Crock Pot Beef Stew (+Video)
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 know, I know – not quite there yet! But I am thinking ahead) I like to come up with recipes that are good “fix-it and forget-it” crock pot meals. If you own an electric pressure cooker, be sure to check out my Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No you do not. However, you are missing out on flavor if you sleep 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 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.
BEEF STEW INGREDIENTS: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- beef stew meat
- all-purpose flour
- olive oil
- beef stock
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- little potatoes
- onion
- celery
- baby carrots
- Worcestershire sauce
- balsamic vinegar
- dried oregano
- minced garlic
- bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- cornstarch
HOW TO MAKE 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).
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 crockpot 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.
Finally, 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 another half an hour to thicken up.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
Originally published: September 2016
Updated and republished: September 2022
Crock Pot Beef Stew (+Video)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, canola or vegetable
- 2 cups beef stock
- 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1.5 pounds little potatoes, sliced in half or quarters (depending on how large they are)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
to thicken stew:
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water or beef stock
Instructions
- Heat up 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 the stew meat with flour, salt and pepper.
- 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. Stir well.
- Then stir in diced 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, make the thickening 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. 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.
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!