Go Back

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, hearty baby potatoes, and a deep mahogany broth. Slow-cooked on Low until tender, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a rich, spoon-coating texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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 chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
Baby potatoes, halved
  • 1 lb baby potatoes
Carrots, cut into thick rounds
  • 3 carrots
Celery, sliced
  • 3 celery
Onion, diced
  • 1 onion
Garlic, minced
  • 4 garlic
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
Red wine or extra beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine Use extra beef broth instead if preferred.
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves Add the bay leaves during cooking and remove before thickening.
Cornstarch slurry
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef chuck generously with salt and black pepper, making sure the cubes are well coated. The meat should look evenly speckled before it goes into the cooker.
  2. Add the baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread them into an even layer so they cook through.
  3. Nestle the seasoned beef on top of the vegetables. Arrange it in a single-ish layer for more even contact with the broth.
  4. Add the garlic, beef broth, red wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir gently just to combine, keeping the top mostly covered.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender. You should see the beef easily give way when pressed with a spoon.
  2. Remove the bay leaves and discard them. The stew should be free of visible bay leaf pieces before thickening.
Thicken and finish
  1. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. The mixture will look cloudy at first, then start to thicken as it heats.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens. The surface should look glossy and the stew should coat a spoon.
  3. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust until the flavor pops and the broth tastes balanced.

Notes

For best texture, cut the beef into consistent 1.5-inch cubes so they become uniformly tender. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat until steaming. Freezing is yes: cool completely, freeze in portions up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-sodium option, use no-salt-added beef broth and reduce added salt at the end.