Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew — Comfort food at its finest with thick and tender chunks of beef, buttery soft potatoes, and mixed vegetables. The broth is rich, deep, and exquisite thanks to a mixture of beef broth, red wine, and a mixture of herbs and spices. IMPRESS your family and friends with this CLASSIC beef stew recipe! 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

For all you meat-and-potatoes people, you’re going to absolutely be in comfort food heaven with my slow cooker beef stew. However, this isn’t just any meat and potatoes recipe.

Slow cooker beef stew has thick chunks of tender beef, buttery soft potatoes, mixed vegetables, and the stew broth is absolutely exquisite.

If one can call stew broth upscale, this stew is just that courtesy of the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire and soy sauces.

The stew is seasoned and perfumed with herbs and spices including garlic, onions, rosemary, thyme, and smoked paprika.

During the slow cooking process all of these flavors marry to form a rich, deep, and hearty flavor profile that will impress your family, friends, and anyone who tries this beef stew.

Ingredients in Slow Cooker Beef Stew

For this easy beef stew recipe made in your slow cooker, you’ll need the following ingredients on hand:

• Chuck roast
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Smoked paprika or regular paprika
• Olive oil
• Red wine
• White onion
• Unsalted butter
• Beef broth
• Tomato paste
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Garlic
• Beef bouillon
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Bay leaves
• Potatoes
• Frozen mixed vegetables
• Corn starch
• Water
• Kitchen Bouquet, optional

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Making beef stew in your Crock-Pot is easy by following these straightforward steps:

Tip: Make sure to read the full recipe in the recipe card section below before beginning so you are sure what you’re doing and will be doing since elements in the recipe start on the stove and finish in the slow cooker.

Step 1: Trim and cube your Chuck roast and then toss it in mixture of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Step 2: To a large heavy skillet, brown the Chuck roast and then transfer it into your slow cooker.

Step 3: Add the red wine to deglaze your skillet.

Add half the butter and melt it.

Step 4: Add the onions and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Pour this over the beef in the slow cooker.

Step 5: To the slow cooker, add the beef broth, tomato paste, soy and Worcestershire sauces, garlic, beef bouillon, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and stir.

Step 6: Add the potatoes and vegetables.

Step 7: Dissolve the corn starch into the water and pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Step 8: Cover and cook on either low or high in your slow cooker.

Step 9: Ten minutes before serving, add the remaining butter and optional Kitchen Bouquet, and then serve.

Should I Cook Beef Stew on Low or High in my Slow Cooker?

This is up to you, however keep in mind that the longer the beef cooks, the more tender it becomes. For me this beef stew is a recipe where low-and-slow is the way to go.

Therefore, cook on low for about 8 hours. However, if you’re pressed for time, cook on high for about 4 hours.

Tips: Keep in mind that all slow cookers cook differently, and depending on how browned your beef is going in, whether you used a two versus three-pound Chuck roast, will all dictate cooking times. Cook until the beef is done to your liking and don’t get too hung up on what the clock says.

Can I Make Beef Stew Without a Slow Cooker?

Although I am not typically a person who “loves” the slow cooker because 30-minute meals done quickly on the stovetop or oven are where it’s at for me, this beef stew recipe is perfect when made in the slow cooker.

However,  you can adapt it to make it in a large Dutch oven with a lid in your oven. 

You’ll need to do some research on this online, but I suggest starting the recipe off the same as you do as I have written it for the slow cooker, but rather than then transferring the browned beef and onions with the remaining ingredients into a slow cooker, keep them in the Dutch oven.

Cover it, and braise it low and slow, probably in a 325F oven for 4 to 6 hours, give or take.

Again, do your own research since I haven’t tested this and am merely providing logical guesses.

What Cut of Beef is Best for Beef Stew?

For slow cooker beef stew, I use Chuck roast. I use it because the fat content and internal marbling creates finished beef that is just so tender and juicy.

Plus, it tends to be a pretty inexpensive cut of beef which is always nice since beef can get expensive in a hurry!

Sometimes you can find beef that’s labeled as ‘stew meat’ and can be a mixture of Chuck roast with other cuts of meat.

How Much Meat per Person for Beef Stew? 

The rule of thumb when making beef stew in a slow cooker is to use 1/2 pound of beef per adult and 1/4 pound of beef per child. 

However, you’ll notice that my easy Crockpot beef stew recipe calls for just 2 to 3 pounds of beef but serves 10 people. That’s because I like to load up my stews with hearty vegetables. Adding veggies amps up the flavor and texture of the stew — and also helps cut costs! 

What Are the Best Potatoes for Stew? 

I used Russet potatoes, which are a starchy potato variety. They tend to break down a bit when simmering because, which in this slow cooker stew recipe, I like.

If you want the potatoes to stay more intact, use a waxier potato like a Yukon Gold or a red potato. You can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled, your choice.

Tip: Cut the potatoes on the chunkier side of bite-size because otherwise they tend to really break down and almost disappear after their long simmering time in the slow cooker.

Are Fresh or Dried Herbs Better for Slow Cooker Beef Stew?

It’s always nice to cook with fresh herbs but if you don’t keep them on hand, dried herbs are fine. Specially, I am referring to the rosemary and thyme.

What’s the Best Red Wine for Beef Stew? 

Look for a dry red wine for Crock Pot beef stew such as:

• Cabernet sauvignon
• Merlot
• Malbec
• Syrah
• Pinot Noir
• Tempranillo

Tips: Use whatever dry or dry-ish red you have open. If you don’t have any open, use something nice, but don’t break the bank here. A $10 bottle of red from Trader Joe’s or similar is great here!

Do I Have to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Red Wine?

Red wine is used in beef stew as a means to deglaze your skillet after browning the beef. Immediately when you add it to the pan, it will steam and bubble up like crazy. In my opinion, all the alcohol just burnt off right there.

Plus, then it gets simmered for another 4 to 8 hours in your Crock-Pot so that without a doubt all the alcohol cooks off.

That’s my way of saying don’t worry about the alcohol content — plus it’s only a half cup in a huge pot of stew! And it really adds a lovely layer of flavor to the stew and it’s my strong recommendation to use the red wine.

What Can I Substitute for the Red Wine? 

If you’re someone who doesn’t drink alcohol or are serving it to those who don’t, you can substitute the one-half cup wine with an extra half cup of beef broth.

Making Slow Cooker Beef Stew In Advance

If you want to make beef stew ahead of time, my suggestions are to get it to the point where everything is in the slow cooker, and you’re about to slow cook it for 4 to 8 hours. 

At that point, you can refrigerate it and then do the slow cooking the next day noting that it’ll take longer to slow cook because you’re starting with very cold ingredients.

Alternatively, you can get everything in the slow cooker and then transport it to a destination.

For example, this is handy if you’re going to someone’s house and are asked to bring a dish. You can help the hostess with other cooking, cleaning, and organizing during the 4 hours it slow cooks.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Stew 

This beef stew truly doesn’t need anything else! It’s so hearty and comforting on its own.

However, you can’t go wrong with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a hunk of crusty French bread or a dinner roll. 

Beef stew also pairs well with mashed potatoes! (I also have a slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe, should you have more than one slow cooker on hand.)

How Long Does Beef Stew Last? 

Slow cooker beef stew will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 5 months.

I think that stews like this taste even better in the following days so you and your family are in for a real treat. As time passes, the stew may thicken up a bit more as the broth is absorbed into the other ingredients. 

Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I’ve provided some tips already such as low and slow is my referred cooking method rather than cooking faster on the high heat setting.

Don’t lift the lid of your slow cooker and “check on” the stew too often. Every time you do that, you’re allowing heat to escape, and it will lengthen the cooking process. Leave it alone.

If you’re cooking on high, I wouldn’t even bother “checking” until at least 6 hours have passed since it simply won’t be anywhere near done. 

Red wine adds to the richness in flavor that classic beef stew has and unless you have very good reason, don’t skip it.

If you’ve never heard of Kitchen Bouquet that’s okay. It’s been around forever although isn’t terribly common other than maybe in your grandmother’s kitchen.

It’s optional in my slow cooker beef stew recipe, but if you add a few drops 10 minutes before serving, it adds a nice rich brown color and makes the overall stew look more appetizing. It does very slightly enhance the flavor as well.  Keep it on hand for gravies and stews if you want to darken the color a bit.

What’s not optional is the butter in beef stew, especially at the end.

There are only 4 tablespoons used in the whole recipe, two of which are used when you brown the onion, and the remaining two tablespoons at the end. It really makes the stew broth silky smooth and lends such a comfort food touch.

More Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes:

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup — A hearty comfort food soup recipe the whole family will love. If you think that soup can’t be a meal, guess again! This Crockpot cabbage roll soup is chock full of bacon, ground beef, green cabbage, rice, carrots, fire roasted tomatoes, and more! Perfect for chilly weather, busy weeknights, and the leftovers freeze great! 

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup – A decadent dish that’s like eating a loaded cheeseburger, but in soup form! Ground beef, bacon, cheese, and an array of vegetables give fantastic depth of flavor. SO EASY because your slow cooker does ALL the work! A guaranteed family favorite especially when it’s chilly.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup — This stuffed pepper soup is packed with bell peppers, onion, and ground beef and is simmered in a tomatoey broth. Serve with rice for an easy weeknight meal!

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup — An incredibly EASY and comforting soup that can be made with leftover holiday ham or deli ham! Your slow cooker does all the work to meld the flavors together. OR you can also make this on the stove top in 30 minutes!

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast — A foolproof recipe for tender, juicy pot roast with just FIVE main ingredients! Your slow cooker does all the work in this comfort food classic pot roast that the whole family will adore! EASIER than any pot roast you will ever make and with more robust flavor! 

Slow Cooker Ribs – Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone baby back pork ribs that are finger-lickin’ good! With just 5 minutes of active prep, your slow cooker does all the work in creating ribs that your friends and family will beg you to make over and over! 

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin — Tender and juicy boneless pork tenderloin is slow cooked with hearty vegetables for a complete and EASY meal! Reminiscent of a hearty and rustic recipe, yet fancy enough for a special dinner or holiday entertaining!