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Winter months call for beef stew! Perfect for warming you inside and out, the meat is SO TENDER and the stew is rich, chunky, and hearty. It’s everyone’s favorite stew! Serve with biscuits, mashed potatoes, or over rice (that’s my favorite way!).
Yum, yum, YUM! I cannot tell you how much I was drooling when I walked into my house and smelled the aroma of a rich, ultimately flavored stew. It’s probably the next best thing to the scent of Sunday gravy that’s been simmering all day at your grandma’s house. Even fresh bread baked in the oven has nothing on the smell of slow-cooked beef stew!
There’s nothing more comforting than a rich beef stew on a cold winter night. This simmers low and slow in the slow cooker, but you can cook it on high. This recipe doesn’t require babysitting, other than searing the beef first.
Better Than Bouillon Less Sodium Beef is probably the best bouillon I’ve used. I prefer less sodium because it just makes it easier to control the salt in dishes. Definitely give this bouillon a try! It’s how I replicated my grandmother’s gravy (who still refuses to give me the recipe!) for my Beef Manhattan dish.
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stew
(Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Beef Chunks: The best cut of beef for beef stew would be a chuck roast. It has more connective tissue, which makes it more tender than other cuts. There are premade beef stew cubes packaged up and ready to go in the grocery store meat section, so those are usually the ones to go with!
- Carrots: Instead of cutting up full-length carrots, you can opt for baby carrots.
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Baby Red Potatoes: These work best with stew recipes. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes. These potatoes have less starch content and hold up better than russet potatoes, which will fall apart and break down as they slow cook.
- Beef Bouillon & Beef Broth: The flavor builders for a rich stew.
- Red Wine: I used a mid-priced Cabernet Sauvignon for it. I wouldn’t recommend using a wine that’s extremely cheap, but something maybe in the $12-$15 range. Those wines are given a little more attention.
- Tomato Paste: Gives a nice umami flavor and adds some richness.
- Worcestershire Sauce: It cuts through the beef which makes it tender.
- Bay Leaves, Rosemary, Thyme, Salt & Pepper
- Flour or Cornstarch: This is the thickener for the stew. Either one works just as well.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, sear the beef until evenly browned. You don’t want to cook it all the way through, just browned! Transfer to the slow cooker. Place in the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic. Stir in the broth, beef bouillon, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and salt & pepper to taste. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Once the stew is done, combine together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the stew broth. Pour it back into the stew, stir to incorporate, then cook on high for an extra 30 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Let the stew cool completely. Portion into freezer-safe containers or Ziploc freezer bags for individual servings. Lay the bags flat in the freezer so they’ll freeze faster.
- Reheat: You can simmer this in a saucepot on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. Reheat in the microwave, stopping in one-minute intervals to stir, until heated through.
- From Frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepot on low heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Can you place raw beef in the slow cooker? You can. If you don’t have time to sear the meat, you can toss it in some flour and place it right into the slow cooker along with everything else.
- I don’t want to use red wine: That’s perfectly ok! An equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice along with 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar can be used instead of wine. Just watch the sugar content in the juice. The vinegar will cut through the sweetness, but it’s recommended to be mindful of the sugar.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef stew cubes (or 2 lb chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes, discarding any large pieces of fat)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-1 1/2 lb baby red or Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large or 2 medium sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour or 3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Sear the beef in the skillet until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, along with the fat.
- Place the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic in the slow cooker. Stir in the broth, beef bouillon, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and salt & pepper to your preference of taste.
- Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Once the stew is done, take 1/2 cup of the stew broth out of the slow cooker. Whisk in the flour until a thick mixture forms. Add it back to the slow cooker and stir to incorporate. Cook on high for an extra 30 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Serve immediately over rice, mashed potatoes, biscuits on the side, or a light salad on the side.
Notes
Storage: This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Let the stew cool completely. Portion into freezer-safe containers or Ziploc freezer bags for individual servings. Lay the bags flat in the freezer so they’ll freeze faster.
- Reheat: You can simmer this in a saucepot on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. Reheat in the microwave, stopping in one-minute intervals to stir, until heated through.
- From Frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepot on low heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Can you place raw beef in the slow cooker? You can. If you don’t have time to sear the meat, you can toss it in some flour and place it right into the slow cooker along with everything else.
Best type of red wine for beef stew? I used a mid-priced Cabernet Sauvignon for it. I wouldn’t recommend using a wine that’s extremely cheap, but something maybe in the $12-$15 range. Those wines are given a little more attention.
I don’t want to use red wine: That’s perfectly ok! An equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice along with 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar can be used instead of wine. Just watch the sugar content in the juice. The vinegar will cut through the sweetness, but it’s recommended to be mindful of the sugar.
The best beef for beef stew? I recommend chuck roast. It has more connective tissue, which makes it more tender than other cuts. There are pre-cut beef stew cubes packaged up and ready to go in the grocery store meat section, so those are usually the ones to go with!
Best Potatoes for beef stew? Red potatoes or Yukon gold work best in the slow cooker. These potatoes have less starch content and hold up better than russet potatoes, which will fall apart and break down as they slow cook.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
401.39Fat (grams)
12.43Sat. Fat (grams)
3.27Carbs (grams)
32.45Fiber (grams)
4.28Net carbs
28.18Sugar (grams)
4.32Protein (grams)
38.7Sodium (milligrams)
433.64Cholesterol (grams)
93.74The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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