Serve up a hot meal without the fuss for your family tonight: This crock pot beef stew is the perfect easy comfort food dinner.
I love that prepping dinner in the morning when the kids are generally in a good mood (or in school) is the best thing I can do to put a hot meal on the table come 6pm, relatively stress free. Hooray for slow cookers!
Stew is one of my favorite things to cook during fall and winter and this right here, or my Crockpot Tuscan White Bean Chicken Stew or Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew are both regulars from October to February.
Try them all – you’ll love those cozy recipes!
Step by step instructions
First, you’ll need to brown the meat. I season and sprinkle it with flour right in the pan – no need to dirty another dish!
Then, remove the meat to a slow cooker. Place the onions and garlic in the skillet and cook until softened, then season and pour the red wine into the pan (use broth if you want to avoid wine).
Make sure to scratch any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet – that’s where all the flavor is! Then, once the red wine has thickened, add the remaining gravy ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Then, place the vegetables over the meat in the crockpot and (very carefully!!) ladle the hot gravy on top.
Now you’ll just need to let this cook in the slow cooker, add the peas about 10 minutes before you want dinner on the table – and that’s the best beef stew of your life done 😉
Cooking tips
If you want a thick gravy: There are a few different methods to yield a thicker gravy.
- The flouring of the meat helps a lot with thickening the gravy later on.
- If you love very thick beef stew, you can add a shredded FLOURY potato in addition to everything else.
- OR you can stir a cornstarch slurry into the stew about 10-15 minutes before cooking time is up and then cook it with the lid off for the remaining time – it’s what I do with my crockpot mediterranean chicken stew.
Cutting the vegetables: It is important to cut the veggies roughly into the same size chunks, otherwise they won’t cook evenly.
Also, do not cut them too small and do not cut them too big (I know, great advice 😉 ). When cut too small, they will dissolve. So you can leave them quite chunky. Just pay attention that you cut them in a way so a regular adult can eat the veggies without having to cut them up.
The great thing about stew is that it’s a rustic dish – so you can definitely get away with rustic chopping, it doesn’t have to be perfect by any means.
Browning the meat: Flouring and browning the meat before you add it to the crockpot will give you a wealth of extra flavor. It is a step you can leave out if time is very sparse – but the flavor and consistency of the stew will vastly benefit from NOT skipping this step.
Alcohol: The alcohol will evaporate as it cooks in the skillet (it would NOT evaporate as easily if cooked entirely in the crock pot). But if you’re uncomfortable using it, just use more broth.
Maple syrup: I get asked all the time why I put maple syrup in the stew, and it’s just there to add more depth to the flavor. It doesn’t make the stew sweet! But you can leave it out if you don’t want to add it.
Liquid amount: Some readers remarked that 2 cups of liquid doesn’t seem enough for a stew. But before you add more broth, please remember that the added liquid about DOUBLES in a slow cooker dish as it cooks. The stew ends up with plenty of gravy as long as you stick to the amounts given for the vegetables and the beef.
Note: An earlier version of my recipe included fresh thyme and bay leaves, but I got a lot of feedback from people who don’t keep these on hand, so I re-tested the recipe to make sure it tastes nice without them – and it does. Feel free to add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and a few bay leaves to the stew with the vegetables.
Our favorite side dishes
While there is everything you need right in the stew, I still love adding a side or two to stretch the meal.
Some of our favorites:
More hearty comfort food
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Recipe details
Equipment
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1.5 pounds beef stewing meat in chunks
- 1-2 teaspoons salt or less, depending on what kind of stock you’re using
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons flour
For the gravy
- 2 large yellow onions cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup red wine OR use more stock
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the vegetables
- 3 large waxy potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 large carrots peeled, ends trimmed and cut into chunks
- 4 large celery sticks trimmed and thickly sliced
- ½ pound brown mushrooms cleaned and quartered
- ½ cup frozen peas no need to defrost
Instructions
- Brown the meat: Heat the oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes, season with salt and pepper and stir. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir well. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides (do not stir too much, or the beef will not brown properly). Remove to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Start the gravy: Put the skillet back over medium high heat. If needed, add a little more oil. Cook the onions and garlic until starting to soften. Stir in the Italian seasoning and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the red wine into the pan, scratching the browned bits off the bottom. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup. Bring to a boil (this will help the stew start cooking faster once it is in the crock), then switch off the heat.
- Transfer to the slow cooker: On top of the meat, place the potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Very carefully (!) pour the hot liquid from the skillet into the crockpot, making sure the liquid runs down all the way to the bottom and underneath the meat (stir a little if needed).
- Cook: Cook the stew on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGh for 4 hours. 10 minutes before cooking time is over, stir in the peas. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Either finish cooking with the lid open (if you want a thicker stew) OR closed if you want it soupier.
Notes
Cooking Tips:
If you want a thick gravy: There are a few different methods to yield a thicker gravy.- The flouring of the meat helps a lot with thickening the gravy later on.
- If you love very thick beef stew, you can add a shredded FLOURY potato in addition to everything else.
- OR you can stir a cornstarch slurry into the stew about 10-15 minutes before cooking time is up and then cook it with the lid off for the remaining time – it’s what I do with my crockpot mediterranean chicken stew.
Nutrition
More recipe information
The crock pot is such a big help in this season, and we love this slow cooker stew just as much as we love our Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers, Crockpot Chicken and Noodle Soup and my Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos.
I hope you’ll enjoy this cozy meal just as much as we do – enjoy!
P.S: For more stew recipes, check out our collection of homemade beef stew recipes!
MO says
Do you think it would be too much as far as flavoring goes if I use beef broth and add a beef stew flavor packet? Thanks!
Nora says
I think that would be fine! Maybe cut back on the other seasoning and salt asked for in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Nancy Kastner says
Was absolutely delicious!!
Nora says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the stew, Nancy! Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Shar says
First crock pot dish ever made and this recipe made it fairly easy although instead of using beef stock I made my own with browned flour, water and seasonings. Overall it came out amazing!
Nora says
Glad to hear it, Shar! And thank you for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate your time.
Dani says
So we don’t add in the onions and garlic after cooking it in the beef broth just the sauce?
Nora says
No, you add everything 🙂
Ted Noe says
I made this once before and my wife loved it. She asked the other day if I would make it again, she stated that the time before it was incredible. So, today I am making it again – it is fun to make and the result is amazing; the only thing I leave out is the wine. It goes great with some crusty bread heated- up in the oven. Thank you for the recipe!
Nora says
I’m very glad to hear you like the stew so much, Ted! It’s one of our favorites on cold days.
Jennifer says
I too thought my stew needed more broth, so I added more towards the end of the cooking time. The flavor is rich, but a little on the sweet side. Next time I will use a dryer wine. The skimpy broth issue was probably because I used more carrots and one additional potato than the recipe called for. Thank you for a good, different way to make stew.
Jennifer 0
Nora says
More veggies would definitely require more broth, glad to hear you figured it out, Jennifer!
Mary Mordino says
I have been making beef stew for years. I tried this recipe in January and my husband and I loved it. It’s now March and he asked me when I was making it again. It’s in the crockpot now. The prep takes longer then how I made stew previously but so worth the time. It’s very flavorful. I made it pretty much as you stated but used dry thyme and a bit extra red wine.
Nora says
I’m so happy to read this, Mary! Glad the stew is such a big hit at your house!
Miriam says
I’ve made this recipe several times now and it’s one of my favorites!! It’s an easy, hearty meal and I love how all of the flavors come together.
Nora says
So happy to read this, Miriam! It’s one of our favorites for winter.
Joan pritchard says
Great recipe but I did my cooking on a stub cast iron Dutch oven. The cooking time had to be changed to one and a half hours.
Denise says
I can’t wait to try this but I have a question. Would the taste or quality of the stew be affected if I were to brown the meat and onions the night before I’ll be making the stew?
Nora says
Hi Denise, unfortunately I have never tried that before, so I really don’t know how well that would work out. Sorry!
Kerry Spence says
My husband and I agree, this is the best beef stew I have ever made. Thank you!
Nora says
This makes me so happy to read, Kerry! Thanks for coming back to review the recipe, I appreciate it very much.
Kay says
Hi there. First off – I love this stew recipe. It has become my husbands new favorite dish. My question – have you tried to make this in an Instant Pot? I am making it tonight and my hubby suggested trying it in the IP. I am realitively new to pressure cooking so I am not sure what changes I should make to ensure I get the same rich flavor. Thoughts?
Nora says
Hey Kay! So happy to hear this. And yes! I have actually shared the recipe for this in the Instant Pot – it’s right here: Instant Pot Beef Stew. I hope it will turn out just as well as in the crockpot for you!
Kay says
Awesome. Thanks So much for the quick response. I am making it tonight and will let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
Allison says
I’m going to make this recipe this weekend. Can you clarify one thing for me? Does the recipe call for red wine vinegar or red wine (alcohol)? If alcohol does it matter what red wine is used?
Nora says
It’s red wine. It doesn’t matter at all what kind of red wine, though I would preferably use a dry one! Hope that helps Allison, let me know if you have any other questions.
Carmen says
Any thoughts on using an alternative to flour like almond flour?
Nora says
Hi Carmen, almond flour will definitely help thicken the gravy, but make sure it’s a very finely ground almond flour, otherwise you can get a bit of a gritty texture. I would also maybe rather stir it into the stew at the end of cooking time, so you can better judge how much you need. You could also add a cup or so of extra vegetables. Then once cooking is up, you’d remove about a cup of the vegetables from the stew, blend them and stir them back into the sauce. Hope that helps!
Amanda says
This looks delicious, making it this week! Is it fine to freeze leftovers of a large batch?
Nora says
Hi Amanda, yes! This freezes very well. The potatoes slightly change their texture after freezing and defrosting, but they still taste delicious it’s not something that ever bothered me. Hope that helps!
Mary says
Followed the recipe; WAY NOT ENOUGH sauce. Was very dry.
Nora says
Hi Mary, thank you for your feedback. To be honest, I have a hard time believing that.
This stew has loads and loads of great reviews on Pinterest where people even share photos, and I have never received a complaint that this stew is dry in any way. The photos my readers share don’t look dry either, and neither have I ever had issues with this being dry at home.
With 2 cups of broth and all the vegetables and the beef releasing juices during the long cooking time, plus the fact that this is a slow cooker recipe which is a cooking technique that generally makes things more soupy and doesn’t lead to evaporation, this is pretty much impossible to turn out dry.
Are you positive you used the exact ingredient amounts as stated in the recipe? Did you for sure add the 2 cups of broth? Did you stick to the exact amount of potatoes? Did you make this in a slow cooker, with the lid on the entire time? Did you measure out the flour exactly?
I’m happy to help troubleshoot to figure out what went wrong for you!
Ashton says
I haven’t made it yet but 2 cups of stock plus 1/3 cup of wine doesn’t seem like it will be enough liquid. I’m planning on adding 4-6 cups of stock.
Valarie says
This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe except I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried and used a bit more meat. It was so flavourful I would definitely make this again!
Nora says
So happy to read this, Valerie. I’m glad the stew turned out so well for you, it’s one of our favorite fall and winter dishes. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – I appreciate it!
Rachel says
Delicious!
Nora says
So glad to hear this, Rachel! And thank you for coming back to leave a review – I truly appreciate it.
Tammy Ellis says
This looks delicious and easy to make.How much flour is needed for the recipe?Or is it just one of those trial and error things? I will be trying this next weekend!Thank you and have a blessed day!
Nora says
I’m so grateful you asked this question, Tammy. The flour is completely missing from the ingredient list! It’s 2 tablespoons, I added it to the recipe card. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I hope you’ll love the stew – it’s one of our absolute favorites! Have a lovely week.
Maggie says
I also liked adding the flour over the top. Great Stew !!
Nora says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the stew, Maggie! Thank you for coming back to leave a recipe review – I appreciate it very much. – Nora x
valerie says
this look amazing!! I can NOT wait to try it.
jp rollins says
what is the purpose of the maple syrup? I am not a devotee of a sweet/savory dish. this stew/soup looks amazing and i love a good beef stew/beef-vegetable soup!
Nora says
Hi! You can definitely leave the maple syrup out if you’re not a fan. It’s not there to make the stew sweet, more to deepen and enhance the flavours. Hope that helps!
Scott says
Best stew ever building the flavors for to gravy make all the different flavors blend gave it a deep rich flavor and silk like mouth appeal. This is now my go too.
Nora says
Happy to hear this, Scott! Thank you for coming back to leave a review – I appreciate it.
Stephanie E says
This is my new favorite stew. It’s savory and has deep, rich flavors. Big hit with my family. On a side note, I liked the method of sprinkling the flour over the cooking meat. I usually toss the cubes in flour before cooking and half of the flour coating falls off. This method was much less hassle and still imparted the nice thickening of the flour.
Nora says
I’m so happy to read you and your family enjoy the stew, Stephanie! And yay for the lazy method of flouring the meat 😉 Thank you so much for making the recipe AND taking the time to come back and leave a review. I appreciate it very much!
Karly says
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been craving since the fall temperatures rolled in. Made it last night with set wstewing meat I found in the freezer and it was perfect, thanks for sharing!
Ben says
this was outstanding!