Valentina Ablaev
Nothing says comfort like a crockpot beef stew; this is the perfect addition to our easy crockpot recipes! This rich beef stew is loaded with tender beef, carrots, and potatoes in a rich and flavorful broth.
Slow cooker recipes are a must for the cold winter days. This stew joins our beef tips in the crockpot as beef favorites.
I don’t know about you guys, but I love a dinner you can throw in the crockpot and forget about! This slow cooker beef stew is one of the best crockpot recipes and makes our favorite comfort food.
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe:
I love any dinner recipe that requires little effort. Slow-cooker meals are the best when it comes to that! Slow cooking makes this beef stew extra flavorful. The beef is slow-cooked and enriched with all those flavors, making every bite savor-worthy.
Ingredients for Crockpot Beef Stew
- Beef – beef stew meat is perfect for this recipe.
- Potatoes – baby potatoes or yukon gold potatoes are perfect for this recipe.
- Veggies – onions, carrots, and celery add flavor to this stew.
- Broth – a beef broth offers a key depth of flavor. We flavor our broth with Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard and thicken it with flour.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
What Cut of Beef is Best?
Stew meat is the perfect meat because it’s cheap and already cut! What could be better than that? You can also buy a whole beef chuck roast and cut it yourself!
How to Make Beef Stew in the Crockpot
- Prep meat. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes and trim off any extra fat. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
2. Sear the meat: Season the beef on all sides and sear the meat in a hot pan with oil. Add a golden brown crust on all sides of the meat to the crockpot bowl.
3. Add vegetables: To the crockpot, add diced onion, diced carrots, diced celery, and garlic. Finish off by adding butter and bay leaves.
4. Make the broth: In a large bowl, whisk beef broth, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and flour. Pour the broth into the crockpot and add leftover seasonings. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Stove-top Beef Stew:
You can easily make beef stew in the dutch oven instead of a slow cooker!
- Sear the seasoned meat in a dutch oven.
- Add the broth mixture to the dutch oven.
- Add the vegetables to the dutch oven.
- Cook the stew on low for 4-6 hours, checking the meat tenderness.
Expert Tips for the Best Beef Stew:
- Low and slow is best: Cooking the beef at a low heat and slowly will ensure the tenderest beef.
- Level up your stew: The beautiful thing about this stew is you can customize it any way you’d like! Add quartered mushrooms or red peppers for an extra boost of vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
We sear the meat to add flavor and build a delicious crust, but you can add the raw meat directly into the slow cooker.
The instant pot is incredible for many recipes, but the slow cooker gives this dish the best flavor. However, you can use the pressure cooker in a pinch for time! Set on high and cook for about 30 minutes, then release the pressure naturally.
Pot roast is very similar to beef stew, except pot roast usually involves a whole chunk of meat, not cut into cubes. Our classic pot roast recipe makes the perfect meal.
If you want to use russet potatoes, peel and cube them before adding them to the pot.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the leftovers on the stovetop on medium heat until the beef is warmed.
- Freeze. Beef stew can be stored for up to 3 months when frozen. Simply add the beef stew to a freezer-safe container and store it. Reheat: Thaw the frozen stew in the fridge overnight and warm up on the stovetop.
More Crockpot Recipes
If you enjoyed this beef stew recipe, be sure to try our other popular slow cooker recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this crockpot beef stew recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 ½ lbs beef stew meat cut into 1 to 1 ½-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes halved or quartered
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cut meat into 1-inch cubes; discard any large pieces of fat.
- Combine 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and season the beef on all sides.
- Heat oil in a large skillet and sear the meat on all sides. Transfer to the crockpot.
- Add potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, chopped garlic, butter, and bay leaves into the pot.
- Whisk the broth, mustard, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, flour, ½ tsp salt, and paprika in a bowl. Pour into the crockpot.
- Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3½ to 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes are fork-tender.
Notes
- Low and slow is best: Cooking the beef at low heat and slowly will ensure the tenderest beef.
- Level up your stew: The beautiful thing about this stew is you can customize it any way you’d like! Add quartered mushrooms or red peppers for an extra boost of vegetables.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the leftovers on the stovetop on medium heat until the beef is warmed through.
- Freeze. Beef stew can be stored for up to 3 months when frozen. Simply add the beef stew to a freezer-safe container and store it. Reheat: Thaw the frozen stew in the fridge overnight and warm up on the stovetop.
