Crockpot Beef Stew

Crockpot Beef Stew is an easy comforting dinner that everyone will love. This is the perfect dinner recipe to come home to.

We love a good slow cooker recipe. There is nothing better than coming home to a dinner that is already done. It feels like having a personal chef, but it’s far less expensive.

This crockpot beef stew recipe is the perfect comforting dinner to come home to. It requires a little bit of prep in the morning but then when you get home, you serve it with a loaf of crusty bread and have a relaxing delightful dinner.

Overhead view of ingredients for Crockpot Beef Stew on the countertop to prepare for recipe. - 4

How to Make Beef Stew in the Crockpot

Here is a brief overview of how this recipe for crockpot beef stew comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Brown the stew meat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and then toss with the flour. Working in batches, cook the meat in hot oil for a few minutes on each side. Then transfer it to the slow cooker.
Sauté the garlic and onion. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, then add them to the slow cooker. Add the red wine to the pan to deglaze it and scrape up the browned bits. Add to the slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the beef broth to the slow cooker then whisk in the tomato paste. Stir in the thyme, then add in the bay leaves, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook the beef stew. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is tender.
Make the cornstarch slurry. Pull a cup of the broth from the slow cooker. Whisk in the cornstarch, and stir the slurry back into the slow cooker. Stir in the peas and enjoy!

Overhead view of a glass mixing bowl of beef being prepared for Crockpot Beef Stew recipe. - 5

Beef Stew Meat

The best meat to use for this slow cooker beef stew recipe is a beef chuck roast. It has great marbling which makes the beef tender and perfect for slow cooking in your crockpot. You may also find it at your local grocery store labeled “stew meat” and already cut into cubes. That works great in this recipe and saves you some time in cutting up a roast, but if you can’t find that use a chuck roast.

overhead of a slow cooker with the ingredients for beef stew before cooking - 6

The Best Crockpot!

Cooking With Red Wine

Red wine adds such a great depth of flavor to this recipe for beef stew and helps to deglaze the pan, making sure every bit of flavor goes into the slow cooker for your stew. I prefer to use a Cabernet Sauvignon for this recipe, but any red wine that you love the flavor of will work. It’s important to choose a wine that you enjoy drinking on its own because cooking it will only enhance that flavor. I recommend avoiding using any wine labeled cooking wine.

Most of the alcohol will cook out of this dish since it will be in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours. However, if you are cooking for someone who can’t have alcohol, you can swap out the wine for chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth. The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious.

Overhead view of a bowl of Crockpot Beef Stew with silverware, bread, and a glass of red wine beside. - 7

Other Cooking Methods

I love that you can make this beef stew crockpot recipe in the morning and come home to a hot and ready delicious meal. If you want to make beef stew in a shorter amount of time, I have recipes to make Instant Pot beef stew and beef stew on the stovetop .

Beef Stew Recipe

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover beef stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Always use your best discretion when reheating and eating leftovers. They should never be reheated more than once.

Freezing Beef Stew

If you want to freeze some of this beef stew, allow it to cool then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container, leaving some room at the top for it to expand. When you are ready to eat it, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator then heat on the stovetop in a saucepan over low heat.

Overhead view of a slow cooker of Crockpot Beef Stew recipe - 8

What to Serve with Beef Stew

Garlic Bread
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Chopped Salad
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Ingredients

3 pounds chuck roast well marbled and cut into 1 inch cubes, read more about beef stew meat here (1360.8 grams)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour 40 grams
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup red wine read more in the post about what wine to use and how to replace it (237 grams)
3 cups beef broth (680.25 grams)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
4 medium carrots peeled and cut into one inch pieces
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes unpeeled and cut into one inch chunks (453.6 grams)
1 cup frozen peas keep in freezer until just before stirring in
2 tablespoons cornstarch
fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Season the beef with salt and pepper and then toss with the flour. 3 pounds chuck roast, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/3 cup all purpose flour
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet until it is smoking. Brown the meat in batches, cooking for a few minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and transfer it to the slow cooker. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. 1 medium yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves
Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine and scraping up the browned bits. Add to the slow cooker. 1 cup red wine
Add the beef broth to the slow cooker. Then whisk in the tomato paste and stir in the thyme. Add in the bay leaves. Add in the carrots and potatoes. 3 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 4 medium carrots, 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is tender. Pull a cup of the broth from the slow cooker. Whisk in the cornstarch, and stir the slurry back into the slow cooker. Taste the stew and add more salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the green peas. Garnish with the fresh parsley if desired, serve and enjoy. 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tablespoons cornstarch

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