Slow Cooker Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food for chilly days! Tender beef, hearty veggies, and rich broth come together easily for a warm, satisfying meal.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Nothing warms your heart quite like a bowl of homemade beef stew, especially when it’s been simmering all day in the slow cooker! This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is destined to be your favorite comfort food. It’s loaded with tender chunks of beef, vibrant veggies, and rich flavors that blend perfectly as they cook. If you don’t have a crockpot, no worries! I’ve got instructions for my stovetop beef stew, which is my personal go-to method. But really, you can’t beat the ease of tossing everything into the slow cooker for those busy nights!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When I shared my beef stew recipe last year, I received lots of requests for a slow cooker version, so I decided to tweak my original recipe for the crock pot. Since the slow cooker doesn’t evaporate as much liquid, I adjusted the amount to get it just right!
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew
I like to brown the beef and veggies on the stove first before adding them to the slow cooker. This quick extra step really boosts the flavor! Trust me, it’s worth it! Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Combine the beef broth, flour, tomato paste, 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat, spray with oil, and brown the beef on all sides in two batches. Once browned, transfer the beef to the slow cooker and spray the skillet again.
3. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the skillet, and sauté for about 5 minutes until browned. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
4. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker, then pour the broth mixture on top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat and veggies are tender.
5. Discard the thyme and bay leaves, stir in the peas, and let them sit for 1 minute until heated through. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Enjoy!
What to Serve with
Pair this delicious stew with some crusty bread to soak up all that flavorful broth, or serve it over creamy mashed potatoes for an extra layer of comfort!
Tasty Variations
- Potatoes: Switch things up by using russet, sweet, or red potatoes for a fun texture and flavor twist!
- Mushrooms: Not a fan of mushrooms? Just leave them out—your stew will still taste amazing!
- Herbs: Feel free to swap thyme for rosemary to give your stew a different herbal vibe.
- Veggies: Toss in some peas or green beans at the end for a nice burst of color and nutrition.
- Wine: Want to deepen the flavor? Add a splash of red wine to the broth before cooking for an extra layer of richness!
More Beef Recipes
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (I prefer Prime beef, starting with a 3 lb piece before trimming off fat)
- 1 1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups carrots sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces (from 3 to 4 medium carrots)
- 1 cup chopped celery from 3 ribs
- 1 medium onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ounces white button mushrooms quartered
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 1/2 tablespoons flour or gluten-free flour
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
- Combine the beef broth, flour, tomato paste, 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat, spray with oil, and brown the beef on all sides in two batches. Once browned, transfer the beef to the slow cooker and spray the skillet again.
- Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the skillet, and sauté for about 5 minutes until browned. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker, then pour the broth mixture on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat and veggies are tender.
- Discard the thyme and bay leaves, stir in the peas, and let them sit for 1 minute until heated through. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cooking Time Matters: Be sure to plan ahead! The nature of stew requires that it is cooked for 6-8 hours while on low intensity and 4-6 hours on high intensity under Crockpot. This slow cooking is the reason why the beef gets tender and gains some substantial taste, so don’t hurry!
- Feel Free to Customize: It is also easy to fine tune the ingredients to your preferred liking. If you have any other vegetables that you wish to use up then just add it in as well! Just remember that for hard cuts of beef they are suitable as they soften during the cooking process into very tender.
- Browning for Extra Flavor: If you have a little more time you can sear the beef then add the beef to the slow cooker. It really gives a much needed flavor to the stew, though if you are short on time you can easily exclude this ingredient and lose not much.
