This is one of the most delicious stews of all time. And with the slow-cooker, one of the easiest, too.
There is just something undeniably comforting with homemade beef stew. Melt-in-your mouth chunks of beef, hearty vegetables, and a velvety sauce that all just works together beautifully. Put it all together the night before and come home the next day to a meal you and your family will treasure.
How To Make Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
This amazing stew could not be easier to make.
We put the entire dish together the night before we intend to serve it.
Keep it in the fridge, covered, and then slow-cook it the following day. Easy peezy!
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The Ingredients You Will Need
The ingredients for standard beef stew are simple and straightforward. They include:
- Olive oil
- Chuck beef roast
- Salt and pepper
- Yellow/Gold potatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Worcestershire sauce
- Beef broth
- Red wine (optional)
- Fresh rosemary
- Dried thyme
- Bay leaves
- Smoked paprika (or regular)
- Corn starch
EXPERT TIP: The red wine adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the stew, and 99% of the alcohol will cook off. However, if you prefer to not cook with wine, then simply omit it and increase the beef broth to 5 cups.
The Best Beef for Beef Stew
There are many types of beef to choose from as you peruse the meat department at your local supermarket.
For beef stew, you do not need an expensive cut of meat. The “low and slow” technique of cooking the stew will naturally tenderize the meat and create a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
We recommend a chuck roast. In many well-stocked supermarkets and at your local meat market, you can find stew meat that has already been cut up for you. Easy and perfect!
EXPERT TIP: To help lock in even more flavor, we season the cut-up meat with salt and pepper, and then toss it in flour. Then, we sear the meat in a hot skillet with a little oil until nicely browned all over. Usually, we need to do this in a couple of batches. If you don’t have time for this step, then simply add the meat into the slow-cooker uncooked along with all of the other ingredients.
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew FAQs
Can I use any cut of beef? Absolutely! As mentioned, there’s no need to purchase a more expensive cut of meat because you will get amazing results with a low-cost cut. However, if you have ribeye, sirloin, or brisket that you need to use up, then go for it. It will be amazing!
What can I substitute for the wine? You can substitute white wine for the cup of red wine called for in the recipe. If you prefer to not cook with alcohol, then omit the wine completely and increase the beef broth by 1 cup (5 cups total).
Can this recipe be doubled? Absolutely! Just make sure you’ve got a large enough slow-cooker, or use two!
EXPERT TIP: Once the slow-cooker beef stew has cooked for 8 to 10 hours, it’s time to thicken the sauce a little. We use a cornstarch slurry which is 1/4 cup of cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons of water. Pour it into the stew and it will thicken quickly. You can also mix 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup of the stew sauce and then stir it in and cook for another 30 minutes.
When To Serve and How To Store
This stew is really the perfect weeknight dinner because it’s so easy to prepare. However, it’s also a wonderful weekend feast, especially during those chilly winter months.
And it’s always a huge hit when we serve it to friends and family for a game-day gathering.
EXPERT TIP: This stew freezes absolutely beautifully. It will also keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Just amazing. And the smell of your house while the stew is stewing? So good!
Other Slow-Cooker Favorite Recipes
We love cooking with our slow-cooker so much, and here are some other favorite recipes for you to try:
- Incredible Slow-Cooker Baby Back Ribs
- Slow-Cooker Ham and Potato Au Gratin
- Brisket
- Spiral Ham
- Chicken Chow Mein
- Corn on the Cob
- Asparagus Risotto
In the meantime, you’ve got to try this amazing beef stew!
This is one recipe that you will want to make time and time again. It’s honestly that good.
Ready to make the best stew in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
Equipment
- 8-Quart Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chuck roast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable
- 3 cups potatoes yellow or gold, cubed
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 stalks celery sliced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp rosemary fresh
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Liberally season the meat all over with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a large platter and dredge the beef pieces in it until coated.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in a couple of batches, add the floured meat to the skillet and cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Place the seared beef into the slow-cooker. Next, add the remaining ingredients (except the cornstarch) plus 2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper into the slow cooker and stir to fully mix.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Just before serving, in a small bowl, mix the cornstarch together with 4 tbsp of cool tap water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew and continue stirring until slightly thickened. This only takes a minute or two. The stew is now ready to serve.
I didn’t follow the recipe (so I’m not rating it) but I did use it as inspiration to improve my own recipe and it turned out great! The changes were: addition of smoked paprika, red wine, cornstarch, and flouring the beef before searing. Made my “very good” recipe even better. Thanks!
Sounds awesome! So glad you helped to improve your already very good stew! Woo hoo!
Could this be made in a Dutch oven or should it be made in the slow cooker?
I made your cherry pie recipe and my family said it was the best cherry pie they’ve ever had! Back to the stew should I do in the slow cooker or should I do it in the Dutch oven? If so how long on the oven?
Hi Bridget! This stew can absolutely be made in a Dutch oven and baked in the oven. Simply prepare the stew as written, and then place in a 350°F preheated oven (covered) for about 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every now and then. Let us know if you make the stew and how it turns out! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Send this to be made in a Dutch oven or should it be made in the slow cooker? I made your cherry pie recipe and my family said it was the best cherry pie they’ve ever had! Back to the stew should I do in the slow cooker or should I do it in the Dutch oven?
It’s in the crook pot now – smells delicious- keep poking at it to taste I’m now addicted to your web site – I’m now doing a “feed the loons” menu at home – we will see how you guys do okay I meant me trying to do your recipes
Hi Sandy!! Woo hoo! We bet your house smells AMAZING right now! We are excited to hear how the stew turned out and what you think of it! And YES!! Stick around and find more recipes! And stay tuned…so much more fun and food on the way! Have a GREAT night!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
So yummy- thank you for sharing
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!! And thank you for sharing and for the GREAT review! That just means the world to us!
You hope I enjoy? That beef stew was exceptional! About half way thru cooking I did lay a paper towel on top to absorb some excess grease from the meat, but after that it was smooth sailing. Just fabulous!!!
I noticed today your recipe for soft crabs. That’s exactly how my Dad made them all the time when I was a kid. Love, love, love soft crabs! Summer is coming.
Hi Claire! We are thrilled you enjoyed the stew!!! Thank you so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review. And you will LOVE the soft shell crabs. YAY for Summer!!!!! xoxox
This was wonderful and the very best beef stew I have ever eaten. Did the flour and brown the night before… used the red wine in addition to the beef stick and followed recipe for low and slow. The slurry was a great tip. Another great how to feed a lion recipe – and each one I have tried has been excellent. Just a heads up, the recipe has three cups of beef stock in addition to the one cup of red wine but the video shows four cups plus one cup red wine which is what I followed.
Hi Stephen!!! We are so so happy you loved the beef stew! Thank you for letting us know and thanks for the heads up with the liquid quantities. We’ve updated the recipe to reflect what we did in the video. Thanks again and thank you for the great review! That means so much to us!! Best, Kris & Wesley
This stew was sooo good. I used Tri-Tip roast cut up and Pinot Noir for the wine and through in some left over mushrooms. Definitely will make it again, thank you!
Hi Kathy!! Ooooohhh!!!! Tri-tip, Pinot Noir, and mushrooms sound like beef stew perfection!!! We are so so happy you had such great success with the dish and THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us know and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I was reviewing ingredients for shopping list and noticed the onion may have been accidently omitted.
Thank you so much, Claire! Oops!! We just updated to ingredients list to include onions! Thanks again and we hope you enjoy the stew! Kris & Wesley
This sounds delicious. I am curious – Do you think I could do this with homekill lamb and lamb stock rather than beef?
You should be just fine, Annika!!