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!
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Why Choose This Recipe
- Very Basic, Simple Recipe
- Flavorful Brown Gravy
- Tender Beef Chunks
- Never Mushy Vegetables
- A fix it and forget meal like my Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter - either unsalted or salted is fine.
- Flour- always all purpose, never self rising
Step by Step Instructions
- Get your 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker out and ready.
- Heat 2 Tbs. Butter to sizzling over medium high heat in a large frying pan.
- Add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute' until onions start to look translucent.
- Dump in the slow cooker.
- Place frying pan back on the stove top and add the stew meat.
- Brown the stew meat.
- Add flour to browned meat and mix to make a paste.
- Add beef broth a little at a time while mixing well to make a gravy.
- Simmer to thicken slightly.
- Dump into the crockpot.
- Add the potatoes.
- Pour in remaining broth.
- Put lid on and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- The gravy in this stew may seem too thin at first but it will thicken as it cools.
- Serve with a crusty loaf of Homemade French Bread!
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
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.
Yes, you sure can. Overcooked beef stew has mushy, mushy vegetables and loss of 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 and a quality beef broth. Other than adding a bit of salt and pepper this beef stew should have all the flavor you need.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
- 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
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
- 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
- Melt butter in a frying pan until it starts to sizzle.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan. Sauté' the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Onions and celery should be starting to turn translucent, but should not be cooked through.
- Remove vegetables from heat and dump them into a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Using the same pan, brown the stew meat over medium high heat.
- Once browned, stir the flour into the meat.
- Add 3 cups of the beef broth a little at a time until all the flour is absorbed and the gravy is smooth.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pour into the slow cooker.
- Stir the potatoes and remaining 2 cups of beef broth into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or 8 hours on low.
- At first the gravy with seem like it is too thin, but don't worry, the gravy will thicken more as it cools.
Notes
- This recipe freezes really well. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Keywords: easy beef stew, stew, crockpot beef stew, slow cooker beef stew
This recipe includes affiliate links to products I use for this recipe! For more info see my disclosure policy here.
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.
Maudi
Guuuurrrrrl! This was awesome! I made it for my fam tonight and they all loved it. And it was super easy too!
★★★★★
mindeescookingobsession
That makes me so happy! Thank You!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
What a delicious bowl of comfort food! 🙂 Yum!! Another great recipe!
★★★★★
mindeescookingobsession
Thanks so much!