Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew is made from scratch with ground beef to save money. A very hearty meal with minimal effort or money. This budget friendly ground beef stew can’t be beaten.
We love easy stew recipes like this one, Shipwreck Stew or A-1 Beef Stew, for an easy, hearty dinner.
When I first published this recipe in 2015, I made this entire Poor Man’s Stew for $6.24. Nowadays, the price of groceries is much higher than that. But you can still make an economical meal using fresh vegetables and ground beef.
I put ground beef, russet potatoes, carrots, onions, a garlic clove, tomato paste, water, and seasonings in my slow cooker and simmered it all day to make this Hearty Poor Man’s Stew. A great Sunday dinner recipe or for when you are even camping!
The inspiration for this hamburger stew came from my favorite old movie, The Princess Bride. I made a stew similar to the one seen in the movie where Fezzic (Andre the Giant) hand-fed Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) a hearty stew trying to get him sober, so they could find and save Westley (Carey Elwes).
What makes this meal budget friendly ?
- Fresh vegetables – I bought just what I needed for this recipe though you can buy bulk bags of gold potatoes (or russet potatoes), carrots, onion, and garlic, and your price will go down per serving.
- Look for ground beef in a roll (called a chub); it’s almost always cheaper than beef in trays.
- Dried spices are always cheaper than fresh and last for years; for other recipes, I use onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- I use water instead of beef broth in this recipe to cut the cost, though beef broth can be used if desired.
- For the tomato flavor, a cheap can of tomato paste is used.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Brown ground beef in a skillet on the stove-top; drain fat. Add the meat to the crock pot and the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic.
Step Two -Whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.
Step Three – Pour this mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Stir.
Step Four – Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Serve in bowls and enjoy!
Variations
- More Vegetables – Add sweet potatoes, frozen peas, and canned green beans.
- Tomato Soup – Instead of adding tomato paste, use a condensed tomato soup for more flavor.
- Flavor enhancers – Add Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce for a kick of flavor. You can also add a pack of taco seasoning instead of the recipe seasonings.
- Toppings – To serve this crockpot poor mans stew, you may want to add some toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, or crushed saltine crackers.
- Bread – Don’t go out and buy special bread for this meal. It’s terrific with buttered sandwich bread as a side.
Recipe FAQs
You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground sausage (basically any ground meat). Or you can use what traditional beef stew call for, which is beef stew meat.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge, which will last a few months in the freezer.
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Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew Recipe
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground beef browned and drained
- 1 ½ lbs russet or gold potatoes peeled and diced large
- 3 carrots sliced thick
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or oregano)
Instructions:
- Add the cooked ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.
- In a small bowl whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder and Italian seasoning. Pour this mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve with buttered sandwich bread or rolls and Enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground sausage (basically any ground meat). Or you can use what traditional beef stew call for, which is beef stew meat.
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge, which will last a few months in the freezer.
- More Vegetables – Add sweet potatoes, frozen peas, and canned green beans.
- Tomato Soup – Instead of adding tomato paste, use a condensed tomato soup for more flavor.
- Flavor enhancers – Add Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce for a kick of flavor. You can also add a pack of taco seasoning instead of the recipe seasonings.
- Toppings – To serve this crockpot poor mans stew, you may want to add some toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, or crushed saltine crackers.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I have a large family, so I want to double this. Will this work on a high setting? If so, how long?
I would do 4-5 hours on high, you may need to add a little more liquid.
I making in cr.pot. now wait and taste can’t wait thanks for a simple but hardy recepie God bless yo where you need it most
If I wanted to cook this in an instapot, how long should I cook it if I want it to cook on high?
On the slow cooker setting? I’m unsure. I’ve heard the slow cooker setting cooks very low on the instant pot. You will need anywhere from 4-6 hours on high.
Really good and very easy to make!
Even my picky teen liked it. Will definitely make it again . I topped it off with some peas to give it another flavour and some colour. Also next time I going to add some fresh baby bella mushrooms to the pot.
What meat can you use besides ground beef? And should it be cooked before adding it to the slow cooker?
You can do any type of ground meat, such as ground turkey. You can do cubed stew meat, that doesn’t need to be browned.
What if you only have minced garlic in a jar is that ok? How much should I put in?
One teaspoon is a garlic clove, for any recipe.
I’ve prepared this dish several times
It’s a perfect dish for cold, winter evenings
Did this in an Instapot on slow cook mode and it turned out great, brings back memories of what Mom used to make 🙂
I will try this soon.
I love this poor man’s. I use a 8 litre slow cooker so I double up on the veggies and use kangaroo instead of mince, plenty kanga
in OZ in the store or in the bush. I have a local butcher who dresses it for me, love It.
The kids call it fridge clean out stew.
Cheers bob
Can I do this on the stove?
yes, though you’ll have to add more water.
Are the vegetables supposed to be completely covered by the liquid while it cooks?
Some will be popping out of the liquid, that’s fine. Keep the lid on the entire time.
How long should i set the crockpot if i use cooked potatoes and cooked onions instead of raw?
Probably just 2.5 hours.
LOL I noticed the prices of items to make this stew made in 2015. Now in 2021 the cost is double or more on all the food needed. I still like the ingredients and make this stew a lot, I also make it into a soup and add cabbage corn and peas. I make a pan of cornbread with the stew, its yummy.
You’re looking at the vegetables, not the beef. The ground beef she purchased was $3.59/lb.
Nobody says anything about adding corn can I add some?
Yes, corn would be great in this.