Nothing beats an Easy Crockpot Beef Stew, loaded with tender garden vegetables and slow-cooked to perfection!
Our hearty and flavorful slow cooker beef stew has all the traditional ingredients you love from a classic beef stew, gently simmered in a thick and savory seasoned sauce that’s perfect for dipping a thick chunk of no knead bread into.
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Why We Love This Easy Beef Stew Recipe
- A homemade, hearty beef stew that satisfies even the hungriest appetite!
- Beef stew meat recipes are economical, filling, and easy to make!
- Go from stovetop to Crockpot (or Instant Pot) in minutes!
- Veggie sides are cooked with the meat, saving time and energy!
- An old-fashioned must-have recipe for every home cook’s recipe file!
Beef Stew Ingredients
BEEF Use beef stew meat from tougher cuts like the shoulder or top and bottom rounds. The meat will become tender as it slow cooks with the broth and spices.
VEGETABLES Use fresh vegetables whenever possible. A classic Irish beef stew is made with potatoes, carrots, and celery. But add mushrooms, sweet potatoes, pearl onions, or corn.
SAVORY GRAVY Along with the beef stew seasoning blend, make a rich and creamy gravy with a cornstarch slurry. For a richer flavor, add a splash of red wine or a little tomato paste to the broth.
How to Make Beef Stew in a Crock-Pot
A simple beef stew is a time and energy-saving recipe that can be made all year round!
- Working in batches, coat & sear stew meat, place in Crockpot.
- Place sautéed onion in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, cover with broth.
- Cover and cook (per recipe below) until meat & vegetables are tender.
- Stir slurry into stew until desired thickness is achieved.
Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
- Sauté beef and onion in the Instant Pot.
- Add remaining ingredients, making sure they are covered in the broth (add more if necessary).
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then allow the steam to naturally release.
- Prepare a slurry and slowly stir into the stew until desired thickness is achieved.
Tips and Tricks
Check out our tips and tricks for the best ever quick beef stew!
- No need to buy pricey beef! For stew, the less expensive cuts will come out juicy and tender every time.
- For a keto version of Irish stew, replace the potatoes and carrots with cabbage, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.
- No time to prep fresh veggies? No problem! Toss in a frozen bag of vegetable medley.
- Add frozen peas to a bowl of stew to cool it down for little ones!
How To Thicken Beef Stew
It’s easy to thicken soups and stews by making a slurry from a 1:1 ratio of corn starch to cold water. Shake the slurry in a jar until it’s smooth and slowly pour into the stew. Then cook until desired thickness is achieved.
Got Leftovers?
Keep leftover beef stew in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove. For a completely new entrée, pour beef stew into a casserole dish and cover with uncooked dumplings (add extra broth to cover). Bake in the oven until the dumplings are cooked and serve hot.
Can You Freeze Beef Stew?
Freeze cooled stew in zippered bags for up to 3 months. Let beef stew thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove.
Other Easy Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage – so much flavor!
- Simple Beef Stroganoff – a family favorite.
- Beef Brisket Slow Cooker Recipe – easy to make in the crock pot.
- Hamburger Foil Packets – perfect for summer cooking!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stewing beef cut into bite sized pieces
- ¼ -½ cup flour to coat beef
- 4 Tablespoons oil
- 1 onion cut in slices
- 3 potatoes diced
- 3-4 carrot sliced
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup pickle juice or tomato juice, or additional beef broth
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder *
- 2 teaspoons onion powder *
- 2 teaspoons beef base or beef bouillon*, optional
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 cups peas frozen, (thawed**) or fresh
Instructions
- Toss stewing beef with flour to coat. Shake excess.
- In a medium skillet on medium to medium high heat, add 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add ¼ of the beef and brown for about 2 minutes, then stir or flip and brown for 2 more minutes. Add to bottom of the slow cooker, and repeat with the remaining beef in 3 more batches.
- Add onion to skillet, and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add to slow cooker.
- Add potatoes, carrots, celery, beef broth, pickle juice, garlic powder*, onion powder*, beef base*, and pepper to the slow cooker. Make sure all ingredients are covered. If not, arrange to cover or add additional broth if needed.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
- Mix together cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch slurry and peas to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Serve with bread or dumplings
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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