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 recipe 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 compliment 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 black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons cold butter, separated
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup high-quality cabernet sauvignon, merlot works as well. See notes.
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp better than bouillon, or 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 5 medium carrots, cut into chunks, about 1-inch
- 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. Use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom of the pan, removing any brown remnants. This will give the soup lots of good flavor. If necessary, add a splash of wine to help loosen it. 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.
Best stew I ever made! I added cremini mushrooms, 1 14 oz petite diced tomatoes and frozen green beans and corn. My husband gave a big thumbs up. Thank you!
I’m so happy you got the big thumbs up from the husband Debbie, nice work! I love that you added cremini mushrooms 😋 Thanks so much for the great review!
I made this recipe on Saturday as a belated Valentines Day Family Dinner. It was well received. I did not put potatoes in it but served it on mashed potatoes instead. I also did not put in a sprig of rosemary. Other than those changes, I followed it exactly. I also served oven baked biscuits with it to soak up the delicious gravy. One suggestion is to make it today and serve it tomorrow as it gets better the next day.
I forgot to say I loved the recipe and will definitely make it again. I highly recommend using a chuck roast as it makes for a very tender stew.
Thanks again Deanna💓
Great pic for a belated Valentines Day Dinner Deanna! I love the leftovers too with this one 😋 Thanks so much for the great comments and review!
Loved your stew, the one thing I added, as my mother always did gotta have my dumplings, drop them in at tail end of cooking, Oh I have done them in slow cooker and stove top, beauty. Stew to me is a staple thanks. Dan
I’m so happy you enjoyed these with dumplings Dan, yummm! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review😃
This was amazing. The meat was so tender and the vegetables with the stew base were done perfectly. I cooked it on high for 4 hours . This one is a keeper!!!
I’m so happy this is a keeper Debbie, thanks so much for the great review!😃
I LOVE this recipe. We ended up needing to add more corn starch mixture to make it thick enough, and next time I would prefer less wine as I added extra beef bouillon powder to off-set the flavor, but that’s just personal preference! I expected a ton of leftovers and it was almost gone! Excellent, tasty, and everything cooked to perfection!
I’m so happy it was a hit Lindsey, nice work! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
I made this today for the first time and it is amazing! I followed the instructions to the T except I only had a Chilean red blend on hand for wine and I omitted the rosemary because my husband hates it, and it was still so good! I made some 30 minute dinner rolls to go along with it and that put it over the top to perfection on a cold night. So rich and warm and tasty.
I can feel the cozy vibes Renee! I love making this on a cold night. I’m so happy it was such a success, thanks so much for the great comments and review!💖
I am a taste fiend so I found this recipe a bit bland. I added 1/4 cup Cabernet, 1 more tablespoon Worcestershire and 1 teaspoon of Jugo, a Mexican browning sauce. It made a big difference and had a tremendous flavor! To each his own of course.
I’m glad that you seasoned it up to make it your own, Ned! 🙂
Temperature is about 28 degrees in Gloucester Va,A rural area in Saluda..Cold day,watching the deers in my land,with a cup of hot coffee and the smell of my Slow cook beef stew,such Aroma from the north side of the house..I believe the wooded animals can smell it about 350 feet in the woods..Can’t wait 6 to 8 hours of a great smell..Ciao Cheri’s
That is a picture-perfect scenario right there! I can’t wait for you to dig into the stew later!!! 🙂 ENJOY!
I’ve tried A LOT of slow cooker beef stew recipes that fell short on taste. This one is AMAZING! The seasoning is great the butter at the end really made a difference, don’t skip it. The only thing I did differently was add celery and omit the rosemary because I didn’t have any.
I’m so happy this was a hit Erin! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
This is with out doubt the best stew I have ever had, thank you so much Stephanie, I followed the recipe verbatim and made the cuts exactly the same, I think 4 cups of beef broth was probably perfect, but maybe I didn’t use the right amount of meat and vegetables and it was a little too watery, but I made some tweaks and it came out perfect, absolutely love it, thanks again
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Matt! Good job making tweaks and keeping an eye on things. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
I looked at many recipes for beef stew. I was having a craving due to the cold weather. The others I looked at did not sound like beef stew really. This recipe is absolutely delicious. All you need is a couple slices of bread and butter to clean the gravy from the bowl. Way better than any can stuff.
I was stuffed and wanted more. You wont be hungry after using this recipe.
I know what you mean Charles, I’ve been craving some extra cozy meals during this cold snap here in NH. I’m so happy you enjoyed this so much. Thanks for the great review!❤️