It was a HUGE HIT! This is it:  Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe. To thicken beef stew you can either mix equal parts of flour/butter together and add it to the last hour of cooking or you can simply mash 3 or 4 chunks of the potatoes well and mix it into the stew for a natural thickener. *The tapioca thickens the stew without giving it a starchy texture. The beef and onions and tomato-based sauce are all poured into the slow cooker insert, but the vegetables (potatoes, carrots and parsnips) are wrapped in foil and stacked on top of the beef mixture. Added frozen peas, carrots and corn in the last hour. I have to insist that my husband eat at least a small salad anytime I have salad….Just not his favorite accompaniment to meals. Tools Used in making this Ultimate Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Slow Cooker:This recipe was made in this slow cooker. The aluminum will likely leach into the food it rests on. Amazing taste and flavor. I appreciate the earlier comment about how to mix the butter and flour! I followed your recipes exactly and would not change anything. She’s not a big fan of the vegetables but loves the meat and sauce. Recipe calls for a teaspoon of Thyme NOT a tablespoon!!!! But I will need it ready about Noon so I have to make the night before. I used canned Kroger beef broth cause it’s what I had on hand and it turned out wonderful. So I started using the taste test, paring down the amount of btb to the ratio of water. Very disappointed. Just the right consistency! Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, set to HIGH, and continue to cook … I don’t know enough about how that works, so I can’t comment. Pat the beef dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. The extra beef flavor is fantastic. You can look for a roasting herb blend which should include thyme, rosemary and parsley. Thanks for your review Laura! Here are a few more stew recipes on the blogs that you may enjoy: Snap a pic and hashtag it #RecipeGirl — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! Ok, well after all that the stew tasted GREAT!!! Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a hearty dish packed with slow cooked tender chunks of meat and veggies, making this meal a comforting option for the cold months ahead. Discard the foil. *To make a foil packet, place the vegetables on one side of a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Much easier and less clean up that way. Season the beef with half the salt and all the pepper. Or should I use some broth and some better than bouillon? Is it me or does anyone else find “better than b“ extremely salty. As mentioned above, there was too much thyme as well, even though I cut back on it. Hi Katrina, the bay leaves are not meant to be consumed. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Same goes with those onions/celery; if you don’t saute them first, they have a different flavor and texture. Subscribe to receive all new recipes for dinners, desserts, breakfast and more delivered right to your inbox! Question—can I double the recipe in one crockpot? It is packed with flavor and that low and slow cooking yields the most tender beef. I made this for my wife and mother-in-law and they both loved it too. I would be afraid it would dry out on low for that long, sorry. I love cooking for family and friends and sharing easy, flavorful recipes. The only ingredients you need to attend to are the beef broth and the soy sauce, and using gluten-free versions of those is simple. Thank you for the work you do with your recipes! Hope this helps! I use this tool EVERY time I cook something that requires flipping, it is amazing. Add to the skillet and brown on each side for 4-6 minutes or until deeply browned on each side. She also develops recipes, photographs food and writes for a variety of companies, websites and publications. The carrots were not soft enough even after cooking for 8 hours. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and peas and let stand until heated through. Transfer beef to slow cooker. Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. I found this to be very bland. I used the Better than Bullion and a small amount of wine. Very flavorful! The vegetables were OK but not fabulous. I can tell that the flavor is there and it would’ve been great if I did it on low as instructed. Pour into slow cooker over the beef. I used it for all 4 cups and even added an additional scoop to intensify the flavor. Looks like a terrific recipe, but I’m very wary of cooking with aluminum foil in this way. In need of a warm, comforting dinner? My family always enjoys the recipes we get from you site. So glad it was such a hit! I’m gearing up for the cold weather with easy dinners like this Beef Stew. My favorite beef stew that I’ve ever had. Pinned. is it a cup or a ladle? Yes, it may be a bit over half the time but around 5 hours should do it! This looks so hearty and delicious! Definitely could use more seasoning, pretty bland recipe. BUT, rainy weather is still great weather for stews, so I am all about this one! Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. I’m trying to keep my calories in check and i’d really appreciate the information, thank you! Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is. Cut the beef into 2-3 inch chunks and add it to the slow cooker. It just adds to the flavor of the stew. Tools Used in making this Ultimate Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Slow Cooker:This recipe was made in this slow cooker. Pour into slow cooker and gently stir, cover and cook on high heat for 20 - 30 minutes until thickened slightly. Hello, So I followed the recipe for the most part lol, only difference is that I pretty much cooked the beef Entirely while browning it in the skillet.. and I used a whole can of diced Tomatoes instead of 1/4 cup of paste. I love the addition of the tomato paste to the beef stew. You can adjust the servings size by hovering over the serving amount a slider will appear. I always love to have stew or chili on Halloween, I don’t know what it is but it’s becoming tradition. The problem is that it makes a lot more than we need. Serve this with crusty french bread, the Beef Stew is great for bread dipping. I left the potatoes with the peel on and they were fine but not delicious. I served it with toasted sourdough bread. Thanks for coming back to let me know. Do I pour that into the crockpot? Will definitely make it again. Love to hear you liked the recipe! I found one in the amazon warehouse half price, yahoo. Saute onions and celery, followed by garlic then tomato paste. As long as your crockpot is big enough, yes. And the sauce was thinner than I expected. Thanks, Sabrina. It’s worth the extra 10 minutes hassle, trust me. Photos and text updated October 2017 from original February 2016 post Use dried thyme and keep the bay leaf intact. Looks delicious!! Yes, it’s mainly for photos and presentation though. This particular Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe is a wonderful one because of the method used for making it. My husband had three bowls and another bowl for lunch the next day. Plus recipe video. Its okay but way too heavy on the Worcestershire and soy which made the dish taste “close in” instead of “fresh and open”– forgive the metaphor but I cannot say it otherwise. Times may vary depending on how hot your slow cooker runs. Carefully open the foil-wrapped vegetable packet (watch for steam) and scrape the vegetables and juices into the stew. I added lots of salt pepper garlic wine and rosemary. I am making this for dinner tonight however i don’t have any paste or beef bouillion on hand but i have a beef stew seasoning packet so I’m going to use that with the scraping the brown pan drippings & hope for the best. I’ll make it again but without soy or Worcestershire at first, adding them 1/2 teaspoon at a time to taste near the end. Slow cooker meals are so popular right now with good reason. Sorry to hear it wasn’t to your taste! ???? Hope this helps! Certainly. Read my disclosure policy. Cook the onions for 3 minutes, stir then cook another 3 minutes. I can put it in the slow cooker in the morning and then come home later to dinner already done. https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/slow-cooker-beef-stew I grew up eating pot roast and potatoes, because really, what’s better than beef and potatoes?! Enjoy! If I’m going to be gone all day at work, can I leave this recipe in the crock pot on simmer or low for 10 hours or would that dry it out? Just finished a bowl of this stew and it turned out great! Hope this helps! In a small bowl mix the butter and flour and add it to the slow cooker and stir. I’m so glad you both loved it! Minute tapioca? Thanks for coming back to let me know, Amanda. Saute onions and celery, followed by garlic then tomato paste. The thyme should be small already, in the jar. My family, including three kids, love this recipe- I use venison every time it’s delicious! It won’t bring all the flavor but it should be great with the pan drippings added. Fresh vegetables including yellow onion, celery, garlic, yellow potatoes and carrots. I received so many wows from my family as I served them this Sunday’s dinner. I normally cook it for the 7-8 hours on low, but today I didn’t have the time to wait that long. Set the slow cooker to high, cover, and cook for 6 to 7 hours. Add half of the beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. I read the reviews and made the following changes~ reduced the thyme by half. Husband isn’t a big onion fan so i just sprinkled some minced onion in, it is easier to hide than chopped onion. Thank you for coming back and letting me know! Pour 1 cup beef broth into skillet along with Worcestershire, soy sauce,  thyme and rosemary. Read our disclosure policy. This is the best beef stew recipe! This is phenomenal! Cast Iron Skillet: If you don’t have a slow cooker with a stovetop friendly insert, this is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever. Lori now spends her days creating family-friendly recipes for entertaining and every day. I made this yesterday (10/24/16) and it was a huge success! Just like in my Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup I highly suggest you enjoy this meal with crusty French bread and a side salad (a nice lemon/olive oil dressing would be great to cut through all the hearty flavors here). In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch with 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water until smooth. Not to mention, I mixed in the butter and flour right away with all the other ingredients. Should I use it for all 4 cups? Let me know how it turns out if you try it! Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. I made this tonight and I loved it! I have made this recipe multiple times and it has turned out amazing every time. Soooo good. They’re not mush. Required fields are marked *. I am a trained Private Chef of almost 10 years. Required fields are marked *. Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipes Make an all-time favorite meal into a no-fuss solution with these slow-cooker beef stew recipes. Working with half of the beef at a time, dab both sides dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. It’s incredibly hearty and perfectly flavorful. Your email address will not be published. It’s a delicious, warm-you-up kind of meal for a chilly, not-enough-time-to-make-dinner kind of day! 30 minutes before the beef stew is done cooking, make a slurry by whisking together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Plus the locking lid makes it a breeze for making a dish that needs to travel Aluminum Insert Slow Cooker: I brown the meat in the insert without losing a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. You’re so welcome, Bonnie. Is browning the beef and sautéing veggies necessary? You are going to want to cook it for 3 hours. If I wanted to make this on the stovetop how long should I cook it for? I used one tablespoon of the beef better than bouillon, as suggested in the recipe. This post may contain affiliate links. This easy Slow Cooker Beef stew is perfect for chilly days! Very tasty. When I brown the meat, a lot of juice forms. My daughter who doesn’t like roasts loved this. Enjoy! I would suggest getting a slow cooker that automatically turns to a warm setting once the programmed cook time is complete.