Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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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! 

Bowls of slow cooker beef stew.

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.

A ladle lifting a scoop of slow cooker beef stew from a pot.

Looking for More Stew Recipes?

Be sure to make my easy American Goulash recipe next! Or, opt for my classic old-fashioned beef stew for the ultimate fall and winter comfort food!

A bowl of slow cooker beef stew with a spoon sticking out.

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 – I use beef Chuck roast because the fat content and internal marbling create 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
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Smoked paprika or regular paprika
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine – Look for a dry red wine such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Pinot Noir, or Tempranillo
  • White onion
  • Unsalted butter
  • Beef broth
  • Tomato paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Garlic
  • Beef bouillon
  • Rosemary and thyme – I prefer to use fresh herbs, but dried herbs will also work
  • Bay leaves
  • Potatoes – I used Russet potatoes, which are a starchy potato variety. They tend to break down a bit when simmering, 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. Cut the potatoes on the chunkier side of bite-size. Otherwise, they tend to really break down and almost disappear after their long-simmering time in the slow cooker.
  • Frozen mixed vegetables
  • Corn starch
  • Water
  • Kitchen Bouquet, optional

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Ingredients for slow cooker beef stew.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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

Step 1: Trim and cube your Chuck roast. Then, toss it in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add the Chuck roast to a large heavy skillet, browning the meat before transferring it to the slow cooker.

Step 2: Add the red wine to deglaze your skillet. Then, add half the butter, and melt it.

Step 3: Add the onions, and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Pour this over the beef in the slow cooker. Next, add the beef broth, tomato paste, soy and Worcestershire sauces, garlic, beef bouillon, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and stir.

Step 4: Add the potatoes and vegetables. Then, dissolve the corn starch into the water, and pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Step 5: Cover and cook on either low or high in your slow cooker. Don’t lift the lid as it cooks! Ten minutes before serving, add the remaining butter and optional Kitchen Bouquet, and enjoy.

What to Serve with Beef Stew

Storage

Make Ahead: Prepare all the ingredients to the point where everything is in the slow cooker and you’re about to cook for 4 to 8 hours. Then, refrigerate the mixture, and do the slow cooking the next day. Just note that it’ll take longer to slow cook because you’re starting with very cold ingredients.

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

Reheat: Warm leftover stew in the crockpot set to “warm,” or reheat portions in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat.

A spoon lifting a bite of slow cooker beef stew from a bowl.

Recipe FAQs

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?

You can adapt this recipe 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. Then, rather than 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.

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! 

Can I omit the 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.

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4.89 from 9 votes

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

By Averie Sunshine
😍❤️🍷 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! 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
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Equipment

  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 Large, Heavy-Bottomed Skillet

Ingredients  

  • 2 to 3 pounds chuck roast, trimmed and cubed into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup dry red wine*
  • 1 medium white onion, diced small
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 7 to 8 cups beef broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, I use lite or reduced sodium
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely minced, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon beef bouillon
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 2 or 3 bay leaves
  • 2 large Russet potatoes**, diced in chunky bite-sized pieces
  • 2 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • ¼ cold water
  • 2 to 3 drop Kitchen Bouquet, optional

Instructions 

  • Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces, trimming any large pieces of fat hanging from it, but leave any fat that is marbled into the beef alone because it adds flavor to the stew.
  • To a large bowl, add the flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and stir to combine.
  • Toss the meat in this dry ingredients mixture until it is evenly coated.
  • To a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, add the oil, and add some of the beef, and cook over medium-high heat to sear it. Flip intermittently and as needed so that all sides of the beef cubes are evenly seared and browned. Tip – Do not overcrowd the beef or it will steam and not sear, so do your browning in batches. As the meat is done, set it aside into your slow cooker and continue the process until it's all browned and in the slow cooker.
  • Add the red wine to your skillet to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Note – It will bubble up vigorously and steam, so use caution when you add it. If you are not using wine, use 1/2 cup of beef broth instead.
  • Scape and stir the wine until the meat juices and bits are loosened from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the onion, half the butter (reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons for step 10), and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are becoming translucent; stir frequently.
  • Add the onions and cooking liquid to the slow cooker.
  • Add the beef broth (start with 7 cups and see how it looks), tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, beef bouillon, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and stir to combine.
  • Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables (they can be unthawed or straight from the freezer), and stir to combine; set aside.
  • To a small bowl, add the corn starch, cold water, and stir to combine until a slurry is formed.
  • Add the slurry to the slow cooker and whisk it into the ingredients in the slow cooker.
  • Cover it with the lid and cook on low for about 8 hours. Although you can cook on high for 4 hours, low and slow is my preference and the meat becomes more tender the longer it cooks.
  • 10 minutes before serving, remove the whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme if you used fresh, remove the bay leaves, optionally add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet (adds a rich brown color and a slight bit of flavor), add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cover again with the lid, allow the butter to melt, and then stir to combine.
  • Beef stew is done when the beef is tender and pierces very easily with a fork (has an internal temp of 165F although I don't take the temperature), and the potatoes and vegetables are fork tender. Tip – It's very hard to overcook the beef, but you can overcook the vegetables to the point of mush, although this is not very likely.
  • Taste the stew and if necessary, add a bit more salt or pepper, and stir to combine. Note – If you prefer a brothier stew and not quite as thick, in the second half of the cooking process (after about 4 to 6 hours cooking on low heat) add the additional 1 cup of broth (8 cups total rather than 7).
  • Optionally serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crusty bread or dinner rolls. Stew will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Notes

*Dry red wines such as Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec. Syrah, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo are all good options.
**I used Russet potatoes which are a starchy potato. 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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 53g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 5606mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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 Cabbage Roll Soup.

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 Cheeseburger Soup in a pot.

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!

A bowl of slow cooker stuffed pepper soup.

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 Ham and Bean Soup.

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 Mississippi Pot Roast  on a plate over mashed potatoes.

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 Ribs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

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!

Slow Cooker Pork Loin with carrots, onions, and potatoes.
4.89 from 9 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. You have sooooooo many GREAT RECIPES that I don’t know where to start, they look like they are EASY to make and are TWICE as GOOD to EAT. I am so glad that I have your page coming up on my screen……..I THANK YOU very much.

  2. This recipe can easily be made gluten free and dairy free with a few simple substitutions! ย I am also collecting some new recipes for Passover this year. ย Tapioca starch and potato starch can still be used as thickeners on Passover. ย 

    Averie, I sent you an email privately with an idea for a Passover recipe that would be trendy enough to use Year round. ย I do not have the energy for this food blogging, so I hope you find it interesting and worthwhile. ย If not, I am going to go for it anyway.ย 

    Take care, ย Shoshannah

    1. Yes it definitely can be easily made GF and DF. As written, aside from the soy sauce (which varies from brand to brand) and optional Kitchen Bouquet, it is that way already. A true meat and potatoes kind of recipe :)