Slow Cooker Beef Stew is as comforting as any meal I can think of! This old fashioned recipe is loaded with vegetables and has the most tender, melt in your mouth pieces of beef! The perfect blend of seasonings gives it the BEST flavor, and you’ll love the thick gravy!
If you ‘re always on the hunt for super-duper easy recipes you’re in the right place! Stews are inexpensive to make, and it’s easy to keep all the ingredients on hand. I know some people use a stew seasoning packet, but making homemade stew seasoning is easy and is made with simple spices and seasonings. Oh, and if you’re looking for a stew without wine, here you go!
Cube Steak Beef Stew is one of those recipes where you throw everything in the slow cooker and let the magic happen! The longer it cooks the better, and if that wasn’t enough the leftovers are even better! You can’t beat that!
It’s a really good thing the leftovers are every bit as good as the first time around with this soup because it’s one of those meals that seems to magically grow bigger than you thought possible! My kids have been packing leftovers in their school lunches all week! It’s definitely been a stew and No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread kind of week!
How to Thicken Beef Stew
LITTLE DAIRY ON THE PRAIRIE TIPS:
I’ve had lots of questions about how to thicken watery beef stew! Here are a couple easy ways to thicken beef stew in a slow cooker with simple pantry items! NOTE: If the stew is really watery you might want to make twice as much slurry. I usually start with a little and add more as needed.
What vegetables can I add to Slow Cooker Beef Stew?
Need another reason to make this soup? It’s so inexpensive! Staying on track with your grocery budget has never been tastier! I have leftover carrots and potatoes from my garden and I was happy to use them up.
You can scrounge around the bottom of your freezer and grab whatever other vegetables that have been lost and add them to the stew too! There really aren’t any rules with stew. Just substitute what you already have on hand for the same amounts of vegetables listed on the recipe. Here are some alternative vegetable ideas to get you started.
- Corn (my kids favorite and we have plenty of Sweet Freezer Corn in the freezer)
- Squash (butternut or other winter squashes would be ideal)
- Sweet Potatoes
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Green Beans
Some vegetables, like peas, take less time to cook than others so you’ll want to add them last. Others like sweet potatoes and squash will need longer so be sure to add them with carrots and potatoes.
What cuts of beef can I use in Slow Cooker Beef Stew?
Once again, there aren’t many rules with stews. Pretty much anything goes. Since beef stew cooks slowly over a long period of time tougher cuts of meat have a chance to get really tender. Don’t worry about breaking the bank on a super high-quality cut of meat here. I used cube steak and it was incredibly fork tender. Melting in your mouth actually! Here are a few cuts of beef you could use. Just be sure to cube the meat before adding to the slow cooker
- Round steak
- Round Roast
- Rump Roast
- Stew meat
- Cube Steak – check out my post all about cube steak
- Sirloin Steak
- Even hamburger works. Be sure to brown it before adding it to the slow cooker.
Some recipes say you need to sear the beef chunks before adding them to the slow cooker. If you want the extra work, go right ahead! It will create a gorgeous brown crust on the outside of the beef. I don’t typically sear my beef first and it turns out perfectly. So, here’s to skipping extra pan washing!
What to serve with Beef Stew?
Personally, I think every bowl of stew or soup for that matter deserves a warm slice of bread! But you know, if you don’t have time for that go ahead and serve it with saltine crackers. It will get you by in a pinch!
Here are a few of my favorite easy bread recipes for serving with soup and stews.
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Monkey Bread – so much yumminess going on
- Whole Wheat French Bread – love the addition of wheat
- No Knead French Bread – the easiest bread you’ll ever make
- Butter Dips – quick and easy (about 45 minutes)
- Puff Pastry Cheesy Garlic Bread – semi-homemade
- Pesto Monkey Bread – lots of cheese too
- Spinach and Artichoke Pull Apart Bread – loaded with flavor
- Garlic Knots – made with frozen bread dough
- Cornbread Muffins – we love these with all soups and stews
Beef stew is best served with plenty of cheese! Cheddar is always a fantastic classic option, Pepper jack will add a nice touch of spice, Parmesan gives good depth, and mozzarella will be so gooey and melted! It doesn’t matter which kind of cheese you add…just be sure to add more than enough!
Grab my Recipe
There are lots of Slow beef stew recipes, but this classic version will take you back to everything you remember about the comfort of your family gathered around the table on cold winter days! It has all the amazing flavors of Slow Cooker Pot Roast in super easy stew form!
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that there are many, many days I assemble this stew the day before I want to serve it. Just leave it in the slow cooker overnight and all that’s left is setting that puppy on the slow cooker base in the morning. Carry on with your day and that’s all there is to it!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
Beef Stew Ingredients
- 3 cube steaks cut in pieces
- 4 medium russet potatoes diced
- 3 medium carrots diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tsp garlic paste I like Gourmet Garden
- 1 TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 4 cups beef broth
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups peas frozen
To Thicken Beef Stew
- 3 TBSP flour
- 1/4 cup water
For Serving with Beef Stew
- cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cut meat into chunks. Dice vegetables.
- Add all BEEF STEW INGREDIENTS to the slow cooker.
- Turn Slow Cooker and cook 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- About 15 minutes before serving mix remove bay leaves.
- Stir to check teh consistency. To thicken a beef stew make a slurry by adddig flour to a small cup. Add water and stir until smooth. Add to stew and stir to combine.
- Add frozen peas to the stew and stir. Peas will warm up quickly and still retain that gorgeous fresh green color if they are added at the end of the cooking instead of with the other vegetables. Put lid back on slow cooker and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Check the consistency again. If needed make more flour/water slurry and add it to the stew.
- Serve with plenty of grated cheese and slices of bread!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Microwave to reheat later.
This is one big bowl of comfort food! I can see this being popular as a way to warm up on a chilly day!
My boys love it after they’ve been out working on the farm in the winter! It’s a great way to cozy up!
I wish I had a big bowl of this beef stew right now. It looks fantastic!
It’s so fantastic during these cold winter months! We also love it right after we harvest our own potatoes, carrots, and onions from the garden! Enjoy!
Mmmmm! This is the perfect way to keep warm with all of the cold weather moving in this week!
Don’t you feel so sorry for all those people that are experiencing such artic temperatures? It was -14 degrees at my house this morning and that’s cold enough for me! I wish I could deliver stew to their houses!
This stew looks so delicious and colorful! Must try this myself soon
It’s one of those meals I can always count on everyone in my family loving, except my husband! He’s a good sport about it though!
Nothing like a great beef stew on a cold winter’s evening. Just lovely!
Yes! It’s such a comforting way to warm up! And with the weather lately we all need more warm up foods!
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house!
Ooo! What a great dish for these still-chilly nights! Looks really hearty and rich!
Who’s ready for summer? Me! As long as it’s cold I’m going to be warming up with this stew!
I ate beef stew in different restaurant, but this recipe is one of a kind. I cooked it yesterday and the taste is awesome. Thanks to you, I can cook it on my own way.
Homemade beef stew is magical! It’s one of our favorite comfort foods!
You are so talented and patient!! I’m sharing some of your treats tomorrow on my blog. Thanks so much for linking up to my Red, White, Blue & You Link Party! I always love everything you make!
I don’t think I’ve ever been called patient before! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes!