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A bowl of beef stew with chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes, garnished with parsley, with a spoon and fresh herbs on a plaid cloth.

Crockpot Beef Stew (Easy Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven Recipe)

This slow cooker beef stew cooks tender beef stew meat with potatoes, carrots, celery, and herbs in a rich savory broth for an easy hearty dinner with full Dutch oven beef stew instructions included.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 3 celery stalks sliced
  • 1 bag baby yellow potatoes 24 oz
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped, plus more for garnish

Optional Additions

  • Sliced mushrooms added with the vegetables
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas added in the last 30 minutes
  • 1/2 cup red wine reduce broth to 2 1/2 cups if using

Instructions
 

Crockpot Method

  • Add the beef stew meat, flour, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Toss until the beef is evenly coated.
  • Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and minced garlic. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
  • Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
  • Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the parsley and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve garnished with extra parsley.

Dutch Oven Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the beef in the flour, salt, and pepper until coated.
  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  • Add more oil if needed then sauté the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms here if using.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and red wine if using, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Pour in the beef broth and return the beef to the pot. Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
  • Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours until the beef is tender. If not tender after 2 hours continue cooking in 30-minute intervals until it is.
  • If adding frozen peas stir them in 30 minutes before serving. Remove the thyme and bay leaves, adjust seasoning, and serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Don't skip coating the beef in flour before it goes in. The flour does two things: it helps the beef develop a slightly thicker, more cohesive sauce during the long cook and it absorbs some of the moisture from the broth so the finished stew has body rather than being thin and brothy.
  • Cut everything into similar sized pieces so the vegetables and beef finish cooking at the same time. Uneven cuts mean some pieces are mushy while others still have bite.
  • For a richer, more deeply flavored stew reduce the broth to 2 1/2 cups and add 1/2 cup of red wine. The wine adds an acidity and depth that makes the whole stew taste more complex without tasting specifically like wine.
  • The Dutch oven method takes more active effort but the sear on the beef and the fond scraped up from the bottom of the pot adds a depth of flavor the crockpot version can't fully replicate. Worth it when you have the time.
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