Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with tender morsels of beef, red potatoes, carrots, onion, and peas. Slowly cooked in a delicious flavorful broth until the meat is fall apart tender. Assemble this hearty and comforting meal in the morning, then forget about it all day. Slow cooker recipes are the best for busy days!

For this beef stew in a crock pot, I do brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. This adds a richness and depth to the taste. If you don't have time you can skip this step and still have a very tasty beef stew.

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What kind of beef is best for slow cooker stew?

I have used all kinds of beef, from stewing meat already cut up, to beef roasts of various kinds. This slow cooker stew recipe will be delicious with a wide variety of beef cuts. I do prefer a cheaper roast, such as chuck for the best flavor.

For stewing beef, I usually still cut up some of the pieces and will brown them in my cast iron pan with a bit of oil.

For roasts, I will slice them, then brown them and cut the beef up after the slices have browned. This just saves some time, you can brown the cubes individually if you want more browning but the slices are super fast to brown.

✨I buy roasts when they are on sale, then slice and freeze the slices to use later as stew meat or steaks! Budget friendly and you get amazingly tender and flavorful beef in your stew. 🥰

History of beef stew

Well, the practice of simmering meat in liquid with various vegetables dates back to the earliest human history. People are just smart and learned that slow cooking any type of meat will tenderize it. Adding any kind of herbs or vegetables just produces tastier meat. And of course it makes sense to cook a complete meal in one pot over the fire!

The definition of stew is actually "a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in liquid in a closed pan."

Google’s English dictionary provided by Oxford Languages.

Every country has a history of some type of traditional and favorite stew, whether it's called curry, pottage, skause, beef bourguignon, etc.

Here in North America, the classic beef stew is simply using the vegetables and beef that we have so abundantly. Therefore it consists of beef, and various root vegetables that are easy to grow here.

Make ahead instructions for slow cooker beef stew

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Beef stew made in the crockpot can be frozen and reheated. Allow the stew to completely cool before placing in sealed containers. It will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you want to reheat it, thaw the beef stew completely in the refrigerator, then warm up in a saucepan on medium heat. The potatoes may break down from the freezing and thawing so the gravy will be thicker but it will still be absolutely delicious!

To store leftover crockpot stew, just place the completely cooled beef stew into sealable containers. Then refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm up on medium heat in a saucepan on the stove, stirring often. Or, you can place the stew in an ovenproof dish and warm up for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Beef Stew

• Beef, either stewing beef or roast. Good marbling of the beef will give the best flavor and most tender texture.
• Carrots, I recommend garden carrots if you can find any, otherwise store bought will do. 😉
• Potatoes, you can use Yukon gold potatoes, Russets or Red Potatoes. I like the red because they don't get as soft as the russets. Leaving the skin on will add vitamins but you can peel them if you prefer.
• Onions, I use 2 small or 1 large yellow onion for this beef stew recipe.
• Water
• Beef bouillon powder, salt, and pepper.
• Peas, just to throw in right before serving so they don't overcook.
• Oil, for browning the beef, if you choose to do this step.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

1.In a hot cast iron or heavy skillet, on medium high heat, place a tablespoon of cooking oil. Brown the beef, then set aside.

2. While the meat is browning, cut the carrots, potatoes and onions into bite sized pieces.

3. After browning the meat, add the water to the cast iron pan, with the bouillon, salt and pepper. Just mix and scrape the browned bits off of the pan to make the super tasty beef broth.

4. Cut the beef into bite sized pieces.

5. Add the carrots, onions, potatoes and beef to the slow cooker.

6. Pour the beef broth over the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add the peas and stir right before serving. If you would like to thicken the gravy you can add a cornstarch and water or flour and water slurry 30 minutes before the beef stew is finished cooking.

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What to Serve with slow cooker Beef Stew

Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners

Tasty Garlic Cheese Buns

almost whole wheat bread

buttermilk graham cornbread

light and fluffy homemade honey buns