Making beef stew in the Crockpot is an easy way to make belly-warming cozy meal.
This this crock pot stew recipe, tender chunks of beef are cooked with root veggies in a rich, beefy gravy.
You’ll Love Making Beef Stew in the Crockpot Because…
- This recipe is a set-it-and-forget-it version of our favorite beef stew recipe.
- Beef stew reheats and freezes beautifully for meals throughout the week.
- Filled with hearty ingredients, this dish is wholesome and delicious.
- It is a budget-friendly option for feeding big crowds—stretch it further with extra veggies and dinner rolls to soak up all the delicious broth.
Ingredients For Beef Stew in The Crock Pot
Beef: Beef chuck roast always comes out so tender, while stew meat is quick to prepare since it’s already cut. Cooking low and slow ensures it’s fork tender.
Vegetables: Hearty root veggies like onions, carrots, and potatoes round out this meal. The best potatoes for stew are waxy potatoes like red or yellow. You can use russets or baking potatoes, too; they don’t hold their shape as well but still taste delicious. I add peas at the end for a pop of color and freshness.
Broth: Use beef broth or beef stock in this recipe with onion and herbs for flavor. You can substitione one cup of broth for dry red wine for a boost of flavor—try Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Variations of Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Add extra vegetables like corn, green beans, or mushrooms.
- Swap out the fresh herbs to change up the flavor.
How to Make Beef Stew in the Crock Pot
Slow cooker beef stew is the perfect meal to come home to.
- Brown the beef (recipe below) and transfer it to a slow cooker.
- Sauté the onion and add to the slow cooker. Then deglaze the bottom of the skillet with broth or wine.
- Pour the juices into the crock pot, add everything except peas and cornstarch, and cook until tender.
- Make a slurry and stir it into the stew until it reaches the desired consistency. Add peas, and season to taste.
Storing Leftovers
Make beef stew ahead and freeze cooled portions in zippered bags for up to four months. If freezing in containers, leave about an inch of headspace for expansion.
Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
Slow Delicious Beef Recipes
Chunks of chuck roast are delicous when cooked low and slow until fork tender. Here are a few other favorite recipes.
Beef and Noodles
Did your family love this Crockpot Beef Stew recipe? Leave a rating and comment below.
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast or stewing beef
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cups beef broth or beef stock *see note
- 3 cups potatoes peeled* and cubed
- 2 cups carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup celery cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup vegetable juice such as V8
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup peas
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
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In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Place the beef in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.
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Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the onion to the slow cooker.
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Add 1 cup of beef broth (or red wine per the recipe notes below) to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula.
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Add the broth to the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme.
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Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours or until beef is fork tender.
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In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture). Stir in peas.
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Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and heated through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Browning: Brown the beef in small batches without overcrowding the pan. If the pan is too full, the beef will steam instead of browning. Browning the beef adds extra flavor to the stew.
- Broth: 1 cup of red wine can be substituted for 1 cup of beef broth. If using red wine, add it to the pan after searing the beef to deglaze. Let it simmer in the pan for about 1 minute before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Peas/Beans: If you add fresh green beans in place of peas, they will need about 45 minutes to cook. Frozen peas just need to be heated through, they can be added during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Potatoes: Any variety of potato can be used in this recipe. Red potatoes, Yukon golds, or baby potatoes do not require peeling and hold their shape better. Baking or russet potatoes should be peeled.
- Leftovers: Leftover beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American
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This is EVERYONE’S Favorite among family and friends!! It has the most wonderful flavor. I use the red wine to deglaze the pan. This is the ONLY stew recipe I use!
You’re amazing, you have it all. When you save a recipe you can go to the list and see all my saved recipes. All your recipes are what people want to see and are very appealing. I could go on with good comments, but people see what you offer.
I am glad you are enjoying our recipe, Ellie!
This was so good…..then again, any recipe I get from you is always good! Cooked for 5hours in my crockpot and the meat is fall apart tender. I’ll make this again.
Made this for the first time 2 nights ago. Delicious! Used stew meat, and cooked on high for about 6 hours, and served with egg noodles. Whole family enjoyed it. Wouldn’t think to add peas, and surprisingly really liked them in this. Will definitely make again. Thank you for your great recipes, your always my go when looking for a good one.
Best crock pot beef stew I ever made. Only included 1/3 teaspoon of pepper and omitted the peas.
Stew is perfectly balanced with herbs and requires no additional salt or pepper.
Hi! I need to make a low sodium to no sodium recipe. I was interested in the beef stew. How can I substitute the v8 juice for low sodium? Thank you!
Hi Beth, there is a low sodium V8 that might work well for you! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
This is te best beef stew recipe! The beef got so tender. It had such a good flavor. My family loved it. You must try it.
Loved the recipe, very easy to follow. I did add pearl onions, mushrooms and some better than bouillon roasted beef to crockpot. This will be on rotation from now on!!! Thanks
I followed the recipe to a T and it was a delicious. Looking forward to leftovers today – I have a feeling it will be even better.
Prepared recipe exactly as written. It was delicious! Family loved it. Thank you.
Delicious! Easy to follow steps
Not that great. Personally I’d rather open a can of Denty Moore and call it a day.
Sorry to hear you don’t love this stew as much as we do, Jeff!
Yummy. Is the recipe really 2cups per serving? Or one cup per serving? Because it only made 8 cups.
Hi Liz, it was approximately 2 cups a serving when we prepared it.
This is the second time making this. It was a huge hit the first time. I followed the recipe to the tee. But both times, prep took a lot longer….cutting, pealing, chopping, browning…I would allow 45 minutes.
Thanks for your feedback! We are so glad you’re enjoying this recipe
Yummy recipe! I added some minced garlic, Malbec wine, and mushrooms.
I didn’t have V8, so I used tomato juice. I’ll be sure to have V8 on hand for next time.
Thank you! :) Merry Christmas!
It’s an okay stew. The flavor is okay but needed more as well as salt.
I am new to cooking and I just got a crockpot and was excited to make beef stew for the first time. I can’t believe how amazing it turned out! The flavor is so amazing and the beef was nice and tender. This is definitely a staple and a recipe I’ll hold on too! Thank you so much for teaching me to make something so delicious. Looking forward to making more meals from this page!
Wow, thank you so much Maggie! So happy to hear you loved it