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Hearty crock pot beef stew with tender chuck roast, chunky potatoes, carrots, and rich gravy in a slow cooker

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Tender beef chuck, chunky vegetables, and a thick, deeply savory broth slow cooked all day in a crock pot until fall-apart rich and ready to serve. The best slow cooker beef stew recipe with a glossy, full-bodied broth that requires just 20 minutes of morning prep and delivers a complete, hearty dinner by evening.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 487
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour for coating beef
  • 1.5 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 tsp black pepper, divided
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
  • 4 medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water added in final 30 minutes
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped for serving

Equipment

  • 6-Quart Slow Cooker
  • Large Skillet for Searing
  • Wooden spoon
  • Small Bowl for Cornstarch Slurry

Method
 

  1. Pat beef dry, toss with flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Sear in batches in hot oil over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Set aside.
  2. Deglaze the skillet with a splash of broth, scraping up all browned bits. Pour into the slow cooker.
  3. Layer potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the slow cooker. Add seared beef on top.
  4. Whisk together remaining broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, paprika, remaining salt and pepper. Pour over contents. Tuck in bay leaves.
  5. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours or high 4 to 5 hours until beef is fall-apart tender and vegetables are completely soft.
  6. Stir in cornstarch slurry in the last 30 minutes. Cook on high 20 to 30 minutes until broth is thick and glossy. Remove bay leaves. Serve with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Use beef chuck roast only - lean cuts like round or sirloin dry out and turn chewy during long slow cooking.
  • Do not skip searing - the browned crust adds flavor depth that slow cooking alone cannot replicate.
  • Deglaze the searing pan and add those browned bits to the slow cooker - they carry significant flavor.
  • Liquid should reach halfway up contents at the start, not cover everything - the stew releases its own moisture as it cooks.
  • Add cornstarch slurry only in the final 30 minutes - adding earlier causes it to break down and lose its thickening effect.
  • Freeze without potatoes for up to 3 months - potatoes turn grainy after freezing and thawing.