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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef stew with fork-tender beef, thick gravy, and chunks of potatoes and carrots cooked low and slow for a rich, glossy finish. Browning the beef in batches adds depth while the slow simmer turns everything tender without drying out the meat.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soups, Stews & Chili
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck roast cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
All-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
  • 1.5 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Onion
  • 1 onion large, diced
Garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks
Carrots
  • 4 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
Celery stalks
  • 2 celery stalks sliced
Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
Frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build flavor
  1. Toss the beef cubes with flour, salt, and black pepper until coated, then shake off any excess flour for better browning. 4-5 minutes later, they should look dusty and evenly seasoned before they hit the pan.
  2. Heat olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet and brown the beef in batches for 4-5 minutes per batch, turning so all sides develop color. Stop when browned edges appear and no longer look raw in the center.
  3. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker as each batch finishes, keeping it from cooling too much between batches. Aim for a consistent layer so it heats evenly later.
  4. Cook the diced onion in the same skillet for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and darker in color.
  5. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Keep stirring until the liquid looks dark and glossy, then transfer it into the slow cooker.
Slow cook until fork-tender
  1. Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots, celery, dried thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker, then stir to distribute evenly. Make sure the bay leaves are submerged in the liquid.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fork-tender. You should see the vegetables softened and the stew thickening as it simmers.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for the last 10 minutes with the lid on until bright green. The peas should be tender but still keep their color.
  2. Remove the bay leaves, then top with chopped fresh parsley before serving. The stew should look thick and glossy with tender beef chunks and visible vegetables.

Notes

For the thickest, most stew-like texture, don’t overcrowd the skillet when browning—color matters for flavor and helps thicken the cooking liquid. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is yes: cool completely, freeze up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Dietary swap: use low-sodium beef broth and skip any added salt beyond the recipe’s measured amount if you’re watching sodium.