Whoa. Just, WHOA. I’ve never smelled anything as lovely and drool-inducing as this Crockpot Beef Stew. The incredible aroma had my mouth watering for hours as the tender chunks of beef and vegetables simmered away in the flavorful gravy. I couldn’t wait to lift the lid and take a quick taste. And when I finally did? INCREDIBLE. This crockpot beef stew recipe is one you’ll definitely want to make before winter is over!
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“I have been making this recipe for 3 years now, and it never fails to be the best beef stew I have ever cooked or tasted! Thanks for sharing this recipe.”
Sandy
Crockpot beef stew, in its most basic form, is really simple. It’s just chunky pieces of beef, vegetables, broth, and some herbs and spices, all cooked down until it forms a delicious cozy gravy. But I took this recipe up a few notches with some extra special ingredients that add more umami and flavor to the stew gravy. The ingredient list may look long, but I promise it’s worth it.
Here’s what you’ll need for the most incredible crockpot beef stew ever:
- Beef Stew Meat: Stew meat, which is usually cubed chuck steak, tends to be a tougher cut, but it softens to an extremely tender texture when cooked low and slow (like in a crockpot).
- All-Purpose Flour: Lightly coating the stew meat in flour and then searing it before it goes into the crockpot increases the Maillard reaction and deepens the flavor. The flour also helps thicken the stew’s gravy.
- Vegetables: I use a hearty and flavorful mix of carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes to create a naturally flavorful gravy. The vegetables also help thicken the gravy as they break down into the broth.
- Beef Broth: Broth acts as the base for the gravy and provides a nice moist environment for the meat to cook to tender perfection. Make sure to use a broth with great flavor. I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth.
- Seasonings: This is where we really take the flavor to the next level. For this recipe, I combined garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to make an over-the-top good gravy that is full of layered flavor and umami goodness.
What Else Can I add?
This slow cooker beef stew is pretty lush as is, but there are always options if you want to add more! Try adding 8 oz. mushrooms with the vegetables in the beginning (sliced in half) for more vegetable goodness. If you have some red wine on hand, deglaze the skillet used to brown the beef with the wine before proceeding with the gravy. Want it to look extra fancy? I’d sub 8 oz. pearl onions in place of the chopped onion in the recipe below.
How to Thicken Beef Stew
There are multiple ways to thicken a beef stew, but I prefer to allow the stew to thicken naturally as the vegetables cook and begin to break down into the broth. The stew may look a little watery when you first lift the lid, but once you begin to stir, the starches in the vegetables will begin to thicken the liquid into a gravy-like consistency.
Alternately, if you prefer a firmer vegetable, you can add them in the last hour of cooking and then use a cornstarch slurry (3 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water) to thicken your stew. Once the cornstarch is mixed into the broth and brought to a boil, it will thicken into a gravy. This method will result in a less flavorful gravy and a slightly glossy appearance.
- Sear the meat first. Browning the beef gives it an extra deep flavor that can’t be achieved in the moist environment of the slow cooker alone.
- Add extra umami. Adding ingredients to the broth that contain a lot of umami, like Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, ramps up the flavor in the stew and makes the flavor extra “meaty”.
- Don’t rush it. Stew meat needs to cook low and slow for a long time in order for the tough connective tissues to break down and become tender. If your stew meat is tough, reduce the heat and cook it a little longer.
- Don’t skip the veggies. Including a variety of vegetables in your stew not only adds texture and color, but the vegetables also add a ton of extra flavor to the gravy, so you’ll get a delicious, multi-dimensional flavor in the final stew.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is a pretty well-rounded meal on its own, but you’ll want to sop up every drop of that deliciously thick brown gravy. I suggest serving it with some bread on the side, like my focaccia rolls or garlic bread. A bowl of creamy polenta, warm rice, or egg noodles is also delicious. But whenever I want to stretch this recipe further to feed a bunch of people, I always serve it with a fresh veggie side, too! Some easy steamed green beans, oven roasted broccoli, canned corn, or sautéed Brussels sprouts are all super easy to prep and cook while the stew finishes up in the crockpot.
- Swap out the meat. Don’t like stew beef? Why not try ground beef in this recipe?! I know, I know, it’s not quite the same, but my slow cooker hamburger stew recipe is a reader favorite, just like this one. 😉
- Cook it in an Instant Pot: When I first posted this slow cooker beef stew, I got a ton of comments asking if it could be made in an Instant Pot. So, I created this instant pot beef stew recipe! It’s a bit quicker and is perfect for those days when you don’t have time to wait for the crockpot.
- Use a different stock. I HIGHLY recommend sticking with the beef stock in this recipe for an ultra beefy, savory flavor. But you could use chicken or vegetable broth if that’s all you have. Or, use a combination of stocks like I do in my chicken stew recipe.
- Add beans. If you want to add some extra protein and bulk up the stew, try adding a can of drained and rinsed beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking. I’d add white beans, just like we use in our shrimp and white bean stew, but any type will do!
Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe
This Crockpot Beef Stew is the perfect cozy meal for a cold winter day with tender pieces of beef, vegetables, and a flavorful gravy.
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- 2 lbs. red potatoes ($2.40)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 3 carrots ($0.44)
- 4 stalks celery ($0.44)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1.5 lbs. beef stew meat ($11.24)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 2 cups beef broth ($0.27)
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.13)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 1.5 tsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1.5 tsp dried rosemary ($0.15)
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme ($0.15)
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Dice the onion and red potatoes. Slice the carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. Place the prepared vegetables in a four or five quart slow cooker.
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Place the stew meat in a bowl and sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over top. Toss the meat until it’s evenly coated in flour.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom. Stir and then allow the beef to brown on a second side. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
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Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium-low. Add the broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium-low until all the browned bits have dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.
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Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker and everything a good stir.
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Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
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After cooking the meat and vegetables should both be tender. Stir the stew well to allow the potatoes to slightly break down and thicken the gravy. Taste the stew and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!
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Serving: 1.25cupsCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 23gFat: 8gSodium: 591mgFiber: 3g
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How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the vegetables for the stew first. You’ll need to dice 2 lbs. red potatoes and one yellow onion, slice 4 stalks of celery and 3 carrots, and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
Place all of your chopped vegetables in a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker or crockpot.
Place 1.5 lbs. stew meat (beef chuck) in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper over the meat. Toss the beef until it’s evenly coated in flour, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When it’s very hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the stew meat and let it cook until browned on the bottom, then stir and allow it to brown on the second side again. Do not stir often, or the beef will not have a chance to brown. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and add 2 cups beef broth, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tsp brown sugar, 1.5 tsp dried rosemary, and 1.5 tsp thyme. Heat and stir the ingredients until all of the browned bits are dissolved off the bottom of the skillet.
Pour the broth over the ingredients in the slow cooker. It’s okay if the broth does not fully cover the ingredients in the at this point.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
After four hours on high (or eight hours on low) the stew should look a little like this. The meat and vegetables should both be tender. The gravy may look a little thin at this point, but don’t worry…
Give the stew a good stir and the potatoes will break down a bit and thicken the gravy into a nice rich consistency. Depending on the type of broth used, you may want to taste the stew and add salt to your liking (I did not add any).
Serve your slow cooker beef stew as is or spooned over a bowl of hot rice or pasta. THIS will keep you warm and full on cold winter days!
This Crockpot Beef Stew was originally published 10/14/2014. It was updated and republished 1/24/25.
2025-01-25 14:30:00
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