Crock Pot Beef Stew

4.85 from 114 votes

Posted: 09/23/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Tender, juicy stew meat with potatoes and carrots make this the best Crock Pot Beef Stew! This stew is rich, chunky and hearty. Perfect for curling up with on a cold winter night. Throw it in your slow cooker for a quick and easy dinner today!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Crock Pot dinner recipes are the way to my heart. Especially when they are dump and go recipes I can easily throw in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to dinner ready!

Nights are a little hectic around here and I bet you might feel the same way. You’ll love knowing you have this easy beef stew recipe in your crock pot for an easy dinner especially on cold winter nights.

I mean, what’s not to love about a rich and savory stew with tender beef and chunky vegetables?

Contents show

Why We Love this Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe!

It’s so easy to make! That’s right, it’s a dump and go recipe you can have prepped in about 10 minutes. Perfect for throwing in the slow cooker during busy mornings.
Pantry staples are the key to making this easy slow cooker beef stew. I bet you have most if not all the ingredients on hand.
It’s hearty and filling. Pair it with a crusty bread or cheddar biscuits for the ultimate meal.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Beef Stew

Stew meat – Cut the meat it into 1 inch pieces. You can use pre-cut stew meat from the grocery store or buy chuck steak and cut it yourself.
Flour – Use all-purpose flour, this will help thicken the broth.
Salt and pepper – Adjust to taste
Minced garlic – Grab the pre-minced jar of garlic at the grocery store so you have it handy in your fridge!
Paprika – I mix it up with smoked paprika sometimes!
Worcestershire sauce – Gives it that zip and flavor.
Beef broth – I always use low-sodium broths!
Tomato sauce – Just a hint of tomato flavor, but not to much.
Yellow onion – Peeled and chopped. My secret is to buy pre-diced frozen yellow onion and keep it in the freezer so I never have to chop my onions!
Potatoes – My favorite type of potato to use is a Yukon Gold Potato. You can also use a red potato, but do not use a russet potato as it will break down when cooking this long.
Carrots – Peel and slice these into pieces.

How to Make Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe

For this recipe, all of the work happens in the morning – once you’ve prepped the ingredients you just leave it and serve it after it’s simmered all day!

Instead of just tossing the beef in the slow cooker I like to coat it in a seasoned flour mixture first. This will season the beef and also help thicken your stew as it cooks.

Here’s what you’ll need to prep the beef!

Stew meat cut into 1″ pieces
All-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Combine the ingredients together in a large ziplock bag. Add the stew meat, close the bag, and shake it to coat the beef evenly. Place the floured beef in the slow cooker.

Once the prepared stew meat is in the slow cooker, all you do is add the rest of the ingredients!

Stir it all together, cover the crock pot with the lid and simmer your stew on low for eight to ten hours. When it’s time for dinner, give the stew a stir and ladle into bowls. That’s it! Easiest beef stew ever.

Substitutes

Wine – To make the flavor more complex consider adding a cup of hearty red wine for a cup of the beef broth. Great wines to choose from are Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot which are both a dry red wine.
Peas – Add peas to the stew during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Mushrooms – Love mushrooms? Add some sliced mushrooms to the stew for extra flavor.

Can you put raw beef in slow cooker?

Yes! We don’t sear the beef stew meat in this recipe for ease, just toss it in the flour mixture and add it to the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.

Do You Have To Brown The Stew Meat Before Putting it in the Crock Pot?

For this recipe, you don’t have to brown the beef before you put it in the slow cooker.

Of course, you can if you want to but I’ve tried it both ways and I really can’t tell the difference so I skip that step. I’m all about easy in the kitchen!

What Potatoes Are Best For Beef Stew?

I think the best potatoes for this recipe are Yukon gold potatoes. They are waxy and hold their shape even if you cook them for several hours. Potatoes that have more starch, like russets, sometimes fall apart when you cook them for too long.

Is it better to cook stew on low or high?

I prefer to cook this stew on low because the beef gets really nice and tender. This will give you the best result with the most flavor.

If you cook it on high I recommend cooking it for four to five hours.

You know when the beef is done when you can easily pull a piece apart with a fork. It’s shouldn’t be chewy – it should be nice and tender!

Pro Tips!

Add more vegetables! Great options are celery, green beans, parsnips, sweet potatoes etc.
Handle the stew meat the least amount possible. This gives you extra juicy, tender beef. If you handle it to much it will cause the juices to run out of it and make it tough.

Leftover Crock Pot Beef Stew

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

If you’d like to freeze the beef stew place it in a freezer safe container with about 1” of head space for expansion. It will keep for up to four months in the freezer.

More Crock Pot Recipes

Another cozy and hearty slow cooker soup recipe is my white chicken chili. It has a spicy kick and I like to serve it with all the toppings!
My meat and potatoes family loves BBQ brisket and during the winter I use my crock pot to make it – it’s so tender!
Creamy Tortellini Soup is a super easy soup recipe you can make in the crock pot!
Crock pot chicken teriyaki is always a hit when I make it! It’s so simple to make.
Want even more ideas? I wrote a post with 62 of the Best Crock Pot Recipes all in one place – you’ll want to try them all!

Meet Julie Evink

I'm here to help you win in the kitchen again! Life is Busy, Life is Crazy, but that doesn't mean you can't make your family dinner! Julie's goal is to provide you with easy, family, friendly recipes that use pantry staples. Dinnertime will be stress free again!

Popular Recipes

Easy Dinners

Air Fryer

Appetizers

Desserts

Visit my other sites:

Gimme Some Grilling

Kids Activity Zone