Making beef stew in the Crockpot is an easy way to make belly-warming cozy meal.

This this crock pot stew recipe, tender chunks of beef are cooked with root veggies in a rich, beefy gravy.

You’ll Love Making Beef Stew in the Crockpot Because…

  • This recipe is a set-it-and-forget-it version of our favorite beef stew recipe.
  • Beef stew reheats and freezes beautifully for meals throughout the week.
  • Filled with hearty ingredients, this dish is wholesome and delicious.
  • It is a budget-friendly option for feeding big crowds—stretch it further with extra veggies and dinner rolls to soak up all the delicious broth.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Beef stew ready to be cooked in the slow cooker

Ingredients For Beef Stew in The Crock Pot

Beef: Beef chuck roast always comes out so tender, while stew meat is quick to prepare since it’s already cut. Cooking low and slow ensures it’s fork tender.

Vegetables: Hearty root veggies like onions, carrots, and potatoes round out this meal. The best potatoes for stew are waxy potatoes like red or yellow. You can use russets or baking potatoes, too; they don’t hold their shape as well but still taste delicious. I add peas at the end for a pop of color and freshness.

Broth: Use beef broth or beef stock in this recipe with onion and herbs for flavor. You can substitione one cup of broth for dry red wine for a boost of flavor—try Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Variations of Crock Pot Beef Stew

  • Add extra vegetables like corn, green beans, or mushrooms.
  • Swap out the fresh herbs to change up the flavor.
Crockpot Beef Stew in the pot

How to Make Beef Stew in the Crock Pot

Slow cooker beef stew is the perfect meal to come home to.

  1. Brown the beef (recipe below) and transfer it to a slow cooker.
  2. Sauté the onion and add to the slow cooker. Then deglaze the bottom of the skillet with broth or wine.
  3. Pour the juices into the crock pot, add everything except peas and cornstarch, and cook until tender.
  4. Make a slurry and stir it into the stew until it reaches the desired consistency. Add peas, and season to taste.

Best Beef Stew Tips

  • Brown the beef in small batches, avoiding overcrowding the pan to get good browning.
  • In addition to a cornstarch slurry, beef stew can be thickened by adding potato flakes.
  • Peas do not need to be cooked, add them in just before serving.

Storing Leftovers

Make beef stew ahead and freeze cooled portions in zippered bags for up to four months. If freezing in containers, leave about an inch of headspace for expansion.

Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.

Slow Delicious Beef Recipes

Chunks of chuck roast are delicous when cooked low and slow until fork tender. Here are a few other favorite recipes.

Did your family love this Crockpot Beef Stew recipe? Leave a rating and comment below.

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Crockpot Beef Stew in the pot
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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Enjoy slow cooked flavor from tender chunks of beef, veggies, and potatoes in a robust broth.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

a slow cooker
6 QT Slow Cooker
Skillet on white background
Frying Pan
Chefs Knife with white background
Chef Knife
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Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds beef chuck roast or stewing beef
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cups beef broth or beef stock *see note
  • 3 cups potatoes peeled* and cubed
  • 2 cups carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup celery cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup vegetable juice such as V8
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ¾ cup peas
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
  • In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Place the beef in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the onion to the slow cooker.
  • Add 1 cup of beef broth (or red wine per the recipe notes below) to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits with a spatula.
  • Add the broth to the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme.
  • Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours or until beef is fork tender.
  • In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add to the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the cornstarch mixture). Stir in peas.
  • Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and heated through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

  • Browning: Brown the beef in small batches without overcrowding the pan. If the pan is too full, the beef will steam instead of browning. Browning the beef adds extra flavor to the stew.
  • Broth: 1 cup of red wine can be substituted for 1 cup of beef broth. If using red wine, add it to the pan after searing the beef to deglaze. Let it simmer in the pan for about 1 minute before adding it to the slow cooker.
  • Peas/Beans:  If you add fresh green beans in place of peas, they will need about 45 minutes to cook. Frozen peas just need to be heated through, they can be added during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  • Potatoes: Any variety of potato can be used in this recipe. Red potatoes, Yukon golds, or baby potatoes do not require peeling and hold their shape better. Baking or russet potatoes should be peeled.
  • Leftovers: Leftover beef stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
4.94 from 732 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 361 | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 1123mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5780IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American
easy Crockpot Beef Stew in the pot with a title
Crockpot Beef Stew with rich gravy and writing
hearty Crockpot Beef Stew with writing
Crockpot Beef Stew in the pot and in a bowl with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Debra H. says:

    This is EVERYONE’S Favorite among family and friends!! It has the most wonderful flavor. I use the red wine to deglaze the pan. This is the ONLY stew recipe I use!5 stars

  2. Ellie Hudson says:

    You’re amazing, you have it all. When you save a recipe you can go to the list and see all my saved recipes. All your recipes are what people want to see and are very appealing. I could go on with good comments, but people see what you offer.

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      I am glad you are enjoying our recipe, Ellie!

  3. Claudia says:

    This was so good…..then again, any recipe I get from you is always good! Cooked for 5hours in my crockpot and the meat is fall apart tender. I’ll make this again.5 stars

  4. Stephanie Woodruff says:

    Made this for the first time 2 nights ago. Delicious! Used stew meat, and cooked on high for about 6 hours, and served with egg noodles. Whole family enjoyed it. Wouldn’t think to add peas, and surprisingly really liked them in this. Will definitely make again. Thank you for your great recipes, your always my go when looking for a good one.5 stars

  5. Daniel Zdanowski says:

    Best crock pot beef stew I ever made. Only included 1/3 teaspoon of pepper and omitted the peas.
    Stew is perfectly balanced with herbs and requires no additional salt or pepper.5 stars

  6. Beth says:

    Hi! I need to make a low sodium to no sodium recipe. I was interested in the beef stew. How can I substitute the v8 juice for low sodium? Thank you!

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      Hi Beth, there is a low sodium V8 that might work well for you! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.

  7. Jennifer Devine says:

    This is te best beef stew recipe! The beef got so tender. It had such a good flavor. My family loved it. You must try it.5 stars

  8. K. GOYDAN says:

    Loved the recipe, very easy to follow. I did add pearl onions, mushrooms and some better than bouillon roasted beef to crockpot. This will be on rotation from now on!!! Thanks5 stars

  9. Kelly says:

    I followed the recipe to a T and it was a delicious. Looking forward to leftovers today – I have a feeling it will be even better.5 stars

  10. Star says:

    Prepared recipe exactly as written. It was delicious! Family loved it. Thank you.5 stars

  11. Debbie Rowe says:

    Delicious! Easy to follow steps5 stars

  12. Jeff says:

    Not that great. Personally I’d rather open a can of Denty Moore and call it a day.2 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SP says:

      Sorry to hear you don’t love this stew as much as we do, Jeff!

  13. Liz says:

    Yummy. Is the recipe really 2cups per serving? Or one cup per serving? Because it only made 8 cups.5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      Hi Liz, it was approximately 2 cups a serving when we prepared it.

  14. Ktc says:

    This is the second time making this. It was a huge hit the first time. I followed the recipe to the tee. But both times, prep took a lot longer….cutting, pealing, chopping, browning…I would allow 45 minutes.

    1. Spend With Pennies SP says:

      Thanks for your feedback! We are so glad you’re enjoying this recipe

  15. Noreen says:

    Yummy recipe! I added some minced garlic, Malbec wine, and mushrooms.
    I didn’t have V8, so I used tomato juice. I’ll be sure to have V8 on hand for next time.
    Thank you! :) Merry Christmas!5 stars

  16. Vlad says:

    It’s an okay stew. The flavor is okay but needed more as well as salt.3 stars

  17. Maggie Doxilly says:

    I am new to cooking and I just got a crockpot and was excited to make beef stew for the first time. I can’t believe how amazing it turned out! The flavor is so amazing and the beef was nice and tender. This is definitely a staple and a recipe I’ll hold on too! Thank you so much for teaching me to make something so delicious. Looking forward to making more meals from this page!5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SP says:

      Wow, thank you so much Maggie! So happy to hear you loved it