Get ready for a hearty bowl of slow cooker beef stew made with potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and seared beef for extra flavor. This entire meal cooks in a delicious gravy that compliments the fork-tender meat and vegetables. Now, this is comfort food!
For alternative cooking methods, try my classic beef stew recipe on the stovetop, or you can make Instant Pot beef stew.
Table of Contents
Beef stew is a staple dish that’ll warm you up on a chilly day. This recipe uses a Crock-Pot to cook big chunks of meat and vegetables over an extended period to ensure every bite is tender and tasty. What makes the stew taste so good is that the juices from the meat add flavor to the liquid when cooking, which then infuses into the carrots and potatoes.
If you’re looking for the most flavorful beef stew recipe, I highly recommend sautéing the meat first to add another layer of taste and texture. This optional step allows you to incorporate the tasty bits left on the bottom of the pan into the stew. This is a classic dish that’s easy to prepare with gourmet results!
What kind of meat do you use for beef stew?
The best meat to use is beef chuck roast or chuck eye roast. It comes from the shoulder area of the cow and has a good balance of connective tissue and fat. I use this cut for my slow cooker pot roast, with rave reviews from my family and readers.
I avoid buying pre-cut stew meat from the market unless the butcher confirms it’s from the cut mentioned above. I’d instead trim and cut down the meat myself to remove any excess fat that would make the stew too greasy.
Brown the beef
Trim any excess fat and tough visible connective tissue from the beef chuck. I cut them into large 1 ½” chunks. They will shrink significantly in size as it cooks. Season the surface with salt and pepper to enhance the taste. Sear the pieces in hot olive oil until a golden brown crust is achieved on the surface.
There will be tasty bits of fond at the bottom of the pan. To make the sauce richer in flavor, saute fresh garlic in the pan, then deglaze with some balsamic vinegar. Now you can add the flavorful liquid and beef to the slow cooker.
Do you have to cook the meat before putting it in the slow cooker?
You do not have to sear the beef before adding it to a slow cooker. Although, I find that taking a few extra minutes to brown the meat enhances the flavor through the Maillard Reaction. So, if you have the time for this recipe, I recommend the extra step. It’s something I always do for stews and braises.
How do you make beef stew in a slow cooker?
I use a 6-quart Crock-Pot to make the stew. Once the beef is seared, add the meat, vegetables, herbs, deglazed liquid from the pan, beef broth or stock, and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Other ways to enhance the flavor or the braising liquid include bay leaves, red wine, or Worcestershire sauce.
Cook on low setting for 8 hours or high setting for 4 hours. To thicken the sauce, add a cornstarch slurry and cook on the high setting for 30 to 60 minutes.
Beef cooking time
For the beef chuck to become tender, it needs to be cooked until well done. The key is to stew the meat at about 210ºF (99ºC) for at least 1 hour. This allows the connective tissue and fat to melt and soften while adding body to the liquid.
Crockpot beef stew requires hours for the insert to raise the temperature of the ingredients and maintain a simmer. Over time the beef, creamy Yukon gold potatoes, and sweet carrots will become fork-tender.
Serve this with
- Mashed potatoes
- Steamed rice
- Hawaiian dinner rolls or whole wheat rolls
- Garlic bread
- Roasted green beans
More slow cooker recipes
Recipe Science
Can you overcook beef stew in a slow cooker?
It takes a few hours for the slow cooker to reach and maintain its simmer point at around 209ºF (99ºC), and that’s why you can cook for several hours without overcooking the beef. If you don’t cook the meat long enough, it can taste tough and chewy, but excessive cooking past 10 hours on low will dry out the meat eventually.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, 1 ½" pieces
- 2 cups carrots, 1" pieces
- 1 cup celery, ½" pieces
- 1 cup red onions, 1" dice
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 ¾ pounds beef chuck , chuck eye roll or chuck tender roast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups unsalted beef stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables – Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and thyme to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the Beef – Cut beef into 1 ½" pieces, trimming off any excess fat or connective tissue. Combine with salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Brown the Meat – Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the beef in a single layer. Saute until golden brown on one side, 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Deglaze the Pan – Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar. Turn heat to medium-high, deglaze the pan using a whisk to scrape any browned bits, and incorporate into the liquid.Reduce the sauce, frequently stirring, until 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid remain, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the liquid to the slow cooker.
- Cook the Stew – Add beef stock and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the High setting for 4 hours or the Low setting for 8 hours.
- Thicken the Stew – Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add the slurry mixture to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on High setting for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the sauce becomes slightly thickened.
- To Serve – Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Serve garnished with parsley.
Equipment
Notes
- Make it Whole-30: Substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos. Substitute cornstarch with 6 tablespoons arrowroot flour (starch/powder) Bob’s Red Mill is recommended, mixed with 6 tablespoons water to make a slurry.
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze in a resealable plastic bag for 3 months. Defrost before using.
- Reheating: Cover and reheat in the microwave on high setting in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until hot. Heat on the stovetop or medium heat until hot. Add more beef stock if needed.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Raymond says
Cook Time is shown as 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins.
Recipe indicates 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low.
Does that contradict?
Kate Brookman says
Love the crock pot stew my husband is a Yorkshire guy and loves stew served on a large Yorkshire pudding the way his Mum did. It’s pretty good that way.
Jessica Gavin says
I need to try the beef stew with Yorkshire pudding!
Cristina says
Incredible recipe!!! So delicious! I serve with egg noodles or rice!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Cristina!
Anne says
Love love your recipes and instructions- simply brilliant. Cooking up deliciousness down under From an Aussie (Australian) 👍🏻
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Anne!
Norma says
If not using thyme sprigs, how much dehydrated to use?
Jessica Gavin says
I would use about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
Ingrid Formosa says
This recipe was so easy to follow! The smell aroma prepping the balsamic and garlic brought my 17 year out of his room! The meat fell apart the vegetables cooked to perfection. My family absolutely loved it!!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, your descriptors for making the beef stew are making me hungry! So happy that everyone enjoyed the meal.
Paula taylor says
Didn’t see where to add minced garlic?
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for the catch, Paula! I’ve updated the recipe to include when to add the minced garlic.
Martin says
Used this recipe for the first time and it was wonderful.
I had never deglazed the pan before in the manner. The balsamic is a great touch.
I found this recipe to be quite straightforward and a timesaver. I’ll definitely be using it again!
Jeannie Pelletier says
This stew was amazing! I made it for Valentines Day. My husband and I loved it. Your recipes and information/advice is excellent. Tomorrow night will be your Bourbon Chicken and Easy Fried Rice. Thank you for these recipes!
Rosma says
Hi Jessica,
I made your stew yesterday and it turned out amazing!
Full disclosure: I hardly ever follow a recipe exactly as written, partly because sometimes I improvise to fit what’s in my pantry/Fridge, and partly because “improvised cooking” is more my style. Having said that, I did follow this one, with a few minor changes:
I used 3lbs. of beef (because I love a beefy stew!), and then did x 1.5 on all the other ingredients, except the potatoes, where I actually reduced them just to keep things a bit less carb heavy, and added about 2 cups of mushrooms a couple of hours into the cooking time (I just love mushrooms!). I also replaced one cup of beef broth with one cup of beef bone broth – not sure why, but saw it at the supermarket and thought I’d give it a go since I keep hearing about how good it is for you. And I added about 1/2 cup of shallots because I love them.
Then I was out of balsamic vinegar, but had some delicious fig & chocolate balsamic vinegars so I used a combination of both, and I have to say that they added an amazing aroma and tangy sweetness that I love!
Other than that, I made it in a crockpot and followed your recipe steps (with the browned beef and cornstarch), and timing.
Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as yours, but it tastes soooo good! We had it again for dinner tonight, and the beef is even more tender and the veggies just melt in your mouth!
I have a couple other of your recipes on my list for this week, and I am excited to try them. Thank you so much for sharing your cooking tips and beautiful images!
Rosma
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, all of your modifications sounds so tasty! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with the beef stew.
Steven Harvey Hirsch says
I madt the stew yesterday, Jessica, and my wife complimented me — and therefore you!
The only changes I made were because I happened to have about a 6 oz piece of lamb in my freezer, which I trimmed and cubed and combined with the chuck I bought for this dish
I also did not use any thickener because I am diabetic and my wife is gluten-sensitive. Instead, I crumbled a slice of Ezekiel flourless whole-grain bread in the bottom of my each serving bowl, spooned the stew over that and ladeled some of the liquid over that. The bread soaked up the liquid that worked just fine.
I’d never made a stew with Balsamic vinegar in the sauce, and I thought that was terrific.
Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, I’m sure adding in the lamb made the dish even more flavorful! I LOVE the idea of adding in the flourless bread to add thickness and soak up the liquid 🙂
Zeke says
This recipe is very similar to one we have had in the family for years, the biggest difference is red potatoes instead of Yukon golds, a cubed up rutabaga and adding cooked pearled barley right at the end, and instead of cornstarch we dredge the meat in flour before searing the meat, this acts as a thickener.
I enjoy your other recipes and science lessons too!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for sharing your family recipe and thickening technique!
Cindy Hodgkiss says
I made this stew yesterday and gave half to my friend… best stew any of us have ever tasted!!
I also did hard boiled eggs tonight following how you posted.. peels came off almost whole, and they were cooked perfectly.
The way you explain about food makes cooking make sense… thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
You are a good friend to share Cindy! Thank you for your feedback on the stew and eggs.