This recipe makes the best slow cooker beef stew to cozy up with during the winter season, for instance. Sweet and savory vegetables and tender browned beef burst with flavor in this hefty, hearty stew.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
The following is a simple, straightforward slow cooker beef stew recipe with easy-to-follow directions.
This is an adaptable recipe so you can swap out, add, or subtract vegetables and spices to suit your tastes.
Recipe Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef stewing cubes – or beef chuck roast sliced into cubes
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp olive oil – plus more if needed
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine – or swap with 1 more cup beef broth
- 1 lb baby yellow potatoes – halved or quartered
- 4 medium carrots – peeled & cut into 1″ chunks (about 1.5 cups)
- 6 oz canned tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
How To Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Follow the steps below or see the full ingredients and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1. Cut the 2 ½ lbs of beef chuck roast into 1-inch cubes. Discard the fat but fat marbelized in the meat should be kept for flavor. Of you can use pre-cut beef stewing cubes.
STEP 2. Toss the beef cubes with ¼ cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Shake off any excess.
STEP 3. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in small batches, browning each side for 30-45 seconds. Do not overcrowd the pan as this will steam the meat and not sear the meat. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker when done.
STEP 4. Add 2 cups of chopped yellow onion and 1 cup chopped celery to the frying pan along with a bit more olive oil if needed. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until onions turn translucent. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 more minute. Add to the slow cooker along with any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan (for flavor).
STEP 5. Add these other ingredients to the slow cooker: 4 cups beef broth, 1 cup red wine (or 1 extra cup beef broth), 1 lb quartered baby potatoes, 4 chopped carrots, 6 oz tomato paste, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper.
STEP 6. Stir everything together and cook on low for 7 ½ -8 hrs or high 3 ½ – 4 hrs. Check doneness by poking potatoes and carrots with a fork.
STEP 7. Stir in the 1 cup frozen peas in the last 15 minutes and discard the bay leaves. Cook for 5 more minutes then turn off the heat (the stew will continue to thicken more as it sits). Scoop into bowls and serve warm.
Recipe Tips:
- Try not to move the beef around in the pan. Instead, turn it over using tongs.
- Avoid overcrowding the beef while cooking as it won’t brown properly.
- After the beef is cooked in the frying pan, use a little bit of wine or beef broth to lift the leftover bits from the pan. Add this to the stew for extra flavor.
- Add more black pepper to the recipe if you want more spice and a bit of an edge.
- If in a hurry you can use a pack of frozen stew vegetables in place of chopped vegetables.
Storage
- Refrigerate – Beef stew tastes great the next day! Make sure to store in an air-tight container and eat within 4 -7 days.
- To Freeze – Store in an air-tight container or freezer bag and thaw to eat later.
- To Reheat – Beef stew can be reheated in the microwave by placing a lid over top to trap the steam allowing it to heat more efficiently and evenly. You can also reheat it on the stovetop by turning the heat to medium-low and covering it until it reaches the desired temperature.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 7 Qt Slow Cooker – This crock pot slow cooker is really affordable with great ratings and a good size.
- Grey Frying Pan with Soft Touch Handle – A frying pan is needed to first sear the meat and then sautee the vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Steel Kitchen Tongs – I always have multiple pairs of stainless steel tongs in my kitchen so I can avoid contamination when cooking raw vs. cooked meat.
- Steel Soup Ladle – Great for scooping up soup, sauces and gravy.
- Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set – I love these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized together when storing them
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef stewing cubes - or beef chuck roast sliced into cubes
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp olive oil - plus more if needed
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine - or swap with 1 more cup beef broth
- 1 lb baby yellow potatoes - halved or quartered
- 4 medium carrots - peeled & cut into 1" chunks (about 1.5 cups)
- 6 oz canned tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Cut the 2 ½ lbs of beef chuck roast into 1-inch cubes. Discard the fat but fat marbelized in the meat should be kept for flavor.
- Toss the beef cubes with ¼ cup of all purpose flour in a bowl. Shake off any excess.
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in small batches, browning each side for 30-45 seconds. Do not overcrowd the pan as this will steam the meat and not sear it. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
- Add 2 cups of chopped yellow onion and 1 cup chopped celery to the frying pan along with a bit more olive oil if needed. Cook 1-2 minutes, until onions turn translucent. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 more minute. Add to the slow cooker along with any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan (for flavor).
- Add these other ingredients to the slow cooker: 4 cups beef broth, 1 cup red wine (or 1 extra cup beef broth), 1 lb quartered baby potatoes, 4 chopped carrots, 6 oz tomato paste, 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp italian seasoning, 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Stir everything together and cook on low 7 ½ -8 hrs or high 3 ½ – 4 hrs. Check doneness by poking potatoes and carrots with a fork.
- Stir in the 1 cup frozen peas in the last 15 minutes and discard the bay leaves.
- Cook for 5 more minutes then turn off heat (the stew will continue to thicken more as it sits).
- Scoop into bowls and serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Refrigerate – Beef stew tastes great the next day! Make sure to store in an air-tight container and eat within 4 -7 days.
- To Freeze – Store in an air-tight container or freezer bag and eat when ready.
- To Reheat – Beef stew can be reheated in the microwave by placing a lid over top to trap the steam allowing it to heat more efficiently and evenly. You can also reheat it on the stovetop by turning the heat to medium-low and covering it until it reaches the desired temperature.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.