Can you believe that this slow cooker beef stew was the first beef recipe on Ambitious Kitchen?! Truth be told, we didn’t grow up eating a lot of beef. My mom preferred a plant-forward diet, but of course, always made my brother and me plenty of comfort foods that included chicken and fish.
However, during the winter months, I remember her making a deliciously cozy, tender beef stew that was rich, savory, and packed with nourishing carrots, potatoes and peas. On the side, she’d serve a honey cornbread that we’d use to soak up all of the savory broth.
It’s truly a hug-in-a-bowl meal that’s perfect any time you’re looking for something warm and comforting.
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Why I love this beef stew
My mom’s best ever beef stew was one of my favorite comfort foods growing up and because I love to get a little nostalgic on you, I decided to make a slow cooker version for the blog.
And mmmmm hmmm hunny IT IS AMAZING. Perfect for Sunday night dinners, impressing your partner, serving with cornbread or a slice of toasted French bread, and warming up during those cold winter nights. Trust me when I say: you need it!
What is beef stew?
Traditional beef stew is basically tender beef simmered in beef broth with potatoes, fresh herbs and a variety of veggies like carrots, celery & onion. We’re jazzing this beef stew recipe up with dry red wine and Worcestershire sauce for extra delicious flavor.
The best type of beef to use
This homemade beef stew recipe is best when made with lean cuts of beef that don’t contain as much fat. The longer the beef simmers and cooks, the more tender it will be, thanks to the breakdown of connective tissue. You can learn more about why tougher meats are better for stews here. Tip: make sure you trim all the excess fat before using!
Ingredients in slow cooker beef stew
This easy slow cooker beef stew recipe is filled with savory flavors, hearty potatoes and veggies to make it filling and delicious. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Beef chuck: you’ll need about 3 pounds of beef chuck, which will end up about 2 1/2 pounds once you trim the excess fat off.
- Beef broth: you can use beef broth or beef bone broth in this recipe.
- Dry red wine: my recommendations are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Shiraz.
- Tomato paste: you’ll use some tomato paste to help thicken the broth and to give it a nice tang of sweetness.
- Worcestershire: the wonderful addition of Worcestershire gives this beef stew recipe an incredible savory umami flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: helps to give the beef stew a little tang and sweetness.
- Fresh herbs: both garlic and thyme are used!
- Vegetables: onions, carrots, potatoes, and peas are forever my favorite.
- Flour: this helps to thicken the stew once it’s done. You can use regular all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Can I make it without wine?
Sure! Feel free to skip the dry red wine and just use more beef broth.
How to make beef stew in the slow cooker
Making this slow cooker beef stew is easier than you think!
- Prepare your beef. First, you’ll need to trim the beef of excess fat. After that, you’ll saute the beef in a skillet until seared (you don’t need to cook it all the way); browning the meat just helps to create additional flavor, so please don’t skip it. You’ll also need to do this in batches so you can get a nice golden sear!
- Add the liquids. Pour your beef broth, dry red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper into the bowl of your slow cooker. Stir together with the beef until combined.
- Veg it up. Next stir in the garlic, onion, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The longer it cooks, the better and more tender the stew will be.
- Thicken it. Once the stew is done, you’ll add in the flour and the peas and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes until the stew thickens up. If it’s too thick for your liking, just add an extra splash of beef broth!
- Enjoy! Serve with cornbread, crackers, or biscuits. Enjoy a big bowl of deliciousness.
How to make beef stew on the stovetop
It’s easy! Simply follow the recipe as indicated, but add everything to a large pot or dutch oven over low heat and simmer covered for 5-6 hours. I would also potentially add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of beef broth.
Tips for making the best beef stew
- Sear your beef beforehand. This is important! Browning the beef in a skillet beforehand will bring out even more flavor. Do this in batches so your meat has space to brown.
- Cook it on low. While many slow cooker recipes can be made on high for 3-4 hours, I highly recommend cooking this beef stew on low for the full 7-8 hours. This will ensure that the beef gets nice and tender.
- Thicken your stew properly. When it’s time to add your flour to thicken the beef stew, remove 1 cup of beef broth from the slow cooker and add it to a bowl. You’ll then whisk in ¼ cup flour until there aren’t any lumps, add it back to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Be sure you don’t add flour straight to the slow cooker, as it will become lumpy.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store any leftover crockpot beef stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.
- To freeze: let the beef stew cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the slow cooker beef stew thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
What to serve with beef stew
I can’t wait to hear what you think about this beef stew and if you love it as much as we do! I recommend serving it with my pumpkin cornbread muffins, my fabulous garlic bread recipe or any one of these recipes:
- Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad
- The Best Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- The Best Fluffy Moist Cornbread Recipe Ever
- Caramelized Garlic Carrots with Spicy Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Get all of our delicious side dishes here, and even more comfort food recipes here!
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I hope you love this beef stew recipe! If you make it, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below to let me know how you liked it! xo.
Mom's Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 2 1/2 pounds when done)
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups beef broth (or beef bone broth)
- 1 cup dry red wine (or sub extra beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 4 large carrots (or 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or sub all purpose gluten free flour)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and brown in batches, so that you give the meat room for a nice sear. This should take about 5 minute per batch of meat. Transfer to large 6 or 8-quart slow cooker.
- Next add in beef broth, dry red wine, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper. Stir together with the beef until combined, then add in garlic, onion chunks, carrots and diced potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I prefer to cook this slow and low so that the beef become really tender and the flavors have time to meld together.
- Next, remove 1 cup of beef broth from the slow cooker and transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup flour until there aren’t any lumps remaining. Add back to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add in frozen peas and cook uncovered on HIGH for 10-15 more minutes until beef stew thickens up a bit. If it gets too thick to your liking, just add another splash of beef broth in. Serve immediately with toasted french bread, mashed potatoes, cornbread, crackers, or biscuits. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on December 9, 2020, republished on December 14th, 2021, republished on December 18th, 2023, republished on January 23rd, 2025, and republished on November 4th, 2025.
I made this stew over the weekend and it was so good! I went a little heavier on the vegetables and included celery and, to thicken it up, I used a packet of brown gravy towards the end of cooking instead of flour. I will definitely make this again!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Do I leave the veg sitting on top of the beef and broth for the whole cooking time? Or at what point should I stir everything together?
No need to really stir everything until Step 3 after you add the thickening agent! Your slow cooker will cook and steam everything together.
Can this be done without searing the meat first?
Love this recipe! Can you make in the instant pot?
I actually don’t own an instant pot, so I’m not 100% sure what the instructions would be!
Both My Wife and Loved the stew! It had nice flavors that really came together from cooking everything Low & Slow in our slow cooker! Stews and Soups are the best for Fall and Winter meals as they warm the Soul. I am retired but my Wife still works so I try to have a nice hearty meal ready for when she arrives Hone. The only thing I woukd love to see with all the recipes I am trying from your Book us that it would allow us to copy and paste the recipe link into the Weight Watchers App to give us the points quickly. However this isn’t the case as I have to enter each ingredient into the recipe builder to add the recipe and find out hiw many points the meal is going to be. Any chance of fixing this?
So happy to hear that, Brian! This is one of our favorites for fall and winter, too 🙂 Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with the technical part of that app, so I’m not sure how to fix my site to adapt it. Sorry about that!
The stew was on for 8 hrs on low the veggies were still hard at the end of 8 hours, I don’t know maybe it’s time for a new crockpot
So strange after 8 full hours! Have you noticed issues with your crockpot before?
It’s in the slow cooker right now, super easy to throw it all together, can’t wait to try it. It will be done 3 hours before dinner is it okay to leave it in there on warm?
Easy and delicious! Yes, that should be fine!
I left mine on for about 10 hours on low & it had fallen apart a bit too much (my fault!) but otherwise this was very delicious. First slow cooked stew I’ve made and we enjoyed it. Maybe a little less flour for thickening next time but honestly very tasty! Great winter recipe.
I’m glad it was still delicious! We love this in the winter, too 🙂
Cooking it today with house of sick ppl lol can I use cornflour to thicken ?
Sorry to hear about the sick household! I haven’t tested this with cornflour, and I’m just afraid it will create more of a paste rather than thicken the stew nicely.
I really liked this recipe, I used a bit more salt but I’ll definitely be saving this one to use again!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely loved it a real hit with the family
This recipe is my family’s favorite! It’s the perfect cozy meal. I’ve tried making a pot roast multiple times and I’ve always fail. Until I found ambitious kitchen. The meat is tender and juicy. So much flavor! Thank you
I’m so glad! Perfect stew for colder months.
This is absolutely a HOME RUN. You may be thinking, are all of these ingredients necessary (for example, the wine, etc.). The answer is yes. This recipe has been a hit every time we make it. Depending on your preference on thickness, I would recommend adding more stock at the end to your desired thickness. Yum! Make it tonight.
So happy to hear that!
I made it and it is amazing! I am going to make it again tonight! I have to get a new crockpot though. Mine broke… Such an amazing recipe so yummy
So glad you love this one!
I love, love this recipe and can’t wait until I make it again! Thank you! As an additional vegetable option, I added brussel sprouts toward the end of cooking. Also, I realized afterwards that I forgot to add the flour, but I ended up liking the texture of the stew just fine!
Amazing! Happy to hear that it’s a favorite!
This was delicious and super easy to make. I did add a little extra beef broth just because I like a little more broth. I will definitely be making this again.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Might have put in too much thyme and balsamic vinegar. How do I fix this
Oh no haha! You can always add a little more broth if necessary.
I’ve been using this recipe for years now and it’s always a hit. I add “better than bouillon” paste to it at the end and it makes it taste rich and homey.
So happy to hear that! And that sounds delicious 🙂
It’s in the pot as I type so can’t leave a rating. Do we use low salt beef broth? I think that’s important to know.
Feel free to use low-sodium broth and then add salt to taste once it’s all cooked!
Excellent recipe! Let’s be honest, most stew recipes are a letdown, but not this one. So easy to make and flavorful. I cooked it low and slow in the crockpot using pre-cut stew meat that I had in the freezer and it was just what I needed for this cold (almost) winter week. Served with toasted and buttered sourdough. Highly recommend!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
If halving the recipe, does the cooking time change? Can’t wait to try!
What is the next best preferred cut of beef besides chuck roast? Thank you!
That is the only beef I recommend for this recipe.
No, it will remain the same, as the beef takes a while to tenderize. Hope you love it!
Shouldn’t the liquid in the crockpot come up to at least the top of the meat and vegetables. Mine is nowhere near that. I have an 8 quart crockpot.
No need! The stew will release more liquid as it cooks, and everything can cook in a slow cooker without being covered by the liquid (unlike on the stovetop).
I ended up using an extra cup of beef broth and then at the end used one more cup of beef broth with a quarter cup of flour as thickener, and the stew turned out perfect.
Great! Glad you enjoyed!
Do you flout the beef before you sear the meat?
Hi! Do you mean flour? If so, nope, I don’t flour it beforehand.
Is there a way I would adapt this to make on the stove top?
Yes, check out the blog post where I included stovetop instructions 🙂
I made this last week, and it was so good, I’m back to make it again. This time, I’m going to use smaller pieces of meat and brown them over medium-high heat, along with frozen peas, as the recipe calls for. My beef was a bit chewy. I used Chianti and small red potatoes, adding celery, mushrooms, and bay leaves. I used canned peas, which were fine, but for this next batch, I’m using frozen peas. I chose this recipe for the peas (and the red wine), and the canned peas just didn’t compete well with the other perfectly cooked vegetables.
Perfect! So glad you loved this one!
What is the next best preferred cut of meat besides chuck?
So good!!! Going to be a winter dish staple in my kitchen. I’ve never made a stew before but I don’t feel the need to look elsewhere for a recipe. I make mine on the stovetop in my Dutch oven. I also add the carrots and potatoes a couple hours in. I’m afraid they’ll be too mushy if cooked the whole time…. Turns out great!
So glad you loved it! Perfect winter dinner 🙂
it’s literally the best stew recipe ever. like hands down unreal and I’ve had a lot of stew in my day. the only recipe I’ll forever go back to. oh, and it’s easy. i usually make it in the dutch oven and will just let it simmer on low after everything is in there for about 45 min to an hour. beef is always tender.
So happy you love it!!
Just finished a bowl of this with my hubby and holy moly it is goooooooood!!!!!! Thank you thank you! I will definitely be using more of your recipes !
So glad you both loved it! Hope you find more delicious recipes here to try 🙂
The whole family loved it!
I’m so glad!
This was incredible! Made it last week and I’m making it again for tonight!
Just made this for our family soupathon. I barely had enough to bring home leftovers. Everyone wanted to take some home. I highly recommend!
A soupathon sounds SO fun. Happy to hear everyone loved it!
Excellent recipe. But your nutrition information is way off. According to Samsung Food calculations, this has 694 calories per serving, 39 grams of fat (15 of which is saturated), 42 grams of protein, and 30 grams of carbs, along with a whopping 974mg of sodium. Delicious for sure, just thought the nutrition facts should be correct for people who are concerned with it.