Crock Pot Beef Stew
A simple, rib-sticking crock pot beef stew that is perfect for cold days! A thick, chunky stew full of beef, potatoes and vegetables!
A THICK AND FLAVORFUL HOMEMADE STEW
With fall and winter approaching, I like to come up with recipes that are good “fix-it and forget-it” crock pot meals. My family goes crazy for beef stew. It really is just one of those classic comfort foods that warms you up from the inside out! this truly is a set-it and forget-it type slow cooker meal. Toss it all in and let the crock pot do all the work!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No you do not. However, you are missing out on flavor if you skip that step. It not only creates a gorgeous color to the meat but it also adds depth of flavor as well.
Yes. It is possible. But it would have to be quite a long period of time for that to happen. Especially if you are cooking it on low. Now, the beef itself can handle the low and slow cooking for an extended period of time. However, the carrots and potatoes are going to start breaking down and will turn to mush if cooked for longer than the recommended time.
Yes. That’s exactly what we are doing here since all we’re doing is browning the outside of the meat.
Stew meat is generally made from chuck steak, round steak, sirloin or even short ribs. It is just cut up by the butcher to make it easier for you to prepare your stew.
Stew meat is very common in U.S. supermarkets. I will say that sometimes they cut it rather large and I end up dicing it up smaller. However, if you can’t find stew meat, just dice up some of the meats listed in the above question.
Beef stew really is a whole meal by itself. We like to serve with some buttered bread or Butter Swim Biscuits. And sometimes I like to make a salad to go with it.
Yes, if you need to set it before leaving for work, it can go up to about 10 hours (or a little over if necessary). The potatoes and carrots will be super soft but it will still work for sure. I would suggest if you are cooking it that long, to use the potatoes like I do below. They won’t fall apart as easily as a russet potato would.
Beef Stew can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- beef stew meat – this saves a bit of time with cutting up pieces of meat but you can just grab a chuck roast and cut it up.
- all-purpose flour – you can skip this step if you want but I really like to coat then brown the meat. It gives the meat great color and extra flavor but if you’re in a hurry, you can skip it.
- olive oil
- beef stock – if necessary, go with a low or no sodium beef stock if you need to watch your salt intake.
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes – I absolutely love fire roasted tomatoes in this. It really just takes the flavors up a notch instead just using regular diced tomatoes – however, if all you have or want to use is regular diced tomatoes, then that is fine. I think diced tomatoes with garlic in it would be a great option too.
- little potatoes – russet potatoes or gold potatoes can be substituted.
- onion
- celery
- baby carrots – you can just dice up whole carrots as well.
- Worcestershire sauce
- balsamic vinegar – this might seem like a strange ingredient but I promise you it really works here. You don’t taste it as a separate ingredient but it really adds a depth of flavor that is hard to explain. Give it a try though, I think you’ll love it!
- dried oregano
- minced garlic – jarred garlic works just fine or fresh.
- bay leaf – this is another ingredient that can be controversial. Some folks don’t think bay leaves add any flavor but they really do. It’s not a strong flavor certainly but again, it adds a depth of flavor to the stew. You can’t always quite put your finger on what it is – but it is this (and that balsamic vinegar!)
- salt and pepper
- cornstarch – this is used to thicken the beef stew. You can skip this step if you prefer it a tad more saucy.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT BEEF STEW:
Begin heating up the olive oil in a large skillet. I have a slow cooker that also has a saute setting so that I can brown meat so that’s what I am using here (saves on dishes!) In a bowl, mix together the stew meat with flour, salt and pepper (if using).
Once the oil is super hot, add in half of the beef and brown it on both sides. We’re not cooking it through – just browning the outside of the meat. This just gives it a lot of flavor but if you don’t have time for this step, just skip it. Place the first batch of browned beef onto a plate and brown the second batch of beef. Once all the meat is browned, place it in the bottom of your crock pot.
Then pour in the beef stock, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce & balsamic vinegar and give it all a stir. Then stir in potatoes, celery, onion and carrots.
Sprinkle oregano, minced garlic and bay leaf on top. Stir again then cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Once it’s done cooking, it’s time to thicken it up with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together cornstarch with water or beef broth. Pour mixture into the beef stew and stir well. Then cover and switch to the high setting. Let it cook on high for about another half an hour or until thickened up.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
Originally published: September 2016
Updated photos and republished: October 2024
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, canola or vegetable oil
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups beef stock (can use low or no sodium)
- 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes, sliced in half or quarters
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3-4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
to thicken stew:
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons water or beef stock
Instructions
- Heat up 3 Tablespoons olive oil, canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet (or if you have a slow cooker with a sauté option – turn it on high).
- In a bowl, mix together 2 pounds beef stew meat, 1/4 cup all purpose flour and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Once the oil is super hot, add in half of the coated stew meat and brown it on both sides. Remove and continue with the rest of meat.
- Once all the meat is browned, place it in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot.
- Pour in 2 cups beef stock, 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Stir well.
- Then stir in 1.5 pounds baby potatoes, sliced in half or quarters, 1 medium onion, diced, 3-4 stalks celery, diced, and 1 cup baby carrots.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon minced garlic on top and add 1 bay leaf. Stir again then cover.
- Cook on low for 8 hours. Do not open the lid to check while cooking. It is super important with any beef stew (or pot roast) that you keep the lid on. Every time you open the lid, steam escapes and you may end up with tough meat so just set it and forget it.
- Once it's done cooking, make the thickening slurry. Whisk together 3 Tablespoons cornstarch with 3 Tablespoons water or beef stock.
- Pour mixture into the beef stew and stir well. Cover and switch to the high setting.
- Let it cook on high for another half an hour or until thickened up. Then serve!
Video
Notes
- Chuck steak or round steak can be purchased whole then cut up into pieces.
- Tomatoes are optional but add great flavor to this dish and do not overpower the flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe. I did not have fire roasted diced tomatoes but substituted it with Rotel and mushrooms it came out incredible.
I just got a new crockpot and the lid has a hole in the glass and wondering if that would make a difference in the crockpot. that’s the one I brought that has a hole in the lid
It’s because new crock pots run MUCH hotter than older ones. The FDA came out with strict guidelines that crock pots have to come to a specific temperature within a specific amount of time for food to be safe to consume. Unfortunately, this means it can end up boiling the food so companies have put that little hole in their to help. In the case of this recipe, it doesn’t matter. It actually helps that some of the steam escapes because it can help thicken up the stew some.
thank you
looks delicious. what can be used in place of the balsamic vinegar? Thank you
No substitute just leave it out – it’s just my secret ingredient for beef stew 😉
Thank you Brandie. can’t wait to make it
Looks delicious! Saving recipe for cooler day.
Can this be cooked on low for 10hrs as well?
I want to make this.. I’m deathly allergic to potatoes…. I know weird. Anyhow if I omit them should i half everything to make the constancy right?
This looks delicious! I have celiac and can’t have gluten. Can I brown the meat without the flour?
Absolutely!
The best stew I have ever made. Thank you for sharing.
I made this a couple days ago for supper and it was delicious. We are eating the rest tonight. We ate it with French bread. Thanks again Brandie for your great recipes.
Will this recipe work if I half it?
Can I use regular diced tomatoes without the “fire”?
Hi Susan! Fire-rasoted tomatoes aren’t spicy. They just have a char on them that gives just a slight smoky flavor. However, you could certainly make this with regular diced tomatoes. No problem! 🙂
My $19.99 slow cooker from Walmart is going to be a workhorse this winter – lol! We made this and absolutely loved it! I don’t know what that balsamic vinegar does but I think it really makes this stew different from others. Everyone absolutely raved how they don’t normally love beef stew but they really loved this one. There wasn’t any leftover (I made it with your homemade dinner rolls – outstanding!!)
Would it come out ok without the tomatoes? Not a big fan of them.
Omg it’s on my crock pot right now…cant wait to sit down and eat with my boys later! Cause the house definitely smells amazing…Thanks!!! Will give another feed back! =)
Hi Brandie,
Can I cook this faster, or on a higher temp?
The video shows you coating the meat with cornstarch before browning, however the recipe says flour. Will either work, or is one better than another?
Looks super yummy, and I’m anxious for the weather to turn cold so we can have this!!
Thank you!
Bobbie! Good catch! Actually, either one will work! But I usually just use flour 🙂
I just fixed the beef & potato stew at a hunting camp and they loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi do you have to brown the beef first or can it go in the slow cooker as is?
Hi…your recipe says it serves 6-8, but it doesn’t say how big a serving size is….any idea?
Hi Taumi – well, that is always hard to figure because some folks will take a larger serving than others but I would guess roughly about 1 1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
You list beef broth and beef stock in the recipe. Which did you use?
Hi Lee, as you can see in my ingredient photo, I used beef stock. However, beef broth will work fine too. 🙂
Where can I find this slow cooker? Thanks!
Hi Penny! I got it at QVC. I am still learning about all it can do 🙂 Here’s a link:http://qvc.co/2d8nfWB
I’m always looking for new stew recipes and this one looks worth giving a try. Thanks for sharing.
We went camping this weekend, this weather was cool and absolutely wonderful! I put this on Saturday morning and cooked it all day and made a pan of cornbread that night. It was wonderful!!!!!! This recipe will stay in my camper.
What if you cant find those potatoes? What do I use instead…what kind and how much? Do I peel the potatoes? Thank you, I would like to try this but dont think my store carries the potatoes!
If you are not able to find them, any creamer potatoes will work. You do not have to peel them. Hope you get to try this one soon.
About how many will this serve?
Will the potatoes get mushy cooking for so long? So you put them in at the beginning? Thanks,,looks great.
Do you have to use corn starch?
Hi, the corn starch is for thickning. So you can use flour,arrowroot, or potato starch. You could also use instant potato flakes in some cases to thicken. i know for flour you double the amount. So if yoy were putting 1 tbs of cornstarch youd put 2 tbs of flour. Just keep in mind that flour adds a flavor. Corn starch is often used because you can use less and it is flavorless. All it adds is a glossy coat on top.
This stew looks so hearty! Perfect for fall!
This recipe is in my slow cooker right now. Can you smell it? I'm sure it will be a 5-star hit with my family of five. I'll make a pan of cornbread to go with the stew. We're grandparents raising grandchildren, and we often let the pick a recipe to make. This one will go into the folder of favorites. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this last night and it was delicious! The only thing I did differently was I left the onions and celery in 1" chunks rather than dice them. I like really chunky stew. This is a keeper. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it. I see this getting made a lot in our house this winter.
This recipe is absolutely perfect just the way it is. I wouldn’t change a thing!
It was right in front of me, so sorry!!
No worries! I am updating the site soon and hopefully it'll be easier to print! 🙂
Where can I print these from? I am using an iPhone wasn’t sure if that mattered?
Hi Tametha! You should see a printer icon towards the bottom of the page. It’s in a recipe card format. Just click on that and then connect to your wifi printer and then you should be able to print it. Hope that helps!
I wish there was a way to easily print your recipes out, am I missing it somewhere?
I just wanted to add that those crock pot liners work WONDERFULLY well, my hubby does the dishes and he really appreciates them…it is getting cooler out there isn't it, this is perfect!!! LOVE soups and stews..
Great tip – thank you!!
I love your Best Ever Beef Stew and will love this, too! Will my 4 qt. slow cooker be big enough? Thank you!
Thank you Jo! I had so many folks after for a slow cooker version so I finally got around to it. Ha! Your 4-quart will work but it will be pretty close to filling up to the top 🙂 Hope that helps!
Sounds yummy and filling! I love soups and stews and am always looking for new recipes. I think I will be trying this recipe this weekend! My husband and I have made several of your recipes and are never disappointed. Keep up the wonderful work!
So sweet! Thank you Natalie!! Hope this one keeps up the trend of not disappointing! 🙂
I love your recipes and this looks wonderful- thank you for sharing!
That makes my day to hear Annie! Thank you and I'm so happy to have you here!