Crockpot Beef Stew

This Crockpot Beef Stew is the ultimate winter comfort food. Prep this slow cooker beef stew in the morning and it is ready by dinner time.

Brown the beef, chop a few vegetables, and the crockpot handles the rest — ten hours on low, or five on high if you’ve started late. It comes out of the pot with the beef falling apart and a broth that tastes like it took far more attention than it did. It’s one of my favorite meals to make on a chilly Sunday while football is on tv.

The one step I’d ask you not to skip is browning the beef first. It’s eight minutes, and it’s the difference between stew that tastes slow-cooked and stew that tastes boiled.

make a cozy beef stew in the crockpot

One of my favorite things to do on a cold winter night is stay home and enjoy a cozy stew. I love a good beef stew and this one is extra special because you can make it in the slow cooker.

This crockpot beef stew is so easy to make. It is loaded with flavor and all you need to do is prep the ingredients and walk away. Then, in a few hours you will be ready to enjoy a comforting beef stew that tastes like you stirred it on the stovetop all day.

Serve it directly from the slow cooker with a big hunk of fresh bread, some fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Your family and friends will love this cozy winter meal. There is nothing better than beef stew crock pot style!

Serving Suggestions

This crockpot beef stew is ready to serve directly out of the crock pot. If you want to add some extra garnishes, top it with some fresh cracked black pepper, freshly chopped parsley and shredded parmesan cheese.

I also like to buy a loaf of crusty Italian bread at the market or my homemade overnight bread recipe. Rip off a big hunk and use it to soak up all the broth at the bottom of the soup bowl. There is nothing better than a winter stew with some good bread.

This slow cooker recipe is the perfect winter dinner and would be great for a dinner party because you can prepare it ahead of time and truly enjoy the time with your guests. I would serve this simple beef stew recipe with some homemade focaccia and a lemon kale caesar salad. All of these things can be prepared ahead of time which will really cut down on your hands on cooking time.

For a chicken variation, try this Chicken Stew recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Beef stew meat — I buy a whole chuck roast and cube it myself; it’s cheaper than pre-cut stew meat and the pieces are even. Sirloin or round also work. Pat it dry so it browns instead of steaming.
• All purpose flour — It helps the beef brown and thickens the stew as it cooks. Use a 1:1 gluten-free blend if you need to.
• Olive oil — for browning. Any high-heat oil works.
• Baby yellow or red potatoes — waxy, so they hold their shape over a long cook. Yukon Golds cut into 1-inch cubes work too; russets break down more, which thickens the stew.
• Carrots and celery — cut the carrots into thick 1-inch chunks, bigger than feels right, or they turn to mush. The celery you won’t taste on its own, but you’d miss it.
• Green peas — fresh or frozen, stirred in 10 minutes before serving. Any earlier and they go grey.
• Beef broth and red wine — No wine? Use 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus an extra ½ cup broth. Vegetable or chicken broth, or a bouillon cube, all work. Low-sodium broth is worth it here, since the stew concentrates over ten hours.
• Tomato paste and Worcestershire — the two ingredients doing most of the flavor work: body and sweetness from one, savory depth from the other. For gluten free, swap the Worcestershire for tamari or coconut aminos.
• Salt, pepper and bay leaves — taste at the end, and remember to fish out the bay leaves.
• Optional: minced garlic, or extra vegetables like onions, shallots, mushrooms or parsnips.

How to make crockpot beef stew

Step 1: Brown stew meat and prep other ingredients

To begin, cut stew beef into bite size pieces and toss in flour. Heat oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat.

Then, add beef to hot oil and cook for 8 minutes, tossing frequently, to brown the outside.

Next, cut potatoes into quarters, peel and slice carrots into rounds, and slice celery into half moons.

Step 2: Place all ingredients in the crockpot

Then, whisk beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper together.

Add browned beef and any drippings from the pan to your slow cooker along with the potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, liquid mixture and the bay leaves.

Step 3: slow cook and serve

Then, stir to mix the ingredients and close the lid of the slow cooker. You can make this beef stew on either low or high heat depending on how much time you have.

Cook on low for 10 hours. Or if you have less time, cook on high for 5 hours. Stir occasionally while cooking if possible.

Finally, remove bay leaves and serve with fresh cracked black pepper, freshly grated parmesan cheese and some fresh chopped parsley.

Crockpot Beef Stew FAQs

Storage, reheating and freezing

Allow the stew to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. Place in the fridge and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat in sauce pan on the stove top over medium-low heat until just warmed through. I like to refresh reheated soup with some fresh cracked black pepper, fresh herbs and a bit of grated parmesan cheese.

You can freeze this beef stew, but one caveat on freezing: the potatoes soften and go a little grainy after thawing. If you know you’re freezing a batch, leave them out and add fresh ones when you reheat. Transfer to a freezer safe container after cooling and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to use souper cubes for freezing.