Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Slow cooker beef stew is loaded with tender beef chunks, vegetables, and potatoes that cook in a flavorful tomato beef broth. This beef stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food that will warm you right up.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

I first shared this recipe for beef stew almost 3 years ago! It is still a staple dinner at my house so I finally got around to updating the post with some new pics and helpful hints. 

Below you will find the original post with some helpful instructions.

Beef stew is classic comfort food. Beef and vegetables cook all day in a rich, flavorful broth and then by the time dinner hits you just scoop some into a bowl and eat to your heart’s content. This stew is packed full of vegetables so you can feel good about serving this stuff to your family.

Only a little bit of chopping, ok maybe a lot, some spices and some liquid and then it does all the work during the day. Come home to the smell of heaven. For real. Beef stew cooking all day in the crock pot is one of the best smells ever, right?! At least I think so.

How to make beef stew in the crock pot

Start by chopping and peeling all the vegetables. Carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes. You don’t want them in small chunks because the stew cooks for 8 hours, cut into larger chunks so that they will be tender but not mushy at the end of the cook time. I aim to cut the potatoes about the same size as the beef pieces. 

Add all those chopped vegetables, the stew meat (beef chunks), seasonings, v8 juice, beef broth, and a little bit of water. Set it on low heat and set the timer for 8 hours. 

After the cook time mix in a cornstarch and water slurry (if wanted) and frozen corn & peas. Cover with lid and let it cook for about 30 minutes longer. 

Helpful tips for making beef stew

Normally I suggest using baby carrots because they are smaller and already peeled, but with this beef stew it’s better to use regular carrots that you peel yourself. Once the skin is peeled off just slice them. The carrots are already a larger size than baby carrots so they will hold up better to the longer cook time. 

I buy the lean beef stew meat. That way I don’t have to trim off anything and I can add it right into the slow cooker. 

It’s best to use full-salt beef broth NOT the 50% reduced-sodium beef broth. I mean, you can if you want to but the beef and all those veggies need the salt to bring out the flavor. If you do use the reduced sodium broth then you *may* need to add additional salt at the end of the cook time. 

I have always made this with sweet onion but of course any onion can be substituted in it’s place. Like a yellow or white onion. 

Red potatoes are preferred for this beef stew. They hold up better to the long cook time (they’re firmer) and they have great flavor to them. You could also use Russet potatoes too. 

Print

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

8 hrs

Total Time

8 hrs 20 mins

 

Slow cooker beef stew is loaded with tender beef chunks, vegetables, and potatoes that cook in a flavorful tomato beef broth. This beef stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food that will warm you right up.

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef stew, dinner, slow cooker

Author: Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean beef stew meat
• 2 red potatoes, peeled and chunked large
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery, sliced
• 1 sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups V8 Vegetable Juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients to add later

• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Combine stew meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, sweet onion, garlic, beef broth, V8 juice, water and seasonings into the slow cooker.

2. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. 

3. At 1 hour left to cook, add in the frozen corn and peas. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water in small bowl and add to the slow cooker. Stir everything together, cover with lid and let cook the remaining 1 hour. 

   ** If you are not home and can't add the stuff 1 hour before the cook time is done. Simply add the other ingredients after the cook time is over, cover with the lid, and let it cook for about 30 minutes to help thicken the stew up and soften the frozen vegetables. 

Recipe Notes

You can use 1 lb - 1 1/2 lbs of the beef stew meat. You probably won't find a package of stew meat that is exactly 1 pound, so get one that is between 1 lb and 1 1/2 lbs. 

 

1 1/2 cups of V8 juice is equal to one can of V8. 

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