Here's an easy slow cooker beef stew in Crockpot on high recipe you can make for dinner or on the stovetop if you'd rather too. Tender cubed beef loaded with carrots, peas, potatoes and a gravy similar to our slow cooker beef stew with onion soup mix but more homemade.

There are tons of ways to make it but if you're looking for an easy slow cooker beef stew recipe, this is it. It can also be made on the stovetop or even in a dutch oven. Loaded with beef and lots of vegetables it is a stand alone meal. It's one of our favorite easy crockpot recipes. (post may contain affiliate links present)

There were two things our mom made from scratch growing up, beef stew and banana bread…don't ask us why. We guess in the 80's and being midwestern it was “one of those meals” everyone made.

Now that we have kids of our own this is one of our go to meals because we are always trying to eat more veggies and stew meat is pretty darn cheap! That is a win win in our book as a twenty dollar meal that all 4 of us loves is the goal.

What Makes a Traditional Beef Stew Recipe?

Now there are tons of variations out there, this is the basic one if you ask us. From there you can tweak it with different cuts of meats, adding beans, etc. Take a peek at our Crockpot Brunswick stew recipe for a good example of one that is a bit more outside of the box. The classics remain though with; beef, carrots, potatoes and a thick sauce.

We have made stew many different ways other than the Crockpot too. First one we shared on Pynmi was our dutch oven stew and even our kids said it came out fabulous! Super rich sauce and was as easy as this one done in the oven in our cast iron dutch oven. If you don't have one of those we highly recommend it, things come out great that way!

What is the Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe Ever?

We swear by this one that cooks right in our crock pot. There are directions below to make stovetop beef stew and in the Instant Pot as well if you want to compare. It is fun to mess around with different methods but with this dish we will always say that the longer it gets to simmer the better!

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Wine

Red wine is a great add in as far as the necessary liquid goes. We don't use that as it is too bold of a flavor and takes away from the meaty ingredient tastes for us but we will use 1/4 wine and the rest broth or water. brings a bolder punch to the dish.

Of course with any type of stew you should add the vegetables you want. If you don't like peas then omit those at the end, if you love carrots then double the amount here. It's totally up to you but here is a generally easy recipe to follow and customize to your personal tastes.

We personally don't add much salt while cooking, we'd rather salt to taste when it is done, but that is up to you too. There is nothing worse than a great meal but it turns out to be too salty and nobody can eat it. Be gentle at the beginning and adjust when it is done and it's served up to everyone.

How Long to Cook Slow Cooker Beef Stew on High

You want to have about 5 hours on hand, we aim for the longer end of things. If you forget about it a bit longer it will mean your meat will be broken down more and the veggies will get softer and softer. If cut into larger pieces that will allow it to cook longer, or smaller will take less time of course.

Ingredient notes

Cut of beef of your choice in large bite size pieces like stew meatdiced chuck roast or this is a great way of how to cook beef tips
Onions can be diced or sliced, the larger they are the more they will stay in tact.
Tomato paste will add thickness to the sauce and a bolder flavor
Red wine is optional but provides a punch of flavor to your gravy
Beef broth or water but this will lend more flavor
Vegetables we choose are peascelery if you like, red potatoes and carrots (whole fresh green beans would work too)
Flour to thicken the stew, or cornstarch works
Spices and seasonings you love
Worcestershire sauce can give it a bit more of a kick
Bay leaves are optional

Substitutions and Variations

Like we said, there are many ways to substitute this or that if you don't want to use red wine let's say and add broth. We will say that both of these add a ton of flavor and the alcohol will cook off almost entirely so we wouldn't worry about that aspect. Vegetables should be cut into large chunks so they don't fall apart.

Bay leaf is optional of course and make sure you remove it before serving and eating so keep it whole so you can find it easily at the end. You could also use shredded beef in this if you had leftovers of that from the night before.

Does beef stew get more tender the longer it cooks?

In a Crockpot or pressure cooker we would say it does. Too long and it will fall apart and become shredded beef really. Keep in mind that the veggies will break down too and may get too soft for your liking though so that is subjective.

Beef Stew in Crockpot on High Recipe

By Here's the best slow cooker beef stew in Crockpot on high recipe you can make on the stovetop too. Tender beef loaded with potatoes and carrots in gravy. Prep: 15 minutes minsTotal: 6 hours hrsServings: 8 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

2 lbs stew meator chuck roast cut into thick chunks
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine, optional
3 cup beef broth
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
3 large carrots, cut into dials
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1″ chunks
2 stalks celery, cut
1 upc peasdefrosted, formerly frozen
1/4 cup all purpose flour, to thicken

Instructions

Spray inside of your slow cooker with non stick spray or use a liner.
In a bowl whisk together your flour and beef stock.
Put meat into crockpot and pour beef stock mixture on top. Stir to coat meat.
Add carrots, potatoes, and celery on top of that. Whisk together your wine, spices and tomato paste in another bowl. Pour this liquid mixture on top, close lid and set to high for 4-6 hours.
About 15-20 minutes before serving add your defrosted, formerly frozen, peas. Stir into mix and put top back on for remaining time.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Other Beef Stew Recipes You'll Love

Instant Pot Stew Meat recipe is the bomb too. You can even use frozen stew meat for this one with a gravy and pour that over rice or noodles for a complete meal. A great one to keep in your back pocket for when you have had a forgetful morning.

We called it beef pot pie soup but it's the same thing.
- There are lots of other Instant Pot beef recipes here as well
This beef stew casserole is a great twist on the traditional too.
Ninja Foodi stew in your pressure cooker

Nutritional information is included in the recipe card with saturated fat etc. Keep in mind all meat varies slightly.

How to Save Leftover Stew

We mean you can't throw this goodness away if you have some that hasn't been eaten. Instead, wait until it has cooled completely. Then spoon it into a container with a lid and into the fridge it goes for up to 3 days. When you reheat it do so in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes stirring every 30 sec. or on the stovetop.