If you are looking for the Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe, look no further! This recipe is thick and hearty and from scratch.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a recipe everyone should have in their back pocket for the slow cooker. My recipe is thick and hearty and has great reviews.
The first time I made beef stew is when I first married 17 years ago. Oh man what a disaster, that recipe turned out runny and had no flavor. The recipe I tried was from a famous slow cooker cookbook and the end result was more of watery soup than stew.
How to make the best Slow Cooker Beef Stew:
This recipe is easy and still made from scratch. Be sure to dice your vegetables before starting on the sauce for a smooth experience.
You will need:
- cubed stew meat
- flour – this is what thickens the stew
- salt
- pepper
- onion powder
- dried thyme
- cooking oil
- beef broth
- tomato paste – this thickens the stew too
- red potatoes
- baby carrots
- onion
- frozen peas (optional)
Time to prepare:
- Add the seasonings to the flour.
- Toss the beef in the flour mixture.
- Cook the beef in the cooking oil on the stove top in a large skillet.
- Deglaze the pan with the beef broth and add the tomato paste.
- Add the veggies to the slow cooker.
- Pour over the meat/sauce mixture over the veggies in the slow cooker.
How long to cook?
Cook on low for 7-8 hours for perfectly tender beef and vegetables. I recommend the low setting for this recipe.
How to serve:
- Serve warm right out of the slow cooker. This recipe is great for potlucks or bringing a meal to a sick friend.
- Serve with dinner rolls, butter and a side salad if desired.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing beef stew with potatoes for the potatoes don’t do well in the freezer.
This recipe will not disappoint you, it is full of flavor, and it’s nice and thick. This stew recipe reminds me a perfect pot roast dinner, with everything chopped to the perfect size, with gravy on it!
Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. stew meat or 2 pounds any lean roast cut into 1 inch squares
- ½ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- cooking oil, about 2 tablespoons
- 28 oz. beef broth (2 14 oz. cans)
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1½ pounds red potatoes quartered or diced cut into inch pieces
- 1 lb. bag baby carrots
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 cups frozen peas optional
Instructions
- Add the potatoes, carrots and onions to the slow cooker.
- Combine flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme in a big ziplock bag. Shake, then add the stew meat.
- Shake to coat the pieces evenly. (or this can be done in a large bowl)
- Brown the meat in the cooking oil on all sides, you don't need to cook the meat through. You may need to cook the meat in batches.
- De-glaze the pan with the beef broth. Add the tomato paste, scrape up any brown bits of meat and flour into the sauce. The sauce will thicken and will only take a few minutes.
- Add the meat and sauce to the slow cooker.
- Stir.
- Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
- Add peas at the end of cooking time. Put lid back on and cook for 15 more minutes to thaw the peas. If the stew thickens to much after being stirred, add water.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
First Published 05/19/2013
Updated 05/24/2019
Looking for a great Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe? Here is my recipe recommendation for the instant pot.
Lisa says
May 19, 2013 at 2:14 pmThis looks great Sarah! I’m not a fan of peas but they do make the stew pop with color!
Drea says
July 22, 2013 at 9:44 amI don’t normally like beef but this was so yummy and easy to make. A regular in my house now 😀
Debbie says
August 18, 2013 at 11:57 amThis was, by far, the best meal I’ve ever made.
Nancy says
August 26, 2013 at 9:12 pmLooks good,love beef stew
Sally says
September 19, 2013 at 1:58 pmCan this be made the night before?
Sarah Olson says
September 19, 2013 at 7:38 pmYou can do some major night before prep, mix the seasonings in the ziplock bag, cut your potatoes and onions. If you have everything ready to go, it should only take about 10 minutes to throw together in the morning.
Sally says
October 13, 2013 at 11:22 amThis was amazing! What a hit! I ended up making this all the night before. I made quite a bit more than what the recipe called for but it still turned out great. I used two 14oz boxes of beef broth and a little over 3lbs of meat and browned the meat like you suggested. I sauteed the onions and added Worcester sauce and added it to the tomato mixture in the slow cooker. I chopped the carrots and potatoes the night before and added them in the morning along with a a few bay leaves. When I got home I needed to thicken it up a bit so I dissolved corn starch in water and stirred. I let it simmer for a bit and it thickened up perfectly! Thanks for the recipe. It was delicious.
Jeffrey Boerst says
April 20, 2014 at 12:38 amThanks for the suggestion about the Worcestershire and Bay Leaves, Sally! I just put my cooker together, saw that and immediately added them… No brainer! 😉 Looking forward to tomorrow morning!
Jeffrey Boerst says
April 20, 2014 at 11:47 pmSo as per above I made it with Bay Leaves and Worcestershire as you suggested and also added more Thyme and some Loganberry Wine…. Yummi! Thanks for the suggestion!
Tim dunn says
October 19, 2015 at 2:47 pmALWAYS Worcestershire sauce. Just ask the Cajun Cook. And be generous.
Sarah Olson says
October 19, 2015 at 3:02 pmThanks! I will try that.
Cdnldy says
September 27, 2013 at 1:58 pmI made this recipe yesterday, but just tweaked it a bit. I added a couple of TBSP of Worchestire Sauce, and also a couple of TBSP of HP Sauce, then a package of 4 peppercorn gravy mix. Towards the end I added the peas, along with some frozen corn and fresh cut up mushrooms. It turned out great.
Carly says
October 3, 2013 at 3:03 pmI’m making the stew as we speak! I did sample it and it’s delish! I did some prep last nite once my babies were asleep!
Thanks for sharing!
Carly says
October 3, 2013 at 4:47 pmMy fam loved it
Sarah Olson says
October 3, 2013 at 6:08 pmYay! I’m so glad your family liked it!
Chelsea says
October 5, 2013 at 1:08 pmIm gonna be honest. This looked like a really good recipe at first, but is very bland. There is really no seasoning in it except on the meat. Its a good base recipe but I suggest adding some salt, garlic and extra Thyme to the mix to actually give it flavor.
GERI says
October 6, 2013 at 9:38 amYou can always a beef stew mix. There’s one called Crock-Pot. Hearty Beef Stew seasoning mix. This should take care of the blandness.
Meg says
October 7, 2013 at 5:28 pmDo you have to brown the meat before you put it in the crock pot?
Sarah Olson says
October 7, 2013 at 5:56 pmYes, after you season the meat you brown it 🙂
Jen says
October 8, 2013 at 6:25 pmThis looks delish but I can’t have gluten. Would I skip the flour and instead deglaze the pan with cornstarch? I’m still new at this gluten free thing.
Sarah Olson says
October 8, 2013 at 6:58 pmYes, try coating the meat with the cornstarch instead of the flour. 🙂 or maybe a gluten free type of flour? Anyone gluten free, have ideas for what you sub regular flour for?
Jen says
October 12, 2013 at 7:59 pmSo, instead of using flour, I just browned the beef and then thickened the sauce with cornstarch after deglazing the pan. It worked well & the sauce is thick. Tasty and so easy!
My only problem was that the potatoes ended up quite mushy, so I’ll probably add them halfway through next time.
Sarah G says
October 24, 2013 at 10:58 amTrying tonight with almond flour for those who want to be gluten free- will keep you posted 🙂
Xiole says
November 19, 2013 at 9:54 amAs to the gluten free option- I would suggest substituting rice flour for regular flour to get a more similar effect for the browning of the meat. Rice flour also thickens sauces really well. I think almond “flour” would create a more grainy texture that I’m guessing would be kind of gross and not thickening.
Jeffrey Boerst says
April 20, 2014 at 12:42 amBrown rice Flour!! STAPLE for Gluten free cooking! You won’t regret it… 🙂
cindy bastion says
September 19, 2014 at 9:37 pmFor gluten-free, there is no need to flour the meat..just use a heavy pan (nonstick!), heat the pan with a tad of oil and add the meat after the pan gets hot. Don’t touch it or try to pry it up until it is easy to release itself. Do all sides of the meat but don’t crowd the meat or they will steam instead of sear. You may need to do this in batches. Then deglaze the pan with the broth scraping up the dark bits from the bottom. Proceed as the recipe calls for. You can thicken at the very end with a corn starch/water paste or used instant mashed potatoes dissolved in a little water. My hubby has celiac so I am familiar with gluten free cooking.
Ginny says
October 9, 2013 at 10:22 amMaking this for dinner tonight, thanks for sharing. Just put it in, however. How long on high do you think?
Sarah Olson says
October 9, 2013 at 2:06 pmProbably 4 hours 🙂
Jennifer B says
October 9, 2013 at 12:21 pmI got a late start, is is okay to cook on high? I am not a pro with the crock pot. generally just follow the directions to the letter.
Sarah Olson says
October 9, 2013 at 2:04 pmShould be fine! Let me know how it works!
Cole Turner says
October 12, 2013 at 10:19 amHi,
Thank you for the great recipe. It is always great reading blogs like this that gives one great new ideas for new food. Excellent recipe, thank you.
I made it twice, once exactly like you suggested, (excellent, thank you) and then, I did my version. I always make the recipes as suggested, to learn exactly what it is about, and what all the spices do together, before I try my version of it. This is how one learn after all. My suggestion is always do the recipe as is, and improve on it the second time around according to ones taste buds. This is what I added the second time around:
For 1KG of stew beef, using the exact recipe above, I added:
5 TBSP Worchestire Sauce
4 TBSP Brown sugar
2 star aniseeds
Chicken stock instead of beef stock.
2 TBSP of roasted sesame seed oil
Thank you again for the great recipe, and the new ideas. Please keep up the good work,
Cole.
Sarah Olson says
October 12, 2013 at 10:52 amThanks Cole! Your version sounds amazing!
Carolyn says
October 23, 2013 at 10:43 amcan you add red wine?
Sarah Olson says
October 23, 2013 at 6:35 pmYes you can, but I would only put in a little, the flavor of wine seems to concentrate in the slow cooker.
Race Maxwell says
October 31, 2013 at 6:51 amJust put it the slow cooker. Looks good enough to eat now. I am substituting green beans for the peas. Wow seven hours seems like a long time now.
Karie says
November 11, 2013 at 8:09 pmI made this tonight and it was soooo good. definately a keeper.
F. Schildknecht says
November 18, 2013 at 7:35 amWe made this the other night, and the whole family loved it! This is THE BEST beef stew recipe ever! I added a small shallot and some garlic to the onion, and sautéed them with a healthy dash of Lee & Perrings before adding them to the pot.
Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe, it is a new favorite in our home!
We’re going to try the steak fajitas next 🙂
F.
Sharon Todd says
November 18, 2013 at 8:38 amWill it work if the meat is frozen?
Sarah Olson says
November 19, 2013 at 2:37 pmIt would be hard to coat the meat, and brown it if it was frozen. 🙂
Tom says
November 22, 2013 at 2:50 pmStew really turned out delicious. Followed exact recipe. Was very simple to make. I will make again. Thanks!
mike says
November 24, 2013 at 7:54 amDot the potatoes get peeled or skin on
Sarah Olson says
November 24, 2013 at 8:59 amI left the skin on.
Heidi says
December 8, 2013 at 8:30 amCould I eliminate the tomato paste and Worcester sauce? I thought about adding steak sauce since I have neither of the above ingredients.
Sarah Olson says
December 8, 2013 at 8:57 amIt would be worth a try! Let me know how it turns out.
Steve Coman says
December 26, 2013 at 7:38 pmGot a request for beef stew from my Granddaughter. Found your recipe and tried it. First time ever making something like this. Result:- whole family loved it especially Granddaughter. Thank you so much for posting it.
Steve
Tim says
December 30, 2013 at 8:49 amDue to my work load and varying start/end times the slow cooker is a real ‘god’ send. Made this as per but changed a few things. Just for my taste.
1. 1 x beef stock cube crumbled over the meat as it browns.
2. Dumplings
125g/4½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
60g/2½oz suet
water, to make a dough
Then roll into 8 small ‘balls’ and had to the cooker 20 mins before end I test with a knife to check when done.
Pat Johnson says
January 4, 2014 at 4:55 amWhen adding Dumplings as quoted by Tim, is the 20 minutes timing when the slow cooker is on low/mdm or high and do you have to add any extra time to the total??
Sarah Olson says
January 5, 2014 at 3:19 pmI would add extra time, and have the slow cooker on high.
Lucas says
January 8, 2014 at 8:29 pmWhat is de-glazing and how is it properly done? I’m also wondering how important onion powder is to the mix because I don’t have any. This will be the second time I attempt to make a stew. Last time, I thought that beef bouillon concentrate was the same as beef broth and proceeded to add 1.5 cups of concentrate. Hopefully this works better!
Sarah Olson says
January 9, 2014 at 6:37 amDeglazing is just adding the liquid to the pan to get the meaty bits off the bottom, nothing too complicated. Do you have garlic powder? That would work good.
Carl Dunn says
February 6, 2014 at 9:48 amYou are so right. You find a recipe in some cookbook, you think it will taste great and then you make it. Often it comes out poorly. Your recipe is great. Tried it last week and loved it. I did a stew recipe with meatballs
Samantha Connor says
February 13, 2014 at 7:59 amThis stew is delicious and easy! Thank you so much for a tasy meal. I have made it tice this month and my kids love it! Great way to get my daughter to eats peas too! You won’t be disappointed with this one. I have made quite a few stews and most of them are not tasty. This one is. Enjoy!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
March 27, 2014 at 7:01 pmThis stew looks so hearty! I love meals like this and even better when it’s made in the slow cooker!
Jodie says
March 27, 2014 at 9:13 pmThis looks like perfect for sunday dinner!
Mary Ellen says
March 27, 2014 at 9:28 pmThis looks delicious!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
March 27, 2014 at 9:30 pmBeef Stew is one of those comfort food favorites! Totally divine!
Lucy says
March 28, 2014 at 5:59 amGoing to have to try this soon, maybe for dinner tonight. I have some stew I need to use up anyways. Normally I cook it in my dutch oven but in the crock pot sounds even better.
Kepanie says
July 24, 2014 at 7:21 pmI found this recipe on Pinterest. I made it tonight and it is terrific. I love how there so much flavor. My sometimes finicky daughters love it too.
Ashley says
August 9, 2014 at 7:53 pmMy husband and I absolutely loved this! This is one of our favorite dishes. Thank you!
Lise Mueller says
September 18, 2014 at 11:19 amI want to try this recipe & tend to add my own favorites. I like the idea of the Worcester but what is HP?
Cdndly, added 2Tbls of HP.
I have tried to think what it could be, I cook all the time but this on escapes me. Probably something easy I am sure.
Thanks, Lise
Sarah Olson says
September 19, 2014 at 5:34 amHi Lise, I did some research, and I think HP is a sauce from UK. Like a steak sauce. I’ve never seen it in the states.
Lise Mueller says
September 19, 2014 at 10:43 amThank you. I do have another question for you, though which, red wine would you suggest as a marinade for red meat before cooking. Do you have any recommendations for which, wine works best when soaking chicken or pork in
prior to cooking.
Margaret Donohue says
December 26, 2014 at 2:21 pmHP is a brown sauce, originating in Britain – the Brits call it ‘brown sauce’. You can find it in any grocery store in Ontario, Canada as well, on the shelf beside the ketchup & mustard. 🙂
Kristen says
September 28, 2014 at 4:48 pmI added brown ale to deglaze, garlic and worstershire sauce, it is cooking away and smells amazing!
Kari says
October 1, 2014 at 4:08 pmI just made this. Followed the recipe exactly. Word for word. I thought it was horrible. All I could taste was thyme and it looked like mush. Help! What am I missing???
Sarah Olson says
October 1, 2014 at 5:53 pmDid you use ground thyme? Or the leafy kind? I’m wondering if your crock pot cooks hot?
Kari says
October 2, 2014 at 8:55 amI used the McCormick Thyme. What I did notice after I posted my comment is, I only used 14oz of beef broth. That would have made it too strong and mushy wouldn’t it? You’ll have to excuse me, just started cooking recently. Lol. Think I’m gonna give this recipe another try with the correct amount of beef broth. ☺
Natasha says
October 30, 2014 at 1:48 pmOmg! This was so easy to make and so, so delicious! I used sweet potatoes instead and added 2 bay leaves and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Will be making again. Thank you for the recipe!
Denni says
December 20, 2014 at 6:51 pmDoes 1 beef bullion cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water equal 1 10 oz can beef broth?
Sarah Olson says
December 21, 2014 at 6:27 amI believe 8 ounces is a cup, do you have a measuring cup with ounces? I’ve never done this recipe with boullion cubes. I would say probably 3 cubes for the 28 ounces of water.
Shelley says
January 4, 2015 at 2:57 pmGF Could you use cornstarch instead?
Sarah Olson says
January 4, 2015 at 3:23 pmI don’t see why not!
Roz Blair says
February 25, 2015 at 7:16 pmExcellent flavor! I added 2 stalks celery, 2 bay leaves and 4 cloves of garlic, minced and cooked 3 1/2 hours on high (pinched for time). This will be my go-to beef stew recipe!
Graham Alsop says
September 18, 2016 at 12:16 amWe really loved this. Oh so tasty. Added a cup of sweet corn, at the end turned onto high and added two heaped teaspoons of corn flour in a little water to thicken. Beautiful. Thanks
Pertigal says
November 14, 2017 at 4:16 pmmaking this now, though i forgot to use Worcestershire. I had an extra pound of meat so I threw it in anyway and increased everything slightly. I think this would be good with a bit of beer….boeuf carbonade! cheaper than wine and just as tasty and you don’t have to waste a whole bottle of wine.
Sarah Olson says
November 14, 2017 at 4:49 pmBeer and beef go so good together! I’m sure it will be great.
Anonymous says
November 14, 2018 at 6:36 pmAdded a packet of ranch dressing powder to the slow cooker mix before cooking
Karen Orbach says
November 25, 2018 at 5:40 pmHi, I’m making this tomorrow and I’m cutting the recipe in 1/2 because I’m only making it for myself to have for the week. My question is would I cook it in my slow cooker for the same amount of time 7-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high or would it need less time because there’s less in the pot to cook?
Sarah Olson says
November 25, 2018 at 8:38 pmI think the time will be the same, I’d do 7 on low or 4 on high. The beef and potatoes need that time to tenderize. It will be great!
Karen Orbach says
November 26, 2018 at 6:10 pmI made this beef stew today, cut the recipe in half because it’s only for one person for a few nights and it came out really tasty and pretty perfect… I did need more beef broth than if I cut it in half so I ended up using 2 cups of beef broth and extra water to make sure I covered everything enough… I used extra veggies, as in parsnips which I love so I had chunks of potatoes, baby carrots, parsnips and sliced onions. I didn’t use the frozen peas because I didn’t need them but I may add them with the leftovers later. I have a lot leftover but not too much. I also added in 2 tbsps of flour with 1/2 cup of water 1/2 an hour before it was done to thicken the sauce and it worked well. I cooked the stew for approx 6 hours on low which was enough time. I highly recommend this recipe!
Sarah Olson says
November 26, 2018 at 8:44 pmThank you for all your tips Karen! I’m sure it will be helpful to anyone who wants to cut this recipe in half.
Heather Adam Cerri says
November 29, 2018 at 12:50 pmIm going to make this for tomorrow, all the comments make it Sound so good….i am notably thee worlds WORST cook, so we’ll see thsnk you for sharing!!
Sarah Olson says
November 30, 2018 at 9:06 amLet me know how it turns out!
Nancy Pollock says
January 8, 2019 at 4:30 pmIf I eliminate the tomato paste (tomato anything is too acidic for my daughter), what can I use to substitute? Or can I just not add it?
Sarah Olson says
January 8, 2019 at 7:35 pmHi Nancy! I think it will be fine without!
Nancy Pollock says
January 9, 2019 at 5:26 amThanks so much for your reply, Sarah! I’ve made quite a few of your recipes and they’re always a hit!! Sincerely, Nancy Pollock
Loren berrington says
January 19, 2019 at 1:57 pmWatery watery watery. Panicked & added 1/4 cup flour mixed with with 1/4 cup waster. Still watery. Followed recipe to the letter. Now what?
Sarah Olson says
January 20, 2019 at 1:02 pmI don’t know what could have happened Loren? I made a video with the exact measurements of the recipe and it’s really thick.