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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef and a thick mahogany broth, made by slow-cooking vegetables and then thickening with a cornstarch slurry. The result is tender potatoes, carrot rounds, and celery in a rich, savory gravy from tomatoes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and vegetables
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes halved
  • 3 carrots cut into thick rounds
  • 3 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic minced
Stew base
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine or extra beef broth
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
Thickener and seasoning
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water for slurry
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer in the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. Nestle the beef on top, then add the garlic, beef broth, red wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender, with no need to stir during cooking.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew and keep the slow cooker running.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes, until the broth thickens and clings to the vegetables.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let the stew stand 5 minutes so it thickens slightly before serving.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, let the stew rest 10–15 minutes after thickening before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium broth and consider swapping half the beef volume with chuck-lean beef while keeping the same tomato base and thickener.