A simple, rib-sticking crock pot beef stew that is perfect for cold days! A thick, chunky stew full of beef, potatoes and vegetables!
Disclosure: I am a proud ambassador for The Little Potato Company and all opinions are my own
THE BEST CROCK POT BEEF STEW
ALL-IN-ONE MEAL
I have a good number of slow cooker recipes on here that can simmer and hang out for most of the day without worry. But, I also have a few that are technically crockpot recipes but they really are not the set-it and forget-it kind. Most importantly, with kiddos back in school and Mom and Dad working and trying to help with homework, getting housework caught up and all of the other things that fill our days – I figured making dinner should be one less thing to worry about. 
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
beef stew meat
all-purpose flour
olive oil
beef stock
fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Baby Boomer Little Potatoes
onion
celery
baby carrots
Worcestershire sauce
balsamic vinegar
dried oregano
minced garlic
bay leaf
salt & pepper
to thicken stew:
cornstarch
cold beef stock (or water)
Cook’s Notes: If the stew meat is too large for your liking then cut it up into bite-sized pieces before cooking.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CROCK POT BEEF STEW:
Chop up the celery and onion and slice little potatoes in half.
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).
THE BEST CROCK POT BEEF STEW
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1.5 lb Little Potatoes, sliced in half
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- salt & pepper, to taste
to thicken stew:
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cold beef stock or water
Instructions
- Chop up the celery and onion.
- Begin heating up the olive oil in a large skillet.
- 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.
- Once all the meat is browned, place it in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot.
- Pour in the beef stock, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce & balsamic vinegar.
- Give it all a stir.
- Then stir in Little Potatoes, celery, onion and carrots.
- Sprinkle oregano, minced garlic and place 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 what is called a cornstarch slurry.
- Whisk together cornstarch with cold water or beef broth.
- 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 to thicken up.
Notes
Nutrition
CRAVING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
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CROCK POT BEEF & NOODLES
CROCK POT BEEF TIPS & GRAVY
CROCK POT TACO PASTA
CROCK POT CHICKEN & GRAVY
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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!
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 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!
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 wish there was a way to easily print your recipes out, am I missing it somewhere?
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!
This recipe is absolutely perfect just the way it is. I wouldn’t change a thing!
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 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.
This stew looks so hearty! Perfect for fall!
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.
Will the potatoes get mushy cooking for so long? So you put them in at the beginning? Thanks,,looks great.
About how many will this serve?
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.
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.
I’m always looking for new stew recipes and this one looks worth giving a try. Thanks for sharing.
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
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. 🙂
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!
Hi do you have to brown the beef first or can it go in the slow cooker as is?
I just fixed the beef & potato stew at a hunting camp and they loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
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 🙂
Hi Brandie,
Can I cook this faster, or on a higher temp?
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! =)
Would it come out ok without the tomatoes? Not a big fan of them.
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! 🙂
Will this recipe work if I half it?
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.
The best stew I have ever made. Thank you for sharing.
This looks delicious! I have celiac and can’t have gluten. Can I brown the meat without the flour?
Absolutely!
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?