What readers thing of our Beef Stew recipe:

Here are a few comments from the hundreds of reviews~

*****I made this stew the other day and it was absolutely wonderful!! Such a good recipe and I skipped the meat in flour and just seared it and minus the mushrooms since I don’t like them and it was amazing!! Definitely saving the recipe and making it again!!! — Kelly

*****This is unbelievable! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing. Everyone loved it! Would definitely make this again during this winter season. – Chris

*****I made this over the weekend and it was fantastic! Thanks for sharing this recipe! — Nathan

*****I made this and I can’t believe it came from my kitchen. Followed recipe, didn’t change anything. This is the best. The way I used to make stew before trying all different ways and forgetting the right way. Thanks ladies. — Linda

A few years ago I began hunting down a really good beef stew recipe. I tried so many and none were quite right. Finally, I found one… only it wasn’t really for Beef Stew, it was for Beef Bourgignon which is a more complicated, richer version of a classic stew.

I altered the recipe and the result is an easy, delicious beef stew that’s made in a slow cooker. I listed two methods for preparing this stew. To really get a nice, full flavor, I like to take about 15 minutes and do some pre-cooking on the stove. It’s not necessary, but I prefer the flavor this way. Try both ways and see which one you like more.

How long does it take to cook homemade beef stew in a crock pot?

I use a 2-lb trimmed beef chuck roast when I make beef stew. I cut it into 1″-2″ chunks and it takes 9-10 hours on low heat, 7-8 hours on medium heat, or 6-7 hours on high heat. I prefer the low and slow method as it gives the flavors of the stew time to meld.

Tips on making the BEST Homemade Slow Cooker Beef Stew:

The most time consuming part of making homemade stew is chopping and dicing all the vegetables and meat. Even by splitting up these tasks and getting them done ahead of time, it’s helpful.

• I almost always have prepared homemade mirepoix {carrots-onion-celery} sliced and frozen. This saves a huge amount of time, plus it’s so useful to have this mix on hand all winter long.
•  Defrost the meat a few days before, then the night before, dice the meat into 1″-2″ chunks and sprinkle seasoned meat tenderizer as well as the 1/4 cup of flour on it. I just put it all in a large zip lock bag so that I can mix the flour up with the meat easily. (Meat tenderizer can be found on the spices/ seasonings aisle of the grocery store.)
•  Another task you can do the night before is to scrub and cut up the potatoes. Starch is released from the potatoes when you cut them and it will cause them to darken, so make sure you submerge them in water to prevent this discoloration. I put them in a large tupperware, then just covered them with water.

You can also pre-measure out the seasonings so that you literally just have to combine it all prior to adding it to the crock pot and that’s it!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make our beef stew recipe:

• olive oil
• minced garlic
•  trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1-2-inch cubes: I prefer using beef chuck instead of stew meat because it’s just a higher quality meat that produces more tender beef stew.
• all-purpose flour  (OPTIONAL: add 1/2 tsp seasoned meat tenderizer)
• red potatoes, sliced or diced, depending on size
•  onion, chopped
• carrots
• celery
• red cooking wine- you’re welcome to use your favorite, or substitute grape juice or additional beef stock instead!
• beef stock or canned beef broth
• diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 bay leaf
• dried thyme
• dried parsley
• allspice
• sliced mushrooms {optional}
• cornstarch
• salt & pepper, to taste

How do you make Homemade Slow Cooker Beef Stew?

 QUICK METHOD:

1. Turn crockpot on low. Toss all vegetables and meat in the crockpot. Combine spices {except bay leaf}, oil, cooking wine, beef broth and whisk lightly to combine. Pour over meat and vegetables. Add in bay leaf.
2. Give it stew a light stir, cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, high 6-7 hours.
3. To thicken stew, about 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about  1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it back to the stew, stirring gently to combine.

MORE DEVELOPED FLAVOR METHOD: takes 15-20 additional minutes

As I said before, this just gives the stew a better, more developed flavor. It’s really not difficult, just a few extra steps but it goes fast.

1. Put potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and celery in the crockpot. Have the beef broth and cooking wine measured out and ready.
2. Heat a frying pan up on high. Add in 2 TBSP oil. Add garlic. Once pan is hot, add beef. Sear beef for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer beef out of pan after 5 minutes.
3. Do not wash the pan! The technical term here is deglazing- we’re going to add liquid that will help loosen up and remove the flavorful meat remnants on the bottom of the pan. Return pan to hot stove top and add remaining 2 TBSP of oil. Once oil is hot, add in the onions. Wait about 3-4 minutes until the onions are beginning to be translucent and are sizzling. Add in cooking wine and beef broth. Once the liquid begins to boil, turn off the heat and pour entire mixture into the crockpot.
4. Add spices and seasonings, mushrooms and bay leaf. Stir lightly to combine.
5. Cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, high 6-7 hours.
6. About 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about  1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it back to the stew, stirring gently to combine. This helps thicken it up! If you want it even thicker, you can repeat this process once, waiting about 15 minutes between to double check thickness.

**If you don’t have or don’t like cooking with wine, you can use grape juice, apple juice or simply increase the beef broth to 2 cups instead. I use red cooking wine though- I think it adds a wonderful flavor! 

How do you add flavor to crockpot stew?

I have a few tips on adding quick flavor to your beef stew recipe. The first is to use seasoned meat tenderizer. It actually has a really great combination of spices that adds a wonderful flavor to beef stew. As a bonus, it also tenderizes your beef! I’d use about 1.5 teaspoons sprinkled onto your beef after you cut it into chunks. My second tip is to make your own beef broth from some type of beef broth concentrate (granules, cubes or a paste- all store-bought) and to simple make a stronger broth. You can either add 1.5x the concentrate or even double.

My third tip is to simply follow the directions and add all the ingredients in the recipe. Sometimes I hear from readers that they made several changes and didn’t like the resulting flavor. I add a ton of flavor in this recipe- an entire onion, garlic, cooking wine, a bay leaf, thyme, parsley, etc. Add it all in and then let the slow cooker process work its magic! If you want a really flavorful beef stew, do all 3 of my tips!

What type of meat do you use for Beef Stew?

Stew is a great recipe to use inexpensive cuts of beef in because cooking it low and slow in a crock pot will tenderize it well. It’s incredibly disappointing to go thru the steps to make a beef stew and the beef is tough and chewy. I prefer to use a beef chuck roast in my beef stew. I cut the beef into 1″-1.5″ chunks and the end result is perfect. If you purchase store-bought stew meat, I suggest sprinkling it with some seasoned meat tenderizer and letting it sit overnight. If you’re on a budget, you can also use cooked ground beef too.

Can beef stew potatoes be frozen?

Yes, you can use frozen potatoes for beef stew. You have a few different options for this. You can add in frozen potatoes that have been previously cooked (these are the kind you’d heat in the bag in the microwave) to your beef stew in the slow cooker about 4-5 hours prior to serving. You can use southern style hash brown (O’Brien) potatoes, but since they’re so much smaller than what you’d normally use, add them 2-3 hours before serving. I’ve also used two 14-oz cans of whole new potatoes that I’ve cut up a bit. Add them in the last hour or so of cooking and they’re good to go!

 

Like this crock pot beef stew recipe? Try these other crock pot recipes  ~ 

BEST SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW RECIPE

Beef Stew Crock Pot recipe made with tender chunks of beef, loads of vegetables and a simple mixture of broth and spices that yields the BEST slow cooker beef stew ever!

Print Pin Rate

Course: beef, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef stew recipe, crock pot beef stew, slow cooker beef stew

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Butter With A Side of Bread

Ingredients

• 4 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 lbs trimmed beef chuck cut into 1-2-inch cubes
• about 1/4 cup of flour tossed with meat to coat (OPTIONAL: add 1/2 tsp seasoned meat tenderizer) 
• 5-10 red potatoes diced
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cups sliced carrots about 3-4
• 2 cups sliced celery 3-4 stalks
• 1 cup of red cooking wine**
• 1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes drained {14.5 oz}
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 8- oz container of sliced mushrooms {optional}
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

• QUICK METHOD: 

• Turn crockpot on low. Toss all vegetables and meat in the crockpot. Combine spices {except bay leaf}, oil, cooking wine, beef broth and whisk lightly to combine. Pour over meat and vegetables. Add in bay leaf.

• Give it stew a light stir, cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, high 6-7 hours.

• To thicken stew, about 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about  1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it back to the stew, stirring gently to combine. 

•  

• MORE DEVELOPED FLAVOR METHOD: takes 15-20 additional minutes

• As I said before, this just gives the stew a better, more developed flavor. It’s really not difficult, just a few extra steps but it goes fast.

• Put potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and celery in the crockpot. Have the beef broth and cooking wine measured out and ready.

• Heat a frying pan up on high. Add in 2 TBSP oil. Add garlic. Once pan is hot, add beef. Sear beef for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer beef out of pan after 5 minutes. 

• Do not wash the pan! The technical term here is deglazing- we’re going to add liquid that will help loosen up and remove the flavorful meat remnants on the bottom of the pan. Return pan to hot stove top and add remaining 2 TBSP of oil. Once oil is hot, add in the onions. Wait about 3-4 minutes until the onions are beginning to be translucent and are sizzling. Add in cooking wine and beef broth. Once the liquid begins to boil, turn off the heat and pour entire mixture into the crockpot.

• Add spices and seasonings, mushrooms and bay leaf. Stir lightly to combine.

• Cook on low for 9-10 hours, medium 7-8 hours, high 6-7 hours.

• About 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about  1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it back to the stew, stirring gently to combine. This helps thicken it up! If you want it even thicker, you can repeat this process once, waiting about 15 minutes between to double check thickness.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 235mg | Potassium: 1164mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4435IU | Vitamin C: 16.7mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3.6mg

Enjoy slow cooker meals? So do we! Here are some of our favorites:

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Roast Beef

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

What do you serve with Beef Slow Cooker Stew?

Beef Stew is a hearty one-pot meal that doesn’t need much else to complete the meal. My recipe has lots of vegetables and lean beef so it’s hearty and good for you. Even still, I love sopping up beef stew with a piece of Homemade French Bread! Want a bread recipe that’s faster to make? Try our Easy 30-Minute Dinner Rolls. Finish off the meal with Rocky Road Cheesecake or Snickerdoodle Cookies. Enjoy!

How to Thicken Beef Stew

These are a few different things you can do to thicken beef stew. First, after you cut up the beef into chunks, toss it with flour. As the stew cooks, the flour will help thicken the stew. While this is a simple step to take when prepping the ingredients, I don’t feel it thickens stew sufficiently on it’s own, so I like to do this in addition to one of the following steps:

1. Thicken Beef Stew using Cornstarch – About 30 minutes prior to serving, ladle out about  1/2 cup of liquid from the stew. Whisk in 2 tsp cornstarch and add it back to the stew, stirring gently to combine. This helps thicken it up! If you want it even thicker, you can repeat this process once, waiting about 15 minutes between to double check thickness.
2. Thicken beef stew using Cornmeal– This method is super simple to do! 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in 1/4 cup of cornmeal. Replace the lid and let sit. Stir once again before serving. While this is the easiest method, it does lend a grainier appearance to the stew, just fyi.

Can Slow Cooker Stew be frozen?

Of course! Beef Stew is actually one of my favorite freezer meals. Simple make the recipe, cool and then transfer to a freezable container. You have a couple options for this- you can freeze it in a tupperware container in a large ziplock freezer bag. when you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw on the countertop or in the fridge until soft, then heat in the microwave or on the stovetop. I find that the flavors in beef stew get better with time, so freezing leftovers is a great idea.

You might also like these…

We send FREE RECIPE cards every month! Want ’em?

FREE Printable Recipe Cards + have access to our FREE 15-Minute Meals! 

You have Successfully Subscribed!