’s what you’ll want to do…
Sear the meat ahead of time, and once cooled, place in a zip close bag and freeze or refrigerate.
Add the cooked beef directly to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients as described in the recipe card below, and cook according to the instructions.
PRO TIP – You can pre-chop the veggies too, but don’t cut the potatoes until the day of, as they can turn brown quickly.
What To Serve with Beef Stew
When it’s a chilly night, this crock pot beef stew really hits the spot. Here are a few delicious sides to serve along side it…
More Comforting Soup Recipes To Try
Looking for more soup recipes? These delicious soups are like a nice warm hug to the tummy…
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Creamy Cheeseburger Soup
- Easy Goulash Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Comforting Cabbage Soup
Are you ready to give this flavorful beef stew a try? I am sure you’re going to love it as much as we do!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 to 2.5 lbs. Chuck Roast, cut into bite-size pieces (trim excess fat)
- Salt and Pepper , to taste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 lb. dutch baby gold potatoes, cubed
- ½ lb. baby carrots, cut in half
- 5 large stalks celery, cut into slices
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 3 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the beef chuck roast and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper all over, to taste.
- Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the beef, working in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Sear the beef on all sides, for about 3 minutes, until nice and browned.
- Add the beef to the slow cooker, along with the onion, potatoes, carrots and celery.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the beef broth, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Pour over the beef and vegetables and add the bay leaf on top. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- 20 minutes prior to finishing, remove the bay leaf from the slow cooker. Combine the cornstarch and 3 tbsp water in a small dish and pour into beef stew, then stir to combine. Add in the frozen peas and cover again. Once peas are heated through and gravy has thickened, you are ready to garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Larry Vaught
This is my favorite beef stew. Always have it in late fall, winter seasons. The slow cooker fills my house with this gorgeous aroma of the stew. The only thing I’ve done different is added 8 oz of sliced mushrooms. Hope anyone who sees this recipe does it! They’ll be soooo glad they did! Thanks a bunch 🙂
Nancy Lutes
Sorry to be grammar police, but…
There should not be an apostrophe in “it’s” in this sentence.
All that’s left to do is toss in the potatoes, veggies and beef, along with the ingredients that make up the flavorful broth and let your slow cooker do it’s magic.
Recipe sounds great! Will try today. Love your site!
(You only put an apostrophe in it’s if it is the contraction for it is. )
Terri
Not really a thyme fan..suggestion for sub?
Christine Walker
Love this slow cooker recipe for beef stew,just made it today,Awesome,the only problem I had was I almost forgot the bay leaf,cause it’s not in the ingredients.
Shawn
Thanks for catching that! I’ll get it fixed. Glad you enjoyed the recipe Christine!
Tamara G
Was looking for a simple crock pot stew recipe and came across this one. It came out so good!! Will definitely keep this recipe as my go to stew! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Shawn
I’m so glad you found the recipe and enjoyed it Tamara!
Ericka
Hello how many cups is a serving?
Tom
This stew is great! Been making this recipe for years, It’s amazing. It’s Martha Stewart’s classic beef stew recipe.
Shawn
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe Tom! I didn’t get it from Martha, but I’m sure it’s pretty similar. 😉
Raymond McFadden
Great recipe! Delicious, quick and easy! A hit with the family!
Overall, this is a really, really good recipe. Make this now!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it!
Karen Vetvik
This was delicious! I added 1 cup of Merlot, sopped up the wonderful, flavorful gravy with a slice of bread. This is definitely a keeper!! Thank you so much!
Shawn
Thanks for the comment and rating Karen! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Heather
Hi! I want to make this in the morning before leaving for work. You said you can sear the meat and then out in the fridge once cooled and use it the next morning. But when you sear it, it isnt full cooked right? Is it safe to have it basically half cooked and then not fully cook until the next morning? Or is it better to just put it in the crockpot without searing it first? Thanks!
Shawn
It would be best to sear the beef first. You can cool the beef and place in the fridge, should be just fine to then put in the crock pot in the morning.
Larry Vaught
OMG!!!! This beef stew turned out perfect! I appreciate the hints in taking the time to brown the beef, etc.! I’m glad that I bought the beef in one piece and not precut. It was so tender! This is a definite keeper for us! An added plus is the aroma given to the house as it cooks. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Shawn
Yay!! So great to hear Larry! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Jan
I’ve never used a slow cooker, but got a wild hair a few weeks ago to try the slow cooker setting on my Instant Pot for the first time for pork chops – YUM!!! I made this beef stew last night using Instant Pot slow cooker setting & it is a fantastic recipe, thanks! I wasn’t sure about the potatoes, so I called a slow cooking friend. Personal preference for firm, but cooked potatoes. She adds her potatoes to the slow cooker the last 30 minutes, so that’s what I did. Potatoes were still a tad undercooked, so I went another 30 & they were perfect! I guess Instant Pot slow cook temps may be different than a real slow cooker? It was so fun using a new technique & thanks for the inspiration to slow cook, Shawn. It’s really awesome that you share recipes with different cook methods. I actually love this slow cooker recipe over Instant Pot method! will definitely be checking out more of your slow cooker recipes & will be doing more Instant Pot slow cooking.