Crockpot Beef Stew

Name: Crockpot Beef Stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 505 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes; 1/4 cup flour; 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, in large chunks; 4 carrots, in thick coins; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 cups beef broth; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1 cup frozen peas, stirred in at the end

Old-fashioned beef stew is the recipe the slow cooker was invented for: cubes of chuck, potatoes, and carrots in a glossy brown gravy that spent eight hours getting acquainted.

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Hearty crockpot beef stew with carrots and potatoes in rich gravy

AI-generated recipe illustration

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 hrs
Total time: 8 hrs 25 min
Yield: 6 servings

Old-fashioned beef stew is the recipe the slow cooker was invented for: cubes of chuck, potatoes, and carrots in a glossy brown gravy that spent eight hours getting acquainted. Our version keeps the from-scratch flavor without fuss — the beef gets a quick toss in flour before a fast sear, which both browns the meat and thickens the stew as it cooks, so there's no last-minute slurry scramble. It's the most forgiving recipe on this page and the one we recommend to every first-time slow cooker owner.

Ingredients

How to make crockpot beef stew

Toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and pepper until coated.
Sear the beef in olive oil in batches until browned on two sides — don't crowd the pan. Scrape everything, browned bits included, into the crockpot.
Add potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic. Whisk the broth with tomato paste and Worcestershire and pour it over. Tuck in the bay leaf and thyme.
Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours (or HIGH 4–5), until the beef is spoon-tender.
Discard the bay leaf, stir in the peas, and let them warm 5 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.

Make it your own

Ingredient	Swap	Good to know
Chuck roast	Pre-cut “stew meat”	Works, but it's often mixed cuts — chuck is more reliably tender
Beef broth	2 cups broth + 1 cup dark beer or red wine	Pub-style depth
Flour	Cornstarch slurry at the end	Gluten-free route: skip the flour toss, thicken at hour 8
Yukon golds	Russets	Peel them; add in bigger chunks so they hold shape

Storage & leftovers

Refrigerate up to 4 days. The stew thickens as it sits; loosen with broth when reheating.

Freezes well up to 3 months — the potatoes soften further but in stew nobody minds. Thaw overnight and reheat on the stove.

A few helpful answers

Why is my stew watery?

Slow cookers don't evaporate liquid. The flour coating handles thickening — if you skipped it, mash a few potato chunks against the wall of the pot or stir in a cornstarch slurry on HIGH.

Can I skip searing the beef?

The stew will still be good, honestly — but the fond from searing is a third of the flavor. It's ten minutes we'd never trade away.

When do the peas go in?

Last five minutes, always. Peas cooked for 8 hours turn into gray sadness.

What cut of beef is best for stew?

Chuck, no contest — its marbling melts into gelatin. Lean cuts like sirloin turn dry and grainy over a long cook.

ESTIMATED NUTRITION · PER SERVING

480 calories · 42g protein · 32g carbohydrates · 21g fat · 760mg sodium