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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, tender potatoes, and a deep mahogany broth thickened right in the slow cooker. Cook low for 8–10 hours for the richest texture and sliceable-but-soft vegetables.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
baby potatoes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
carrots
  • 3 carrots, cut into thick rounds
celery
  • 3 celery, sliced
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
garlic
  • 4 garlic, minced
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
red wine
  • 1 cup red wine or extra beef broth
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
water
  • 3 tbsp water
salt
  • 0.25 tsp Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season and layer in the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, coating all sides. The pieces should look lightly speckled as you place them into the cooker.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread them in an even layer so the stew cooks uniformly.
  3. Nestle the beef on top of the vegetables. Keep the cubes mostly in one layer to help them become tender evenly.
  4. Add the garlic, beef broth, wine (or extra beef broth), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour the liquid carefully so it surrounds the beef and settles through the vegetables.
Slow cook until fall-apart tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8–10 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender. You should see steady, gentle bubbling around the edges of the slow cooker insert.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Look for the leaves in the broth and ensure none remain in the stew.
  2. Stir the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked with water) into the stew. The mixture should blend without leaving dry lumps.
  3. Cook on High for 20–30 minutes until the broth thickens. The stew should coat a spoon and look glossy when you draw a finger line through it.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust in small pinches, then stir and taste again.

Notes

For best flavor, keep the lid on during the Low cook window so the stew stays at a steady temperature and the beef tenderizes evenly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months. For a lighter option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt to taste.