Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew is comforting and hearty. It is a classic comfort food for cooler temperatures. This Beef Stew is loaded with beef, veggies, delicious seasoning, and is made in the slow cooker making it the perfect meal for busy nights!

This recipe makes about 3 quarts of stew- depending on how many veggies you add. 10-12 servings (1 cup servings) roughly.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Servings servings

Calories 162kcal

Author Beth, The Butcher’s Wife

Ingredients

Beef for Stew (and for optional searing the beef)

1 1/2 lbs stew meat/cubed beef *see notes
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil *for searing/browning the beef (optional step)
1 tbsp All purpose flour , to toss the beef in for searing *optional step
salt and pepper, sprinkled on beef for searing *optional step

Stew Soup base/seasonings

3 cans (14.5 oz) beef broth
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 1/2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1/4 cup flour *see notes
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp basil leaves *dried spice-not fresh

Veggies - you can also add peas, sweet potatoes, parsnips, cabbage, or corn... or whatever you like

1/2 lb. carrots, chopped
1 lb. russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped fine *about 1/2 cup
1/2 lb green beans, fresh, cut and trimmed *you will add these in the last 2 hours of cooking time

Instructions

If you are searing your beef, heat a skillet on medium heat. Pour your canola oil in the skillet and let it heat. In a bowl, add your stew meat and toss with the flour. Make sure the beef pieces are evenly covered the best you can. Add the beef to the hot oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Move the beef pieces around making sure all sides are seared/ browned. It is ok if all sides aren't perfectly seared. Just do it quickly so the meat pieces don't fully cook. Remove the beef from the heat and set aside.
*You do not have to sear the meat. You can add it in the stew without searing it and it will still be delicious! Just skip this step. Do not toss the meat in flour or salt and pepper the meat if you skip this step!
In a large bowl (or your slow cooker crock) add your beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Add in your seasonings and flour and mix well. You can adjust any of the seasonings you want at this point. If you did not mix this in your slow cooker, pour it in your slow cooker before adding meat and veggies.
Add in your chopped celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes. Mix well. Add in your seared stew meat, mix well. If you are adding fresh green beans, add them in the last 2 hours of cooking time.
Cook on low 8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours. If you are adding in green beans, add them in the last 2 hours of cooking time.

Notes

See blog post above for storing/freezing this beef stew.

You do not have to sear your meat, it is totally optional- you can read more about that in the blog post above!

I add flour to my stew broth base so it will thicken a little as it cooks. I don't like my stew super thick like a cream soup or gravy. The flour just thickens it a touch. You can leave the flour out if you do not want it to thicken at all. Likewise, when the stew is done cooking and you want it thicker, just mix equal parts of cornstarch and cold water together and stir it into the hot stew. Add a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you like. I usually will mix 2 tablespoons cold water to 2 tablespoons cornstarch. (Mix it well before adding and always use cold water)

Some additional veggie options are: parsnips, sweet potatoes, chopped cabbage, corn or peas.

Nutrition