Ultimate Slow Cooker Beef Stew is easy to prep then leave to cook for the perfect, comforting cold weather dinner with hearty ingredients.
Like my Classic Beef Stew this slow cooker version is an easy, comfort food Soup Recipe you can make any day of the week. For some extra depth of flavor make my Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Sabrina’s Ultimate Slower Cooker Beef Stew
Slow cooker meals are so popular and with good reason. There is less time with school and holidays and the weather is so cold everyone wants food that is hearty and comforting. This Ultimate Slow Cooker Beef Stew is the best of all worlds.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 3 pound chuck roast , boneless
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 4 carrots , peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 4 Yukon potatoes , cut into 2 inch chunks
- 4 cups beef broth *
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , unsalted
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet or aluminum slow cooker insert on high heat.
- Season the beef with half the salt and all the pepper.
- Add to the skillet and brown on each side for 4-6 minutes or until deeply browned on each side.
- Remove the beef from the pan and add in the onions.
- Cut the beef into 2-3 inch chunks and add it to the slow cooker.
- Cook the onions for 3 minutes, stir then cook another 3 minutes.
- Into the slow cooker add the onions, carrots, potatoes, broth, second half of the salt, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir all the ingredients until well mixed and cook on low for 7 hours.
- In a small bowl mix the butter and flour and add it to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook an additional hour or until thickened.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Table of contents
Chef’s Note: Best Meat for Beef Stew
Chuck Roast: This is the most old-fashioned and classic cut of meat for most pot roasts or beef stews. You can use this as a replacement for recipes that call for stew meat because chuck roasts are typically well-marbled, just be sure when buying the meat you look for more even fat distribution.
Stew Meat: This is the easiest way to go. It’s not an expensive cut of meat because it is pre-cut. This is generally not high quality though and is usually extra cuts left over that the butcher is looking to sell off. Avoid this cut in the grocery store if possible.
Ribeye: If you want to impress your guests and you are cooking this during the holidays, you may find a ribeye roast is on sale. During the holiday season it usually sells for a VERY low price (comparable sometimes to chuck). Get a 4 inch thick cut and use it to make the best roasts and stews with it, because it will be a luxurious treat with the most tender beef you’ve ever eaten.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Aluminum Insert Slow Cooker: You brown the meat in the insert without losing a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind.
- Cast Iron Skillet: If you don’t have a slow cooker with a stovetop friendly
- insert, this is the most used pan in our kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
What to Pair with Stew
Serving suggestion? You can enjoy this meal with Crusty French Bread Rolls or Garlic Bread and a side salad (a nice lemon/olive oil dressing would be great to cut through all the hearty flavors here). The Beef Stew is great for bread dipping.
How to Store
- Serve: Don’t leave meat dishes out for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once the stew has cooled down to room temperature, put it in an airtight container to store it in the fridge. It will keep well for 2-3 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze Slow Cooker Beef Stew for up to 3 months. Keep it in a freezer bag or other airtight container, and let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it in a dutch oven on the stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brown your beef! This recipe uses a chuck roast, seared well on both sides, then trimmed and cut it into 2-3 inch chunks.
One of the easiest and most delicious ingredients in this stew: Yukon Potatoes! They’re buttery and rich and won’t fall apart after a long day of cooking. You also don’t need to peel these potatoes which will cut down significantly on the work you have to do before cooking.
If not using a base use beef stock instead of broth, and it’s even more important to get a good sear on the meat, then deglaze the pan with the stock to make sure all the beef flavor comes with it.
Instead of crushed or diced tomatoes we use tomato paste, the concentration of flavors without adding additional liquid makes for a more flavorful stew.
In a stew you aren’t looking for the consistency to be that of a soup, so minimizing added liquids is helpful. If you use canned tomatoes, be sure to drain the can.
To thicken beef stew you can either mix equal parts of flour/butter together and add it to the last hour of cooking or you can simply mash 3 or 4 chunks of the potatoes well and mix it into the stew for a natural thickener.
Instead of four cups of beef broth add in 3 cups of broth and one cup of red wine and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Related Recipes
More Cozy Stew Recipes
Photos used in a previous version of this post.
Can this be cooked on high for shorter time?
Sam, I think low heat would be better because you want your stew meat to be tender. High heat can result in tough chewy meat.
It has been ages since I’ve made a beef stew and even longer since I’ve used my slow cooker. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT RECIPE!! I followed it almost exactly and only varied the recipe because I was low or out a few items and had to substitute. The sauce was delicious and my husband loved it. He indicated that we could even serve this at a dinner party.
So glad your family enjoyed the recipe Emily and thanks for the five star review.
Loved this recipe. Very reminiscent of my Mom’s. I’ve never been able to get mine to taste ?ight even though I’ve tried many recipes over the years. But your recipe made it happen.Thanks for sharing.
Oh I love this comment Rosemary. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the five star review.
Love this stew. Followed Sabrina’s recipe to a T. When you cook you can alway’s count on Sabrina.
Appreciate your sweet comment Judy and thank you for the five star “vote of confidence” 🙂