Cooking Beef Casserole In Slow Cooker

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Hearty slow cooker beef stew, loaded with vegetables, super tender meat, and packed with incredible flavor. Dig into classic comfort food after a long day, this crock pot recipe is family dinner perfection!

Other slow cooker recipes we love include this slow cooker pot roast and homemade applesauce – the house smells amazing when those cook all day!

close up of tender fall apart beef in stew gravy

I took my unbelievable classic beef stew recipe (<< seriously the best beef stew ever – MAKE IT!), tweaked several ingredients and converted it to the crock pot and this slow cooker beef stew was born. It's so delicious!

That's saying a lot, since I'm not a huge crock pot lover. But this recipe is great – the vegetables are tender, but not mushy and the flavor is totally there. Not bland at all, like so many slow cooker recipes tend to be. Whomp whomp.

overhead beef stew in crock pot with ladle

Slow Cooker Beef Stew Ingredients

Here's what you'll need!

Meat – beef chuck roast
Veggies – baby new potatoes, carrots, peas, onion, and garlic
Seasonings – thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, mustard seeds, bay leaves, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper
Liquids – low sodium beef broth, vegetable juice (like V8), Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste
Other – extra-virgin olive oil to sauté the meat and flour (or cornstarch) to thicken the gravy

slow cooker beef stew in bowl with spoon

How to Make Beef Stew in Slow Cooker

It's really easy to make this beef stew crock pot recipe! Here's a brief rundown of steps. (Scroll down for the detailed printable.)

Warm olive oil in a large skillet.
Season beef with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and brown all over.
Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic into a greased 6-quart slow cooker.
Whisk together the liquids and seasonings until well combined; pour over the the beef and vegetables.
Toss in bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low heat until meat is super tender and falling apart at the touch.
During the last 5 minutes, stir in the peas.
Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with parsley and enjoy!

How long to cook beef stew in slow cooker? This recipe calls for 7-8 hours on low and then an additional 30 minutes if you're thickening the broth. While you can cook on high for 3-4 hours, I do not recommend it. Low and slow is the way to go to achieve tender, fall-apart meat and deep flavors!

How to thicken a beef stew in slow cooker? If you want the liquid to be more like a gravy, you'll create a slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup stew broth until combined and smooth. Slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.

4 picture collage of slow cooker beef stew ingredients

Beef Stew Crock Pot Recipe Notes

Don't cut the cubes of beef too small or they'll fall apart before being able to soak up all the flavor from slow cooking all day.
Brown the beef! Browning the beef before adding in all the other ingredients is key! Forming a nice crust on all the pieces of beef locks in flavor. This extra step is so worth it!
You can peel your potatoes if you want, but for baby new potatoes, it's not necessary. If they are on the extra large side, you might want to quarter them.
Chicken broth can replace the beef broth if that's all you have, although the overall taste will not be as deep.

Storing Leftovers

Stews are so good the next day, so make sure you save enough to have leftovers for lunch!

How long does beef stew last? Allow stew to cool completely, then transfer to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze beef stew? Yes, you can freeze beef stew (although the vegetables tend to get softer and break down into smaller pieces after thawing.) Make sure to leave a 1/4-1/2 inch gap in the container to allow for expansion. Stored properly, it will keep in the freezer up to 3 months. If you know in advance you'll want to freeze the stew, wait to thicken it until you reheat it.

overhead of crock pot beef stew in bowl with spoon

What to Serve with Beef Stew

Loaded with beef and so many veggies, this is a complete meal in a bowl and doesn't need anything else, but it's hard to resist not serving it with fresh popovers or Irish soda bread warm from the oven to mop up the gravy!

Watch it Being Made

My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish again. Truly the best ever slow cooker beef stew – you're going to love it!

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don't forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest , and YouTube !

overhead of crock pot beef stew in bowl with spoon

{Best Ever!} Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Hearty slow cooker beef stew, loaded with vegetables, super tender meat, and packed with incredible flavor. Comfort food perfection!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 8

6 quart slow cooker

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck roast , cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1 pound baby new potatoes , halved
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 large sweet onion , diced
3 cloves garlic , minced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup vegetable juice (such as V8)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen peas , thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves , for garnish

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic into a 6-quart slow cooker.
In a bowl, whisk together the beef broth, vegetable juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, oregano, paprika, and mustard seeds until well combined; pour over the the beef and vegetables.
Toss in 2 bay leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth to create a slurry. Slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.
During the last 5 minutes, stir in the peas.
Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with parsley, if desired.

For recipe tips, thickening the stew, and storage info, please refer to the full article and watch the video!

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beef stew crock pot recipe, Slow Cooker Beef Stew