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.
Katie says
I was thinking of making but subbing ground turkey and sweet potatoes, do you think this would work?
Sarah Olson says
It would probably turn out fine, it will have less carbs and fat in it, so you may need to add more seasonings for flavor.
Betty R Stidham says
Can you can this in pint jars??
Sarah Olson says
Canning is such a science, I wouldn’t be the one to ask this. I think there has to be a certain amount of acidy in the recipe and I do not know the amount here.
Alice says
I just commented in November, but my husband asked for it again! I’m changing it up using venison stew meat this time, and wild mushrooms I gathered and froze in the fall. I’m using my 4 quart crockpot thus time and everything first, but it’s close. Here’s hoping it doesn’t boil over. This one’s becoming a staple.
For anyone complaining it’s watery, just use broth instead of water.
Sara says
I added a can of tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato paste, some diced celery, and some peas. Yum! Even my picky 3 year old ate it right up
Debbie from Florida says
Sarah, it’s in the slow cooker now. I added fresh green beans. We’re looking forward to a yummy lunch tomorrow on a cold 62 degree rainy Florida day. Thank you for this recipe!
Alice says
I made this today. I used ground venison and beef broth in place of water and used baby carrots cut in half..about half a bag. I also doubled the garlic. It was GREAT! Really, other than what I did, I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Brittany says
Can I Put the ground turkey I’m using in uncooked and cook on high for 4 hours ?
Sarah Olson says
I’m not sure how that would work, I apologize!
Brittaney White says
Made this recipe tonight. Followed it to a t. My husband was the first to grab him a bowl and was pretty excited about it because it looked so good. Needless to say, he was disappointed as it tasted like straight water. No flaver to it at all. Anything I can do right this minute to salvage it?
Sarah Olson says
Add more seasonings, salt, pepper, onion powder?
Kerry says
My husband made this today, and it was absolutely wonderful. He used beef broth in place of water, and when the stew was almost done, he stirred in some Bisto for thickening and extra flavor. We look forward to making this dish many more times this winter. Thanks for the recipe!
Fred says
This recipe came up in my facebook yesterday so I tried it today. Followed the instructions to a t. What an absolute disgrace this was. Very few of the vegetables were cooked. Most were still hard. I have since reposted this and let everyone know what a sad disgrace this is. Worst recipe I’ve ever pulled off the internet.
Sarah Olson says
Did you leave the lid on the entire time? Or you crock pot can be cooking slow. Try cooking for longer?
Jeri says
Fred, I understand your frustration. I had the same thing happen to me the first time I tried to make beef stew. It’s not the recipe, it’s the nature of slow cooking. Carrots and potatoes are difficult to cook in a crock pot. You either need to partially cook them before you add them to the pot, cut them into very small pieces, or use canned or frozen veggies. Also cook on low for 8 or 9 hours, don’t try to cook on high because the shorter cooking time does not work. I made this recipe just last week and it was delicious.
Alice says
What a pity. I put mine on high for 2 hours, then low for 4 or 5 more and it was fantastic. Really, try again.
Kellie says
Terrible, my and husband did not like it at all….too sweet even after I added a ton of salt and pepper and carrots and potatoes were still not cooked after 7 hrs ! Total waste of time and money…ended up ordering pizza 🙁
Sarah Olson says
did you leave the lid on the entire time? Your slow cooker may cook on the slow side if you did leave the lid on.
Laura Mann says
I just found your website and amazing recipes.. your a “local” facebook/pinterest celebrity 🙂 Awesome!!
Jeri says
Tried your recipe tonight with great success. I did substitute stew beef for the hamburger and I used beef broth instead of water. Cooked on low for 7 hours and it was excellent. I use a 4 quart pot by the way. I think someone was asking whether a 4 quart would be too small and it was just fine.