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. If you have leftover slow cooker ground beef, be sure to use that!
- 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
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:
Sarah’s 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.
Burling willow says
I made this today , I followed recipe upto the water I added 11/2 cups extra plus 1 bouillon cube and I added frozen peas last 20 mins of cooking .. I put temp on high last 20 min. It was delish my family lived it do much . Thanks for sharing
Philo in AZ says
Poor man’s stew has cabbage as the second most ingredient because it is so cheap. Look it up.
Michelle says
Carrots and potatoes are also cheap. Cabbage is NOT a required ingredient.
Amanda says
I just wanted to let you know that I made this a couple of months ago. I froze the leftovers and we reheated them last night for supper (love pulling something out of the freezer on a busy night!). The stew was just as tasty as the first time we ate it (if not more so)! Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe!
Sarah Olson says
Thanks for coming back and letting me know how it was. So excited to hear that it reheats well after being frozen!
Amber says
I made this before and it came out very dry. Should I double tomato paste and water???
Sarah Olson says
Or add some beef broth?
JoAnn Chamness says
I wanted to make this on stove top like my dad use to to. I just figured an hour’s time. I am 52 yrs. now and I still remember how good this stew was when I was 7. My dad used lots of green beans and some green peas to this exact reciepe. Loved it then and still do. Thanks for posting since I had lost the reciepe and couldnt quite remember how simple it was.
Stephanie says
Seems like it would taste very tomatoey with all of that paste. Does it?
Cheryl says
My mother used to make this all the time when we were growing up she called it Irish Stew and we all loved it but no tomatoes in it. A crusty Italian bread and we were in Heaven…I still make it not too often but once in awhile after seeing it here I just peeled the carrots for tomorrow,,,Making it…Thanks for the reminder…
Sarah Olson says
Glad to help Cheryl!
Lizzie says
$3.85 for a kg of mince beef wow! Over here we pay $15 a kg and up
Rebecca says
I got a late start this morning, can I cook it on high for 4-6 instead of low for 6-7?
Sarah Olson says
I think that would work fine!
Rebecca says
Perfect! Well see how my husband likes it!
southernplate says
This stew looks delicious! I’m afraid, though, that I still haven’t caught my breath from the very thought of someone never having seen The Princess Bride! Thank you for sharing on Meal Plan Monday!
Janice says
This turned out great! The only changes I made were beef broth and baby carrots. I only cooked for about four hours on low. Plenty of liquid. Delicious!!!
Amanda says
I forgot to cook the meat first. I hope it still turns out good 🙁