Go Back

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock pot beef stew with fall-apart tender beef, soft potatoes and carrots, and a thick burgundy broth made by a quick cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked low and hands-off, then finished until the sauce coats the spoon for hearty bowls every time.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef stew meat, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
  • 2.5 lb beef stew meat
Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 carrots
celery, chopped
  • 3 celery
onion, diced
  • 1 onion
garlic, minced
  • 4 garlic
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
cold water
  • 3 tbsp water cold water
fresh parsley for garnish
  • 1 fresh parsley

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Load the slow cooker
  1. Place the beef stew meat into the slow cooker. Spread it into an even layer so it cooks uniformly.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Nestle the vegetables around the beef for even seasoning coverage.
  3. Whisk together the beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until smooth. Aim for no visible tomato paste lumps.
  4. Pour the broth mixture over the beef and vegetables, then stir to combine. Make sure most of the meat is in contact with the liquid.
Slow-cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 8–10 hours. The beef should be fall-apart tender and the vegetables should be soft when tested with a fork.
  2. If using high instead, cook for 4–5 hours. Keep cooking until the beef is fall-apart tender and the vegetables are fully softened.
Thicken and serve
  1. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together until smooth. The mixture should look like a thin slurry with no dry cornstarch pockets.
  2. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. Scrape the bottom so the thickening agent disperses.
  3. Cook on high for 20–30 minutes until the broth thickens. Watch for a glossy, spoon-coating texture.
  4. Serve the stew in deep bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Add crusty bread on the side for dipping.

Notes

For best texture, avoid stirring aggressively during the long cook so potatoes don’t break down too much. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming). For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (and ensure the soy sauce is gluten-free if needed).