Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart chuck, chunky potatoes and carrots, and a rich mahogany broth thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked on Low for 8 hours for deeply savory, tender meat and vegetables in one pot.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 20

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

beef chuck

2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1.5-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste For seasoning

baby potatoes

1 lb baby potatoes Halved
Salt and pepper to taste For seasoning

carrots

3 carrots Cut into thick rounds
Salt and pepper to taste For seasoning

celery

3 celery Sliced
Salt and pepper to taste For seasoning

onion

1 onion Diced
Salt and pepper to taste For seasoning

garlic

4 garlic Minced

beef broth and wine

2 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine or extra broth

tomato base

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

herbs and aromatics

1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves Use 2 bay leaves
bay leaves Include bay leaves in the cooking liquid

thickening slurry

3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water Stir with cornstarch to make a slurry
Salt and pepper to taste Season after thickening

Equipment

1 Dutch oven

Method

Season and layer

Season the beef chuck generously with salt and pepper to coat all sides.
Place the halved potatoes, thick-cut carrots, sliced celery, and diced onion in the bottom of the Crockpot, then nestle the beef on top.

Add liquids and aromatics

Add the minced garlic, beef broth, red wine or extra broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves to the Crockpot.

Slow cook until tender

Cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or on High for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fall-apart tender.

Thicken and finish

Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the cornstarch slurry made from cornstarch and water.
Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: For the richest stew, make sure the beef is well-seasoned before it hits the slow cooker, and don’t skip the bay leaves—they add depth that carries through to the thickened broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge first) and note the texture may thicken further as it cools. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire sauce or reduce added salt until the final seasoning step.