Crock Pot Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of beef with potatoes and carrots in a thick, hearty gravy makes for a nourishing meal any time of year!
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Crock Pot Beef Stew, which we also call Irish Beef Stew, is one of our favorite meals to make on a chilly evening. The simmering stew meat cooks low and slow in the Crock Pot, the savory smell permeating the house. It’s such a delightful fragrance to come home to! Our Irish relatives make this each year for St. Patrick’s Day. This recipe is similar to a traditional Irish stew; the only difference is we don’t add beer to the broth. No matter the occasion or season, this stew is warm, comforting and filling. Pair it with our Irish Soda Bread or biscuits and a green side salad and you have a delectable dinner all year ’round!
Suggestions for Crock Pot Beef Stew
- What makes this beef so tender and juicy is how long it simmers in the slow cooker. Low and slow is best for this type of recipe, because you can use any type of stew beef and it will become fall apart tender.
- Be sure to brown your stew meat before throwing it in the slow cooker. Searing the meat on all sides ensures the juices stay locked in the meat during cooking.
- I like to cut the vegetables into fairly large chunks so they don’t get soggy while cooking. You can always chop them into smaller bite size pieces later on.
- Try different seasonings to suit your taste. You’ll want to taste test the stew about 30 minutes before serving and add more salt, pepper or seasonings as needed.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- I love the classic potatoes, onions and carrots in this recipe, but you could also add chopped celery, diced green beans, peas or even corn to this stew for even more veggie flavor.
More Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Soups to Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup: Chicken and Rice Soup warms you up on cold fall and winter days. It is also ideal for busy days. The ingredients go into the Slow Cooker in the morning and a nice, hot meal awaits in the evening.
- Crock Pot Split Pea Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Crock Pot Split Pea Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
- Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
- Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup: Our version of the Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup tastes just like the original. It is an Italian seasoned soup easily made in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.
How to Make Crock Pot Beef Stew
Crock Pot Beef Stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of beef with potatoes and carrots in a thick, hearty gravy makes for a nourishing meal any time of year!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces or pre-cut stew meat
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes halved or quartered depending on size
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cans beef broth approximately 40 ounces
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut roast into 1 1/2 inch bite size chunks and place them in a gallon size resealable bag. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Shake bag until the meat is coated with flour.
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet or pot. Add coated meat and brown each piece on all sides.
- While meat is browning, cut potatoes and carrots and place both in the bottom of a crock pot.
- When meat is browned, layer the meat on top of the potatoes and carrots and leave remaining juices in the skillet.
- Return the skillet to the stovetop and add butter. Melt the butter on medium-high heat, then saute onions and garlic. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. In a small cup, combine cornstarch and cold water. Mix until smooth then add to the liquid mixture in the skillet. This will thicken the liquid. Pour all the contents of the skillet over the meat and vegetables in the crock pot.
- Add thyme, parsley flakes, and bay leaves.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for approximately 4 hours. 30 minutes before serving check the taste of the broth and add salt, pepper, or seasonings as needed. Allow to cook for another 30 minutes after adding seasonings.
- Remove bay leaves before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1159mg | Potassium: 979mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 132.2% | Vitamin C: 20.3% | Calcium: 8% | Iron: 34.7%
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MJ says
March 8, 2015 at 1:06 pmit appear there is not enough moisture to do this stew justice….we’ll see….
Echo says
March 14, 2015 at 6:08 pmYou’re right – I had 3 cups instead of 3 cans. Thank you so much for catching this! I made the change in the recipe.
Jess says
June 10, 2017 at 6:00 pmDoes anyone have an estimate of the calories in this recipe?
p.latimer says
January 10, 2019 at 7:22 amwhy worry..it taste so good you would ask for more….so ..calories be dam…just enjoy…
Joyful Noises says
March 12, 2015 at 8:17 pmThanks for posting a non-alcoholic Irish stew recipe! It looks GREAT. St. Patty’s is my birthday, and I am pregnant and have two small kiddoes, so I DEFINITELY didn’t want any traces of alcohol in it (because no… it doesn’t actually cook out that much. Plus, being Mormon… don’t want alcohol in it anyways.) I’m looking forward to feeding this to the missionaries when they come over on Tuesday (one of them is from Ireland, so I’ll let you know his opinion of it!).
I do have one question, though–how many does this serve? I’m thinking I should probably double it, but wanted to make sure I won’t be over-doing it! Thanks!
Echo says
March 14, 2015 at 8:45 amThank you and congratulations on a new addition to your family! This recipe serves 6. I serve it with a side salad and our cheesy biscuits and it is very filling. You probably don’t need to double it, but it is always nice to have leftovers.
Joyful Noises says
June 13, 2015 at 9:16 pmBy the way–the recipe is SO good! Everyone loved it! I definitely keep this on the top of my list. We’re making it for dinner tomorrow along with sourdough bread bowls. Yummmmm. I love your blog–thanks for sharing!
Pamela Wallen says
January 5, 2017 at 7:10 amHow many servings does this recipe make. I am looking to make it for St Patrick’s Day luncheon for my ladies church group and my husband wants to make sure he can have some as well. So I need to know if I need to double or triple the recipe. Thanks
Echo says
January 5, 2017 at 4:52 pmThis recipe serves 4-6 depending on how much you serve each person. It serves 4 if you are serving in large bowls, or 6 if you are serving in a regular size soup bowl. Good luck with your luncheon!
Emily C. says
March 10, 2017 at 6:38 pmI made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I added frozen peas about an hour before it was done cooking. I will definitely be making it again.
Echo says
March 12, 2017 at 3:22 pmThanks Emily! I’m so glad you like the recipe!
Judy says
March 12, 2017 at 9:43 pmLooks wonderful.
Echo says
March 17, 2017 at 9:39 pmThanks Judy!
Kelly says
March 15, 2017 at 7:27 amWhy can’t I see the full recipe? Would love to try this!
Echo says
March 17, 2017 at 9:12 pmThere was a technical issue on our site for a few hours, it should be working just fine now. Thanks!
Cindy says
March 1, 2019 at 5:24 pmI like to make dumplings on top of stew can this be done with this stew?
Favorite Family Recipes says
March 3, 2019 at 6:45 pmWe haven’t tried that before – but it sounds delicious! Let us know if you do try it!
marilyn Plitz says
March 18, 2017 at 10:12 amsounds good… How would this be with chunks of cabbage tossed in and if so, when would you insert them?
Erica says
March 21, 2017 at 10:44 pmI am sure if would be great! You could probably add them any time. I would probably add them closer to the end.
Vicki Thomson says
March 19, 2017 at 6:43 amSounds delicious!! If you were adding alcohol would you add maybe one can of Guinness ??
Erica says
March 21, 2017 at 10:42 pmIf you added any alcohol you may want to just cut down on some of the broth so it stays thick 🙂 Hope this helps!
Jane Wolford says
March 19, 2017 at 4:24 pmI have had this recipe for your Irish Beef Stew in the crockpot all day. The aroma is driving us crazy! Just gave hubby a taste & he thinks it to die for! Cannot wait to scoop up a big in a little while!!! It’s so delicious!!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Jane
Echo says
March 21, 2017 at 10:10 amThank you, Jane! I’m so glad you like the recipe!
Louise says
March 20, 2017 at 1:32 pmThank you so much for posting this recipe that has no alcohol in it.
Could you please tell me what size slow cooker you used to make it?
Echo says
March 21, 2017 at 10:09 amYes, I used a 6-quart slow cooker or crock pot. Thank you for asking!
Shirley says
March 22, 2017 at 1:46 pmit would be nice if you emailed me some of your recipes,thanks
Echo says
March 23, 2017 at 10:05 amWe will add you to our email list and you will have our recipes emailed to you each week. Thank you!
Bill in Massachusetts says
March 22, 2017 at 3:20 pmJust finished dinner, my wife and I each had a good size bowl of your Irish stew, yum. I followed the recipe to a tea, perfect. Had a Stella and hunks of crusty bread with it, great meal on such a blustery day. Thanks!
Echo says
March 23, 2017 at 10:04 amThank you for sharing this! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Tammy says
March 22, 2017 at 9:57 pmI do not have a crock pot, never was big on them but this looks so wonderful!!! Do you think I could just make in a big pot on the stove, or just borrow my daughters crock pot??? TY 🙂
Echo says
March 23, 2017 at 10:03 amYou can definitely make this in a regular pot on the stove. After adding everything to the pot, cover and let it simmer until the potatoes and carrots are cooked. It will probably take 45 minutes to an hour. Thanks for asking!
Stephanie ouellette says
March 25, 2017 at 3:12 pmCan I use lamb stew meat?
Erica says
March 27, 2017 at 11:23 pmAbsolutely! It would actually make it more traditional that way 🙂
shawn says
April 4, 2017 at 3:31 pmMade this for the family and I must say, it had an extremely off taste, think I’m attributing it to the vinegar, until now I have never heard of that in stew but I follow your recipe as directed. Is this “off” taste typical of Irish stew?
Echo says
April 8, 2017 at 6:33 pmThe vinegar is a substitute for the alcohol that is commonly used in Irish stew. You can leave it out if you don’t like the flavor. Thank you for asking!
Lisa says
June 1, 2017 at 1:22 pmThis stew is just so very good!
Cathy says
July 11, 2017 at 9:41 amI’m going to make this tomorrow. Defrosting my roast today. I am going to leave the potatoes out because I have 10lbs of russets. I will make mashed potatoes instead. Thank you so much for sharing this without alcohol.
Favorite Family Recipes says
July 11, 2017 at 11:53 amYou’re welcome! Enjoy the stew!
Vicky says
July 17, 2017 at 1:56 pmDelish. I used recipe with a venison roast. Amazing
Linda says
July 23, 2017 at 4:25 pmJust made this today. It was delicious. I made a mistake on vinegar. I used rice wine instead if red wine. Grabbed wrong bottle, but it still was so good. Had some sourdough bread with it. Cannot wait to make again.
Favorite Family Recipes says
July 24, 2017 at 9:35 amGlad it still worked out for you, despite the vinegar mix-up! Great idea serving with sourdough!
Marie says
August 10, 2017 at 1:43 pmSounds delicious!
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 11, 2017 at 10:38 amThank you, Marie!
Tabitha says
August 10, 2017 at 7:05 pmCould you use gluten free flour? I really want to try this but can’t have gluten
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 11, 2017 at 10:38 amYes, a quality gluten free flour will work just fine in this recipe. Thanks for asking!
Jenifer Gardner says
August 12, 2017 at 7:02 pmMy husband actually showed me this recipe and he hates soups and stews, says he wants to try this…. I really can’t wait to try!!
Trisha says
August 14, 2017 at 3:40 pmI’m going to try this. If I wanted to used alcohol- what would I use(someone mentioned beer(?)?. Also I don’t care for Worcestershire sauce, so could I use A-1 steak sauce. I know they taste a lot alike- but there’s sorting inWorcestershire sauce I do not like. Thank you, Trisha
Pamela says
August 16, 2017 at 8:48 pmHow many servings would you say this will make? I always like to save that along with any recipe I keep for future use.
thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 18, 2017 at 9:04 am6-8 servings depending on serving size. 🙂
PattiRL says
August 17, 2017 at 5:28 pmWhat makes this wonderful stew IRISH STEW?
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 18, 2017 at 9:03 amWe love Irish Stew but this version is alcohol-free because we don’t drink alcohol. Some have suggested adding beer to make it more “authentic”. Hope this helps!
Lisa Slaughter says
August 24, 2017 at 6:00 amI am trying the beef stew for tonight’s dinner. I hope it turns out good.
Fran says
August 25, 2017 at 11:40 amI’m making today I may put cooked rice in the bottom of the bowl then put stew on top
Gretchen says
September 5, 2017 at 8:45 pmIf you subbed turkey, would you increase liquid or fat somewhere? Looks divine, thx!
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 7, 2017 at 9:36 amI don’t think it would be necessary to add extra liquid or fat. I think you can just add the turkey without adding anything else. Hope this helps!
Shelle says
September 17, 2017 at 6:16 pmGreat recipe!! Love that it is alcohol free 🙂 I prefer Irish stew served over mashed potatoes. I just cut out the potatoes and add more carrots. I thicken it a bit more as needed but this is a great recipe for either, thank you!
Lisa says
September 20, 2017 at 2:23 pmIf I were to do this in the oven, what temperature would I use and for how long? It looks delicious!
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 25, 2017 at 5:48 pmHmmmm that is a good question. If you have a big casserole baking dish with a lid you could probably do it on 350 for the same amount of time. Hope this helps!
Miranda says
October 8, 2017 at 9:10 amSo it’s 3 40oz cans? So that equals 120oz? Or is it 3 cans to EQUAL 40oz?
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 19, 2017 at 9:50 amIt is equal to 40 oz. So each can is approximately 12-15oz. Hope that makes sense!
Elizabeth says
October 12, 2017 at 7:20 amCan this be frozen? because potatoes tend to not freeze well I find.
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 13, 2017 at 1:46 pmIt can be, but like you said, sometimes the potatoes get mushy and get a weird texture. If you were planning on making way ahead of time, it may be a good idea to prepare and just add the potatoes later. Hope this helps!
Judith says
October 26, 2017 at 7:07 pmI would brown the tomato paste with the onions for a better taste. Js.love the recioe.
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 26, 2017 at 8:51 pmThat is a great idea, thank you!
Sally says
October 30, 2017 at 8:38 amThis recipe is absolutely the best! So glad I found it. I’ve made it at least 4 times already and am making it again tomorrow. The combination of spice is perfect!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 30, 2017 at 8:27 pmWe are so glad you found it too! 😀 Glad you like it!
Mary says
January 28, 2018 at 9:17 amI don’t know why you are calling it Irish Stew, an Irish stew uses lamb (mutton), not beef. It sounds good though and I will try it but it’s beef stew.
Zorka DeFreeuw says
April 5, 2018 at 1:11 pmWhat is the instructions for the cheese. What kind of cheese? I would also like to know when you bake is the old fashion mix Master the same as the new paddle mixers.Thank you.
Favorite Family Recipes says
April 5, 2018 at 10:14 pmCheese isn’t an ingredient in our Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew. I’m not sure on your mixer question either. Please email us at [email protected]. Thank you!
Mike says
January 24, 2019 at 3:41 pmHow big a crockpot?
Favorite Family Recipes says
January 26, 2019 at 2:06 pmwe typically use 6-7 quart slow cookers. Hope this helps!
Tom Skyehope says
March 30, 2019 at 2:30 pmThe soup just simply delicious.
Fabulous!
Favorite Family Recipes says
April 1, 2019 at 4:39 pmThank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for the 5-stars!