Learn how to make a simple and delicious crockpot beef stew. Made with stew meat, potatoes, carrots, celery and more! This crockpot meal is a great way to bring comfort and nourishment to your family.
Lately, my Pinterest searches have consisted of "crockpot meals." In my busy season of mom life, I am always looking for a way to speed up dinner yet have it be delicious and nutritious. This crockpot beef stew checks all those boxes.
When I think of comfort in a dish, a stew comes to mind. With chilly days still in the mix of things, a stew is exactly what my body craves. It is hearty and full of rich flavor yet nutrient dense and high in protein.
This crockpot beef stew is set to low and simmers away all day. The result is perfectly pull apart beef with tender veggies. This is a great dish to finish off a busy day.
Crockpot Beef Stew Step-by-Step
To start, cut your stew meat into 1-inch cubes and coat it in the flour.
Heat a medium sized cast iron on medium heat and add in olive oil. In batches, sear the stew meat on all sides just enough to get a brown sear. About 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the seared meat in the bottom of the crockpot.
To the top of meat, add in the rest of the ingredients. This includes the chopped potatoes, sliced carrots and celery, and diced onion. As well as the seasonings - garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf.
Finish off everything with the beef broth as well as the bit of Worcestershire sauce.
Allow the beef stew to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 5 hours. Check on it every so often as you want your veggies to be just fork tender and your meat to easily fall apart.
Serve as desired and enjoy!
Tips
- Don't chop your veggies too small as you don't want them to get mushy.
- When choosing your meat, keep in mind a higher fat meat will lead to a greasier seeming broth.
- Top with fresh parsley for extra freshness and flavor.
- Cooking the stew on low all day will lead to the most flavor.
- Searing the meat beforehand is optionally. However, it does lead to a more flavorful stew.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can add in a cornstarch (or flour) and water slurry.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple - Besides being able to just throw everything into a crockpot, there is minimal prep work to get this into the crockpot. This makes it a very simple meal to bring together.
Nutritious - From the beef, loads of chopped veggies, and the hearty broth, this crockpot beef stew is very nutrient dense. This ensures your family is well nourished. A huge deal and goal for us here at Hygge Home.
Flavorful - The beef, garlic, veggies, and other seasonings unleash so much flavor in this dish. The slow release of it all makes it the most flavorful. We care that nourishment and flavor go hand in hand. And our families care too!
Ingredients
Stew meat - a chuck roast and a bottom round roast are a great option. However, I have made this recipe with a sirloin roast and the flavor just as great!
Yellow onion
Carrots - Be sure to not chop your veggies too small as you don't want them to turn to mush.
Celery
Potatoes - I peeled the potatoes, but if in a time pinch, feel free to leave the skins on!
All - purpose flour - we will coat our meat in this before searing it to help develop a thicker broth as the stew cooks.
Worcestershire sauce - adding this in will help to deepen the flavors of the beef stew.
Bay leaf - adding a bay leaf will also help with the deepening of flavor within in the stew and add a slight herbal taste.
Italian Seasoning
Garlic - I love using this handheld grater to mince my garlic.
Beef broth
Water
Salt & Pepper
Tools You Will Need
Crockpot - Can never go wrong with a good yet affordable crockpot.
Medium sized skillet/cast iron
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Sharp knife - I love this Farberware knife set.
Cutting board
FAQs
Do I have to brown stew meat before putting it in the crockpot?
Our recipe does say to brown the stew meat before putting it in the crockpot. While this step can be skipped, it does really enhance the flavor of the stew. Searing the meat helps to lock in all those juices and flavors.
What are common mistakes when making beef stew?
A big mistake when making beef stew, especially in the crockpot, is chopping your veggies too small. This will lead to soggy veggies which is exactly the texture we don't want.
What adds flavor to beef stew?
Our recipe consists of adding in freshly minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a bay leaf, salt and pepper. All these things together make for a very flavorful beef stew.
Ways to Serve Beef Stew
While beef stew does contain all your food groups in one dish, sometimes it is fun to add a little bit of something extra. Here are a few ideas.
Homemade Dinner Rolls - these homemade dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet from a dash of maple syrup. They are a Hygge Home family recipe and staple.
Homemade Garlic Bread - Can you ever go wrong with garlic bread? This one is quick to whip up, buttery, and even meal prep friendly!
Ceasar Salad - When I think of a side salad, Caesar salad often comes to mind. It is simple, easy to eat, and has a tasty dressing.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies - You always need a good dessert to finish off a tasty meal. These sourdough cookies are a favorite around our home and as well as yours. They are gooey and not too heavy. A great ending to this beef stew and whatever sides you may pair it with.
Save This Recipe for Later!
Don't forget to save this recipe the next time you need a nutritious and easy meal to throw in the crockpot.
Crockpot Beef Stew
This homemade crockpot beef stew is a simple, hearty, delicious, and nourishing meal to feed you and your family. It requires minimal effort to throw into the crockpot and leads to a meal at the end of the day that your family will love.
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 pounds stew meat , cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 russet potatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- To start, cut up your stew meat into 1-inch cubes then toss it in the ¼ cup of flour. Making sure that each side is evenly coated.
- Second, heat up a medium sized skillet with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in it. Once heated, sear the flour coated stew meat on either side until just browned. Do this in batches so your pan doesn't become too crowded.
- Once the meat is seared, place it into the bottom of your crockpot.
- Then, chop up the carrots, celery, and potatoes, as well as dicing the onion. Being sure to not cut things too small as you don't want them to turn to mush. Place those prepared veggies into the crockpot over top of the meat.
- To the top of the chopped veggies, add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and a bay leaf.
- Lastly, finish it all off with the 4 cups of beef broth, 1 cup of water, and ½ Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook in the crockpot for 6-8 hours on low or 3-5 hours on high. You will know it is done when the veggies are fork tender and the meat is pull apart tender.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
If you like your stew a bit thicker, feel free to add a cornstarch and water slurry to the crockpot about half an hour before it is finished cooking.
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