This Crockpot Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food. It’s loaded with veggies and tender beef in a hearty broth, and is the perfect meal for a cold day! Serve this hearty dish with some homemade rolls or cornbread muffins for the ultimate fall dinner!
A hearty bowl of rich beef stew is such a classic fall and winter meal. It’s perfect for a rainy day when the skies are gray, but of course it’d be delicious on a warm day too. Plus cooking it in the slow cooker, you don’t have to worry about heating up your kitchen.
This Beef Stew is super customizable, and you can leave out the veggies you don’t like, and add extras that you do. Try adding in some mushrooms, peppers, or peas, leave out the celery or onions. This is my favorite classic veggie combination, and with these seasonings you can’t go wrong.
Why make this recipe
- Hands Off Meal – With a few easy steps, then you’ll throw it all in the crockpot and let it do all the work. It’s the idea meal for busy days.
- Hearty and Comforting – Packed with protein, and lots of veggies, this stew is warm, hearty, rich, and the perfect meal when you’re craving something comforting.
- Customizable – You can adjust the ingredients to suit your preferences or based on what you have on hand. You can leave out the veggies you don’t like, or add extras you want to use up.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Beef Stew Meat – You can buy the meat cut from the store, or by a chuck roast and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Salt and Pepper – For seasoning the stew, add more to taste if needed
- Olive Oil – To Saute the onions so they get tender in the stew.
- Yellow Onion – Adds a lot of depth and flavor to the stew
- Minced Garlic – Adds a nice deep flavor
- Beef Broth – Provides the rich sauce base for your stew
- Potatoes – I prefer Yukon Gold, or Russet Potatoes
- Celery – Adds a little crunch and texture to the stew
- Carrots – Adds a little sweetness, and a nice pop of color
- Tomato Paste – Adds a subtle tang and thickens the broth too.
- Beef Bouillon – Adds an extra strong beefy flavor to the broth
- Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a little extra umami, savory flavor to the stew
- Dried Rosemary and Thyme – Gives the stew it’s classic earthy seasoning flavor
- Cornstarch – Make a slurry with a little water and use to thickens the stew
How to make Crockpot Beefstew
Step 1: Sear the Beef. Sprinkle the beef pieces with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high. Add in the beef pieces and brown each side of the beef to give them a nice sear. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Step 2: Cook the Onion. Add in the onion to the hot pan, and cook for a few minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add everything to the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, tomato paste, beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and additional salt and pepper. Pour the beef broth over the top, and top with the bay leaves. Cook on low. Cook the stew for 7 to 8 hours on low, or until the beef and vegetables are tender.
Step 4: Thicken the stew. Whisk the 2 TBS of cornstarch, with 2 TBS of water in a small bowl. Slowly pour the slurry into the stew and cook for another 10 minutes or so, on high, or until thickened.
Tips and Tricks:
- Sear the Beef – While this is an optional step, searing the beef in a hot pan before adding it to the crockpot really enhances the flavor and texture of the meat.
- Veggies – If you want your vegetables to have a bit more texture, and be less soft, you can add them to the stew halfway through the cooking time.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavor will get even better as it sits in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the beef stew. Once cooled, transfer the freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in a pot on the stove until warm.
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a perfect hearty, flavorful soup, perfect for a chilly day. And perfect when you want something cozy and comforting. It’s a great meal for a group (and easy to double) and one your whole family will love!
More Soup and Stew Recipes
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Autumn Soup
- Black Beans Soup
- Butternut Squash Tomato Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
If you make this Crockpot Beef Stew please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Crockpot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBS olive oil
- ½ yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 potatoes (peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 1 cup carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 3 cubes beef bouillon
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 TBS cornstarch
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef pieces with salt and pepper. 2 lbs beef stew meat, 1/2 tsp black pepper , 1/2 tsp salt
- Add olive oil to a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add in the beef pieces and brown them in batches, to give them a nice sear. Transfer to a large slow cooker. 2 TBS olive oil
- Add the onion to the skillet, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook it for about 30 seconds. Transfer them to the slow cooker. ½ yellow onion, 1 TBS minced garlic
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except the bay leaves, and cornstarch). Stir to combine. 4 cups beef broth , 4 potatoes, 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 6 oz tomato paste, 3 cubes beef bouillon, 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- Add the bay leaves carefully into the stew. 3 bay leaves
- Cook stew in the crock pot for 7-8 hours on low, or until the beef is tender.
- Add 2 TBS cold water to a small bowl with 2 TBS cornstarch, and whisk them together. 2 TBS cornstarch
- Slowly pour the mixture into the stew, cook on high for another 10 minutes or so, until thickened.
- Remove the bay leaves, and enjoy hot!
Nutrition
This Crockpot Beef Stew was first posted on September 9, 2012. The photos and blog text were updated on October 22, 2024.
Alissa says
Flavours were very good but this was more of a soup that a stew- will only use 1/4 of the water next time