Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Seared beef, potatoes and veggies come together in this Slow Cooker Beef Stew for the ultimate comforting dinner. Put it together in the morning hours and come home to the best meal!
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2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in November 2015 at My Cooking Spot, where I was a contributor. The post has been updated with lots of new information, tips and tricks. I hope you love this slow cooker meal!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Wintertime calls for hearty soups and stews. Even in Texas, where we’ve had a chillier than average winter months.
On those days, I often turn to this Slow Cooker Beef Stew. It’s a little more hands-on than recipes that you dump into the slow cooker, but I don’t mind. It is worth the effort!
You’ll sear the beef and veggies, adding a delicious texture and depth of flavor to every juicy spoonful. It is made with a little red wine, which makes it so robust and succulent.
The best part? Besides the searing, it cooks up in your slow cooker all day while you do other things!
I just know you’re going to love it as much as we do.
Why I love this recipe:
It’s hard not to love a dish that you throw together in the morning and come home to at the end of the day. It’s a twist on traditional beef stew.
Here are some of my favorite parts of this hearty stew:
- It is easy to put together beef stew in the slow cooker. It’s a great recipe for beginner cooks.
- This slow cooker stew is a little more hands-on than other slow cooker recipes, but it’s worth the effort, I promise!
- This recipe is a complete meal… and it has more veggies than beef. I love that about it – we’re getting in fresh vegetables while also enjoying the classic beef flavors. (So if you want a stew that’s heavy on the beef and less veggies, this is not for you.)
My whole family is obsessed with this recipe, and I hope you and yours adore it, too!
More slow cooker recipes to try: | Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup | Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice | Slow Cooker Pot Roast
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Large skillet or Dutch oven
- Tongs
- Knife and cutting board
- Slow cooker
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
- Soup bowls and soup spoons
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Beef stew meat — get the best quality you can afford! This is sometimes labeled stew beef. I cut down a chuck roast to make ours.
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher is my go-to. A similarly sized sea salt will also work in this, but skip using table salt since that’s saltier.
- Black pepper — freshly-cracked black pepper will make a delicious difference in your recipes.
- Extra virgin olive oil — you can also use any neutral-tasting oil such as avocado oil or vegetable oil.
- Yellow onions — white onions will work, too. Skip red onions and sweet onions.
- Carrots — you can use frozen carrots here if you need a swap.
- Celery — be sure to cut off the root end and leaves. You just want the stalks.
- Garlic — whole cloves are the best, but you can also used the jarred stuff for a shortcut.
- Tomato paste — this can come in a can or a tube. Either will work.
- Flour — we like to use unbleached all purpose flour in our household, but the regular kind works, too. I have not tried this with a gluten free flour blend, so I do not recommend making that swap.
- Dried thyme — you can use any salt-free herb or seasoning blend that sounds good to you. We like thyme.
- Red wine — any dry red wine will work like cabernet sauvignon, merlot or pinot noir. You can use half of the amount or replace it with more beef stock.
- Beef broth or stock — while you can use chicken broth or vegetable broth here, beef brings the best flavor for this slow cooker beef stew.
- Russet potatoes — these are the best kind of potatoes for soups, but other types will work. (We’ve used gold and red potatoes in the past, and both work.) Just be very sure to add them at the end and no sooner, otherwise, they will turn to mush.
Customizations and substitutions:
There is a really great flavor from the wine in this beef stew. The wine-y notes are very apparent.
If you don’t like wine or think this will be overwhelming, use half or just replace it with beef stock. We really like the wine-forward flavor. It’s delightful and comforting.
Additions:
Beef stew is wonderfully versatile! Here are some ingredients to add to switch it up:
- Green beans
- Garlic
- Frozen peas… add these at the end
- Fresh herbs, like parsley, fresh thyme, bay leaves, etc. They make a lovely garnish and add extra flavor.
How to make this Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe:
Ready to make this easy slow cooker beef stew? Let’s get started!
Please note that we’re taking an extra step to make this stew wonderfully flavorful… and that’s done on the stovetop.
First, season the beef liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sear the beef until all sides are browned. Remove from the skillet, and transfer to the slow cooker. Leave the remaining fat/oil and browned bits in the pan.
In the same skillet, sauté the onions, carrots and celery until they’ve softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt. (This will make the veggies release juices.) The veggies will pull up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.
Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into the vegetable mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the flour has thickened the mixture and begins sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, and let the wine cook down. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any remaining browned bits. Season with the dried thyme.
Transfer the vegetables and wine to the slow cooker.
Pour the beef broth on top of the vegetables and meat.
Cook for 8 hours on the low heat setting or until the tender meat can be easily pulled apart.
An hour before serving, peel and dice the potato. Make these pieces bite-sized. Add the potatoes to the stew and cook until fork tender.
Once you reach the tender potatoes stage, it’s go time! Serve warm and enjoy with your favorite bread-y side.
How to store
This stew should be eaten within 5 days when stored in the fridge in an food-safe, airtight container.
It freezes very well because it doesn’t have any dairy products. Freeze in an food-safe, airtight container or freezer-safe zipper-locking bag for up to 4 months.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Serve this easy beef stew recipe for a gathering!
Yes, seriously. A big vat of soup is a great way to bring people together, and this recipe is a big bowl of comfort with rich flavor.
Here’s how I would use this in a hosting setting:
- Serve this stew in big soup bowls or take it to work or school in a thermos.
- Garnish the bowls with fresh thyme, parsley or green onions. (I wouldn’t add cheese.)
- Serve this slow cooker beef stew with warm bread or cornbread muffins for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
For food safety, it is best to sear meat before adding it to the slow cooker.
Searing the meat before you add it to the slow cooker is the best way to ensure a delicious texture on the beef in the stew.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- This recipe is a little fussier than a dump into the slow cooker and let it cook all day because you sear off the beef, as well as the veggies. It is worth the time doing this!
- The potato goes in near the end, so it’s going to require a little work before serving, too. It is worthwhile doing too. If you add the potato too soon, it’ll disintegrate in the soup and change the texture.
- When the timer starts approaching 8 hours, you can start checking the soup. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the beef is fully cooked. Beef should be 145°F (63°C).
More stew recipes:
Here’s how you make this crockpot beef stew:
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lb. beef stew meat
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions (about 1 ½ lbs. / 4 cups chopped)
- 2 large carrots (about ½ lb. / 1 ¼ cup chopped)
- 4 stalks celery (about 9 oz. / 2 cups chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste 32g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 30g
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup red wine
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 large russet potatoes (about 1 ½ lbs.)
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Instructions
- Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat.
- Sear the beef until all sides are browned. Remove from the skillet, and transfer to the slow cooker. Leave the remaining fat/oil and browned bits in the pan.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onions, carrots and celery until they've softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt. (This will make the veggies release juices.) The veggies will pull up the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the flour to the skillet. Stir it into the vegetable mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the flour has thickened the mixture and begins sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, and let the wine cook down. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any remaining browned bits. Season with the dried thyme.
- Transfer the vegetables and wine to the slow cooker.
- Pour the beef broth on top of the vegetables and meat.
- Cook for 8 hours on the low setting or until the beef stew meat is fork-tender. You can cook them for 4(ish) hours on the high setting, too.
- An hour before serving, peel and dice the potato. Make these pieces bite-sized. Add the potatoes to the stew and cook until tender.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
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About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
That looks delicious!!!