Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This traditional Beef Stew is the best Slow Cooker recipe for Fall and Winter. It’s loaded with tender bites of juicy beef, golden potatoes, carrots, peas, red wine, onions, garlic, and a hearty beef broth. Serve it with warm biscuits, cornbread, or even over mashed potatoes.
Be sure to try my Crock Pot Roast and Pork Stew recipes next!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of rich and flavorful beef stew. It’s such a traditional Fall and Winter comfort food. I’ve been working on slight variations of this recipe for years and I have to say, this version is definitely the best ever.
All of the ingredients in this recipe complement each other so well, and the quantities of each are perfect, with no ingredient overpowering another.
Let’s get into everything you need to know. From the what cuts of beef to use, the best potatoes for stew, pro tips, storage, and more:
How to Make It
See recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient quantities and full instructions
Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discard any large pieces of fat. Fat marbleized into the meat is fine!
Season beef with pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Toss to coat. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss again. Sear the meat in batches for 45 seconds per side and transfer to the Slow Cooker.
Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and soften the onions and garlic, scraping up any meat remnants up from the pot. Add a splash of wine to help loosen if necessary. Transfer to the Slow Cooker.
Add all remaining ingredients except for the peas, corn starch, and 2 Tablespoons of cold butter. Heat on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are fork tender.
Add the peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking. To thicken, combine 1/4 cup cold water + 3 Tablespoons corn starch and slowly stir it into the broth. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Turn off heat and remove the bay leaves and rosemary stem. Add browning and seasoning sauce.
Best Beef for Stew
- Chuck roasts -The best option. It is preferred over other cuts because of the connective tissue, which makes it more tender. (Bonus: It’s also a less expensive cut than other types.)
- Rump roasts
- Bottom rounds
Best Potatoes to Use
Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes are best for stews as they have less starch content and hold up much better than russet potatoes, which tend to fall apart and break down into the stew.
Searing the Meat
Searing the beef adds a nice color, flavor, and texture for the stew, it also creates a nice base to soften up the onions and garlic. The remnants from the meat are loosened up with butter/wine and transferred to the Slow Cooker for the ultimate flavor base.
Sear just long enough to give the exterior a crisp texture, don’t cook it all the way through. 45 seconds per side is all it takes.
Can You Put Raw Beef in the Slow Cooker?
Yes. If you don’t have time to sear the meat, you can toss it in the flour mixture and place it right in the Slow Cooker along with the uncooked onions and garlic.
Red Wine Substitute
An equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice may be used instead of wine, along with 2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar. The acidity helps to break down and tenderize the meat.
For an Irish twist on this recipe, use 1 cup of extra stout Guinness instead of wine.
Pro Tips
- Handle the beef least amount possible for extra juicy, tender results. Otherwise you’ll cause juices to run right out of it which will make it tough.
- Swirl in 2 Tablespoons of cold butter at the very end for a smooth, velvety finish. This is a technique that chefs use called “Monter au beurre”.
- Optional ingredient additions include celery, green beans, parsnips, and sweet potatoes.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 47!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Measuring Spoons– To measure out the seasonings.
- Pinch Bowls– I measure out my seasonings ahead of time and add them to these small bowls so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them.
- Garlic Twister– it’s much more flavorful to mince fresh garlic. This twister does it in seconds and is easy to clean and store.
- Soup Bowls –(I love these!)
- 16 oz. storage containers – I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
- Cornbread
- Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
- Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole Recipe
- Mashed Potatoes
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Try These Next
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds stew meat, see notes
- ½ teaspoon EACH: black pepper, garlic salt, celery salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, divided
- 2 cups yellow onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon, or merlot. See notes.
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup Cold Water + 3 tablespoons Corn Starch, Optional
- 2-3 drops
Gravy Master , (Optional)- Adds an even richer darker color.
Instructions
- Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discard any large pieces of fat. Fat marbleized into the meat is fine!
- Sprinkle beef with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Toss to coat. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss again.
- Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. Brown on each side for 45 seconds. Add more oil if needed. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Reduce heat to medium and melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add a splash of wine and use a silicone spatula to deglaze the pan, loosening up any brown remnants. This will give the stew lots of good flavor. Transfer the onions/garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add all remaining ingredients except for the peas, corn starch mixture, and 2 tablespoons of cold butter.
- Cook on low for 7 ½ to 8 hours or high for 3½ to 4 hours, until the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are fork tender.
- Add the peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary stem.
- Optional: To thicken, combine ¼ cup COLD water with 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Slowly add it to the stew, stirring to incorporate. It will continue to thicken upon standing.
- Turn off the heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of cold butter for a smooth, velvety finish. This is a technique that chefs use called “Monter au Beurre”.Optional: Add 3 drops of Gravy Master for an even darker color.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Best cuts of Beef for Stew • Chuck roasts (the best option)
• Rump roasts
• Bottom rounds You can also season and sear a whole roast for about 8 minutes total, and then cut it into cubes. This results in less moisture loss, but there is also less surface area to season and add a seared texture to.
Red Wine Substitute
- An equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice may be used instead of wine, along with 2 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar. The acidity helps to break down and tenderize the meat.
- For an Irish twist on this recipe, use 1 cup of extra stout Guinness instead of wine.
Optional ingredient addition: Celery, green beans, parsnips, and sweet potatoes.
This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 47!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 6 servings.
I can’t seem to find the answer in previous comments. Is there anything I can substitute for the beef bullion? More beef stock? Vegetable bullion?
Hi Casey, you could use chicken bouillon if possible, otherwise vegetable will work 🙂
This is the only beef stew recipe I use. It’s delicious just as is or making adjustments to suit your taste. It’s really delicious every time!
I’m soooo happy to hear that!!! Thank you so so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Smoked a brisket and have leftovers. Would this recipe work well with the leftover brisket?
Hi Ashly, there would be no need to sear it, and because it’s already cooked and won’t be cooking in the broth it won’t add quite as much flavor, but you can do it!
Very good. Used filet mignon tips. Excellent taste. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Yummm! I bet that was amazing! Thanks so much for the great review Tim!!
Very excited to try this but my slow cooker isn’t big enough. Can I make this is a deutsch oven over the stove instead?
Hi Alyson, here are stove top instructions: T
Follow steps 1-3, after searing the meat, I would add the 1/2 cup wine (don’t use the full 1 cup) and let it bubble and reduce over medium heat until reduced by half (about 5-6 minutes). Resume with step 4. Then bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the seared beef along with any juices from the plate. Cover partially and let it bubble very gently over medium-low heat for 1-2 hours, or until the potatoes are fork tender. This will cook the meat slowly, keeping it tender. It will also concentrate the broth. Stir it occasionally as it cooks and decrease heat if it starts to boil. Add the peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking. From there, you can thicken with cornstarch if desired and/or swirl in cold butter as outlined in the recipe. Enjoy!! 🙂
This is by far the best stew I’ve ever tried. I love every recipe I’ve used from CozyCook, even won some contests with a couple. Thank you for sharing.
WOW that is SO amazing about the contests!!! I am sooooo happy to hear that, you made my day! Thank you so much!
Does the cooking time in the slow cooker make a difference in how the meat comes out.
4 hours vs 8 hours?
I always like to cook on low for the most tender results!
I found a 1# tri-tip in the freezer and thought….hmmm, I’ll make beef stew. I found your recipe, had everything on hand, adjusted the quantities, followed directions and after two hours (on high) the aroma in the house is wonderful. The broth is perfect, I’m looking forward to the finished product which we will enjoy with crescent rolls and the wine left in the bottle!
I’m so happy to hear that Cheryl! Sounds like an amazing dinner awaits! Thank you! 🙂