Crockpot Beef Stew
This post may contain affiliate links.
This crockpot beef stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food for cold winter nights. With tender chunks of beef and hearty vegetables, it’s the perfect meal to throw together and let your slow cooker do the work.
Whether it’s for a busy weeknight or a cozy weekend dinner, this slow cooker beef stew offers rich flavor and fall-apart tender beef that will have your whole family coming back for seconds.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands-Off Cooking: With the slow cooker, you can set it and forget it! Just add everything and let it cook low and slow.
- Tender Beef: Using stew beef or beef chuck roast ensures fall-apart tender meat with a deep, savory flavor.
- Hearty Veggies: Yukon gold potatoes, baby carrots, and frozen peas round out this meal, creating a complete dinner in one pot.
- Savory Gravy: The cornstarch slurry at the end thickens the broth to create a rich, flavorful gravy that coats every bite.
- Comfort in a Bowl: This beef stew is the perfect way to warm up on cold winter nights.
Ingredients for crock pot beef stew
- Beef stew meat
- Minced garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Beef broth
- Beef bouillon
- Worcestershire sauce
- Yukon gold potatoes, diced into large chunks
- Baby carrots
- Frozen peas
- Large yellow onion, diced
- Cornstarch
- Water
Equipment and kitchen tools
- Slow cooker
Save The Recipe!
Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes
How to make slow cooker beef stew
Step 1 – Add the beef to the crock pot.
Step 2 – Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder over the meat. Add the garlic.
Step 3 – Add the potatoes, carrots, peas, and onion. Add the beef bouillon and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in beef broth and cook on low for 6—8 hours.
Step 4 – One hour before cooking is finished, stir together cornstarch and water until dissolved and add to the crockpot.
Raquel’s Timesaving Tips for the Best Results
- Use the Right Cut of Beef: Stew beef or beef chuck roast are great choices for this recipe. Both cuts are perfect for slow cooking and will become tender and flavorful.
- Sear the Meat First: For even more depth of flavor, brown the beef in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil before adding it to the slow cooker. This will give your beef stew an extra layer of savory flavor.
- Don’t Skip the Worcestershire Sauce: It adds a subtle tang and deepens the richness of the broth.
- Adjust the Vegetables: Feel free to swap in red potatoes or russet potatoes if that’s what you have on hand. Green beans or celery can also make great additions to this stew.
- Cornstarch Slurry: Stir together the cornstarch and water until dissolved, then add it to the stew in the last hour to thicken the broth into a delicious gravy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Beef Stock or Broth: You can substitute beef broth with beef stock for an even richer flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: For a hint of sweetness and acidity, a splash of balsamic vinegar can be added.
- Tomato Paste: Add a small amount of tomato paste for a deeper, more complex flavor.
- Baby Carrots: If you don’t have baby carrots, you can use regular carrots, just chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Red Wine: A cup of dry red wine can replace some of the beef broth to give the stew even more richness.
Some FAQs About This Recipe
Yes! If you prefer, you can make this in a Dutch oven. Brown the beef, then add all ingredients to the pot. Cover and cook on low heat in the oven for about 2-3 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Absolutely! Let the stew cool completely, then store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a little extra beef broth if needed.
You can use flour instead. Mix 3 tablespoons of purpose flour with a bit of cold water, then stir it into the stew to thicken.
Yes! You can use frozen beef stew meat, you will just need to thaw it first.
More yummy beef recipes
Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe
Equipment
- Crock pot or slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb. beef stew meat
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp. beef bouillon
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes diced into large chunks
- 1 lb. baby carrots
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/2 a large yellow onion diced
- 3 tbsp. corn starch
- 3 tbsp. water
Instructions
- Add the beef to your crock pot.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder over the meat. Add the garlic.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, peas, and onion.
- Add the beef bouillon and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour in beef broth.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- One hour before cooking is finished, stir together corn starch and water, until dissolved, and add to the crock pot.
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season that the entire family is sure to love and also a few things that I don’t share here.
This was so good!! Going to be a part of my dinner rotation this fall.