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    Slow Cooker Beef Stew

    Nothing beats the rich warmth of a bowl of beef stew, and this slow-cooker beef stew recipe has been tested and tried and the results are pure perfection.

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    Slow Cooker Beef Stew in a bowl with carrots, green beans, mushrooms and potatoes

    Beef Stew + Slow-Cooker = A Match Made in Dinnertime Heaven

    Beef stew is a dish that just begs for an hours-long simmer. There may be nothing more comforting and homey than the deeply meaty, beefy flavors that a low and slow cook draw out of the humblest of beef stew ingredients. And making hearty, chunky beef stew in a slow-cooker? Well, that’s not a shortcut or a “hack” so much as a genius move, a natural fit for a recipe that demands time. With a serious hankering for old-fashioned beef stew in our hearts, and ease in the kitchen in our minds, we’ve trialed-and-errored our way into what we can finally say is the best ever slow cooker beef stew recipe!

    diced carrots, onions and celery cooked for beef stew in a slow cooker

    Ingredients For Making The Ultimate Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

    For this super easy homemade beef stew recipe, we’re breaking out the trusty old Crock-Pot and that, friends, is the only thing that’s non-traditional about our recipe. Aside from that, this beef stew is classic classic classic. Our beef stew ingredients are a study in tradition—all you’ll need is:

    • Chuck roast
    • Celery
    • Carrots
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Red wine
    • Beef stock
    • Bay leaf
    • Mushrooms
    • Green beans
    • Russet potatoes
    slow cooker beef stew in a crock pot with carrots, green beans and potatoes

    How to Make Beef Stew in a Slow-Cooker

    When trying this recipe in the slow-cooker, the hardest flavor to achieve was that richness that is developed when beef is slowly braised in red wine. The red wine reduces to a sticky glaze, leaving extremely tender meat that is so soaked with flavor it practically melts in your mouth. This flavor is key to a good beef stew and finally we nailed it! How’d we do it? We reduced the wine with the meat drippings along with onions, celery, and carrots. Once the sauce thickened we stirred it into the broth giving the whole dish that heady, wine-braised flavor. That little extra step at the start of this recipe is the key to its gorgeous, classic taste. Pretty smart right?

    1. Brown the chuck roast cubes in a skillet. Pop it into your slow-cooker.
    2. Time for that red wine trick! Sauté the chopped onions, celery and carrots in the fat left in the pan from browning the beef, then glug the red wine into the pan and let the whole lovely thing reduce by about half.
    3. Pour all of that winey goodness into the Crock-Pot along with the broth and get cooking! 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.
    4. Add the larger vegetables—the carrots, potatoes and green beans—when the stew has about an hour left to go.
    5. Dig in!
    slow cooker beef stew in a crock pot with carrots, green beans and potatoes

    Tools You’ll Need:

    More Slow-Cooker Recipes To Try

    Do you ever go through a phase where you sort of forget about Crock-Pots? And then you remember them and they feel like magic all over again? Here are four of our favorite magical slow-cooker recipes:

    Slow Cooker Beef Stew in a bowl with carrots, green beans, mushrooms and potatoes

    Homemade Beef Stew

    We’re pretty excited about this one. Well, we’re always excited to share our recipes, but we’re just a little extra proud of how we made this work. Try this super easy slow-cooker beef stew recipe, and let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

    Related Recipes

    Slow Cooker Beef Stew

    Originally published: December 27, 2017

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  35 min
    • Cook Time:  4 hrs 25 min
    • Calories: 399
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    Ingredients

    • 3-3.5 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes
    • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 celery ribs, finely diced
    • 5 large carrots (2 finely diced) and (3 cut into 2½-inch pieces)
    • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¾ cup light red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
    • 4 cups beef stock
    • 2 teaspoons beef bouillon
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ pound cremini mushrooms, halved
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ½ pound green beans, trimmed and halved
    • 3 pieces, about 2 pounds medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½ -inch
    • Minced flat-leaf parsley, for serving

    Method

    1. Sprinkle the beef all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt.

    2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.

    3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the celery, carrots and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 more minutes.

    4. Add the wine and bring to a heavy simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the wine mixture to the slow cooker along with the beef stock, bouillon, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and mushrooms.

    5. Turn the slow-cooker to HIGH and cook for 2 ½ hours or LOW for 6 hours.

    6. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water. Pour the Cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker, along with the larger carrots, green beans and potatoes, stirring to combine.

    7. Cook on HIGH until the larger vegetables are tender, and the stew has thickened slightly, about 1½ more hours, or on LOW for about 2 more hours.

    8. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories399
    • Protein40 g
    • Carbohydrates25 g
    • Total Fat17 g
    • Dietary Fiber3 g
    • Cholesterol121 mg
    • sodium260 mg
    • Total Sugars6 g

    Slow Cooker Beef Stew

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Catherine

      When you call for beef bouillon, do you mean powdered, or liquid (i.e. the powder mixed with hot water)?

      You can use either!

    • Maria

      I don't like mushrooms, can I substitute it for something else or can I not add it? I'm concern it will change the flavor of the recipe.
      Thank you.

      Totally fine to leave them out. Hope you enjoy Maria!

    • Jackie

      The directions mention to put the carrots in with the beef but then state put them in along with the green beans and potatoes. When do you recommend the carrots be added?

      Thanks for asking! Carrots are used 2 times in this recipe, the smaller diced carrots will go in with the meat. The larger 3 inch pieces will go in at the same time as the potatoes and green beans.

    • Tim Singler

      Hi, love your recipes and looking forward to this one, but how might you adjust it if doing low temperature? 6 hours on low, with veggies going in toward the end? Thanks!

      We just converted this one to a slow cooker! The recipe is coming soon! But in the meantime, yes low for 6-8 hours and put the veggies in for at least the last 4 hours on low.

    • Klm

      Hello- I have a question about the calories you have listed. Is that for the whole meal, or per serving? I have this in my crockpot right now and the house smells amazing! Thank you

      Hi there. It is per serving!

    • Jenn

      So flavorful and so easy! Will definitely be making this again!

      Thanks Jenn, so happy to hear it!