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Home » Soup Recipes » Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Published: Oct 11, 2021 · Modified: Oct 11, 2021 by Mindee · This post contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pinnable image 5 for beef stew.
Pinnable image 6 for beef stew.
Pinnable image 3 for beef stew.

Whether you call it a slow cooker or a crockpot this easy recipe is full of flavorful beef chunks and cooked to perfection vegetables! Let this fix it and forget it meal cook all day so you can enjoy a relaxing dinner later! If you need another fix it and forget crockpot dinner recipe check out my Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup!

A spoonful of tender beef and root  vegetables in a flavorful beef stew.
A spoonful of tender beef and root vegetables in a flavorful beef stew.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
  • How to Make Step by Step Recipe Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
  •  More Easy Recipes For Your Crockpot
  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Very basic, easy stew recipe for a busy weeknight!
  • Tender beef chunks in flavorful brown gravy for mouth watering rich flavors!
  • A great recipe to reheat the next day!
  • This slow cooker version of a classic comfort food recipe makes even tough meat tender!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Butter - either unsalted or salted is fine. You can substitute olive oil for the butter if you would like.
  • Flour- always all purpose flour. If you need this stew to be gluten free substituting potato starch for the flour is the best option for a thickener. I have tried corn starch and didn't love the result.
  • Stew Meat - The cut I use is beef stew meat. You could also cut a beef chuck roast up into 1 inch pieces.
  • Potatoes - I use russet potatoes for this recipe as they hold up better and maintain their shape. You could also use red potatoes but I would avoid Yukon gold potatoes.
  • Beef Broth - For best results make the beef broth from a beef base instead of a bouillon. Bouillon's are dried out and have weak flavor. Better Than Bouillon is a good brand and makes a rich broth. Click HERE to purchase some! You could also use low sodium beef broth that is ready to use.
The best beef stew only needs a handful of simple ingredients!
The best beef stew only needs a handful of simple ingredients!

How to Make Step by Step Recipe Instructions

  • Get your 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker out and ready.
  • Slice and chop up the onions, carrots and celery.
  • It's also helpful to have the beef broth ready to use and the flour pre-measured and set to the side.
  • Heat 2 Tbs. Butter to sizzling over medium high heat in a large frying pan or large skillet.
  • Add the celery, carrots and onions. Sauté until onions start to look translucent.
  • Dump in the slow cooker.
  • Place frying pan back on the stove top over medium-high heat and add the raw beef stew meat.
  • Brown the outsides of the stew meat. You don't need to make sure it's cooked all the way through because it will finish cooking as it simmers in the crock pot.
Vegetables sautéed and dumped into a crockpot followed by browning of beef.
Vegetables sautéed and dumped into a crockpot followed by browning of beef.
  • Add flour to browned meat and mix to make a paste.
  • Add 3 cups of the beef broth a little at a time to the meaty flour mixture while mixing well to make a gravy.
  • Simmer to thicken slightly.
  • Dump into the crockpot over the vegetables.
Flour added to beef chunks, followed by beef broth and then dumped in a crockpot.
Flour added to beef chunks, followed by beef broth and then dumped in a crockpot.
  • Peel, slice and dice the potatoes, I prefer smaller pieces and add them to the slow cooker.
  • Pour in remaining broth.
  • Some people like to add a bay leaf to their stew. If you would like to do that this is when you would add it.
  • Put lid on and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours or on low heat for 8 hours.
Potatoes and remaining beef broth added to the stew in the crockpot.
Potatoes and remaining beef broth added to the flavorful stew in the crockpot.
  • The gravy in this stew may seem too thin at first but it will thicken as it cools.
  • If you would like you could add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or fresh rosemary to this crock pot beef stew before serving.
  • Serve with a crusty bread like my Homemade French Bread!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

How to store:

Store this slow cooker stew in an airtight container in the fridge. It will be good for 3-4 days. Reheat it over medium heat on the stovetop or by the bowlful in the microwave.

Do you have to cook the meat before you put it in the slow cooker?

No, I suppose you don't, however, browning the stew meat before adds flavor to your stew and holds the stew together.  Also, in my recipe you juice the dripping the meat produces when browning to make the gravy the stew is cooked in.

Can you overcook beef stew?

Yes, you sure can.  Overcooked beef stew has mushy, mushy vegetables and loss of flavor.

What can I add to beef stew for flavor?

I have had many bland stews in my lifetime.  If you follow my recipe you will have plenty of flavor.  Flavor is why I lightly sauté' my veggies first.  It pulls out the flavor but leaves it intact.  I also brown the stew meat to add flavor.  Then make the gravy from the meat drippings with a quality beef broth.  You could add a couple bay leaves or some fresh rosemary if you would like though.

 More Easy Recipes For Your Crockpot

  • Slow Cooker Lasagna - A family favorite!
  • Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing - The perfect meal for a cold day!
  • How to Cook a Fresh or Frozen Chuck Roast in a Slow Cooker - Nobody can resist a slow cooker pot roast!
  • Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta - one of my favorite slow cooker recipes!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

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Big bowl of beef stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 Hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 quarts Beef Stew 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Crockpot
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Whether you call it a slow cooker or a crockpot this easy recipe is full of flavorful beef chunks and cooked to perfection vegetables!  Let this fix it and forget it meal cook all day so you can enjoy a relaxing dinner later!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • ½ cup chopped Onions
  • 1 cup chopped Carrots
  • ½ cup chopped Celery
  • 2 Tbs . Butter
  • 2 cups diced Potatoes
  • 1 lb . Stew Meat
  • 5 cups Beef Broth
  • ¼ cup Flour

Instructions

  1. Get your 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker out and ready.
  2. Slice and chop up the onions, carrots and celery.
  3. It's also helpful to have the beef broth ready to use and the flour pre-measured and set to the side.
  4. Heat 2 Tbs. Butter to sizzling over medium high heat in a large frying pan or large skillet.
  5. Add the celery, carrots and onions. Sauté until onions start to look translucent.
  6. Dump in the slow cooker.
  7. Place frying pan back on the stove top over medium-high heat and add the raw beef stew meat.
  8. Brown the outsides of the stew meat. You don't need to make sure it's cooked all the way through because it will finish cooking as it simmers in the crock pot. 
  9. Add flour to browned meat and mix to make a paste.
  10. Add 3 cups of the beef broth a little at a time to the meaty flour mixture while mixing well to make a gravy.
  11. Simmer to thicken slightly.
  12. Dump into the crockpot over the vegetables.
  13. Peel, slice and dice the potatoes, I prefer smaller pieces and add them to the slow cooker.
  14. Pour in remaining broth.
  15. Some people like to add a bay leaf to their stew. If you would like to do that this is when you would add it.
  16. Put lid on and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours or on low heat for 8 hours.
  17. The gravy in this stew may seem too thin at first but it will thicken as it cools.
  18. If you would like you could add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or fresh rosemary to this crock pot beef stew before serving.

Notes

  • Butter - either unsalted or salted is fine. You can substitute olive oil for the butter if you would like.
  • Flour- always all purpose flour. If you need this stew to be gluten free substituting potato starch for the flour is the best option for a thickener. I have tried corn starch and didn't love the result.
  • Stew Meat - The cut I use is beef stew meat. You could also cut a beef chuck roast up into 1 inch pieces.
  • Potatoes - I use russet potatoes for this recipe as they hold up better and maintain their shape. You could also use red potatoes but I would avoid Yukon gold potatoes.
  • Beef Broth - For best results make the beef broth from a beef base instead of a bouillon. Bouillon's are dried out and have weak flavor. Better Than Bouillon is a good brand and makes a rich broth. You could also use low sodium beef broth that is ready to use.

Keywords: slow cooker beef stew recipe, crock pot beef stew, easy stew recipe

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram @mindeescooking and hashtag it #mindeescookingobsession

ANY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS ON THIS SITE IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, CALCULATED BY NURTIFOX PLUGIN (OR OTHER THIRD-PARTY SOURCE) FROM THE INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS IN EACH RECIPE. VARIATIONS MAY OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND FOOD PREPARATION. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cathleen

    October 11, 2021 at 4:26 pm

    I can't resist a good slow cooker recipe. This one is definitely a winner, I know that I am going to be making this over and over during the winter months 😉

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Matt Ivan

    October 11, 2021 at 3:42 pm

    Soups are one of my favorite things in the slow cooker! This soup has a perfect mixture of rich favor and hearty ingredients!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Rika

    October 11, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    You can't go wrong with this beef stew! It's so easy and doesn't require a ton of ingredients. I love it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Carrie Robinson

    October 11, 2021 at 2:59 pm

    You can never go wrong with a classic like beef stew! And I love that you made this in the slow cooker. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Jacqueline Meldrum

    October 11, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    I love a stew made in the slow cooker. So comforting.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Wayne Prather

    March 19, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    My wife doesn't eat beef but likes chicken, so I substituted the beef with chicken and used chicken broth. Turned out great. Even ate your Cheesy Bread from this past weekend. For day 2 leftovers, I added cheese to each bowl. For day 3 added my home grown canned stewed tomato. Oh heck, it's all gone.

    Reply
  7. Maudi

    September 13, 2019 at 8:54 pm

    Guuuurrrrrl! This was awesome! I made it for my fam tonight and they all loved it. And it was super easy too!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      September 14, 2019 at 12:03 pm

      That makes me so happy! Thank You!

      Reply
  8. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes

    September 12, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    What a delicious bowl of comfort food! 🙂 Yum!! Another great recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      September 13, 2019 at 4:03 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply

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