Crockpot Beef Stew

4.30 from 65 votes
98 Comments

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Crockpot 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!

A bowl of Crock Pot Beef Stew
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Crockpot Beef Stew
  2. Suggestions for Crockpot Beef Stew
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
  4. More Crock Pot Soups to Try
  5. How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew
  6. Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe

This Crockpot Beef Stew recipe, 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 Crockpot, 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!

Ingredients in Crockpot Beef Stew

  • Beef Chuck Roast or Beef Stew Meat
  • Flour
  • Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes – you can also use red potatoes or sweet potatoes. Just be sure to cut them into small cubes so they come out fork tender.
  • Baby Carrots
  • Butter
  • Yellow Onion
  • Garlic
  • Beef Broth
  • Tomato Paste
  • Red Wine Vinegar – You can also use balsamic vinegar, wine, or beer.
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Cornstarch Slurry
  • Dried Thyme
  • Dried Parsley
  • Bay Leaves
A scoop of beef stew in a ladle in front of a crock pot full of stew


Suggestions for Crockpot Beef Stew

  • What makes this beef so tender and juicy is how long it simmers in the Crockpot. 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, frozen peas or even corn to this stew for even more veggie flavor.
  • Need your beef stew quicker? Check out our Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe or our Stove-Top Beef Stew recipe.
A bowl of Crock Pot Beef Stew

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to brown stew meat before slow cooking?

It is not necessary to brown the meat, but the flavor and texture results are well worth it in my opinion.

Can you cook raw meat and vegetables together?

Yes, because the internal temperature of everything will be high enough during the cooking process to kill any germs from the raw meat.

How do I store leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Read Next:35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love

More Crock Pot 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 Crockpot Beef Stew

A bowl of Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crockpot Beef Stew

4.30 from 65 votes
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 Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Irish
Servings 10

Video

Equipment

  • Crock Pot (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut roast into 1 ½ inch bite size chunks and place them in a gallon size resealable bag or other airtight container. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Shake bag until the meat is coated with flour.
    A glass bowl full of beef stew pieces coated in flour
  • Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet or pot. Add coated meat and brown each piece on all sides.
    Browned beef stew meat in a skillet
  • 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.
    Potatoes, carrots, and beef in a white crock pot
  • 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.
    Beef Stew in a crock pot before it is cooked
  • 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.
    Stew cooking in a crock pot with the lid on
  • Remove bay leaves before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
    A bowl of Crock Pot Beef Stew

Notes

  • What makes this beef so tender and juicy is how long it simmers in the Crockpot. 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.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1159mgPotassium: 979mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 6610IUVitamin C: 16.7mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 6.2mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is by far my favorite stew!! My mom would make it all the time. It brings so much comfort. Everything is so tender, they just melt in your mouth!

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

  3. 5 stars
    I love that this is made in the crockpot. You can throw everything and go about your day. Then Viola….dinner is done! Super hearty and filling too!

    1. You can follow the instructions as written, but replace “crock pot” with “large stock pot” and instead of cooking it for 7-8 hours, you can let it simmer on the stove for 1-2 hours. Hope this helps!

  4. 5 stars
    I found this recipe last year and it’s my husband’s new favorite! I add cut green beans, diced celery and diced tomatoes to add some extra flavor. I refer to my creation as a “stoup” = stew + soup, because I make the broth a little thicker, but all meat and veggies are cut up “bite size”. No particular reason other than that’s the way I like it. I also have learned to cook the onions with the tomato paste, which gives it a really nice flavor. Love this recipe, and hope these tips help. 😀

  5. 5 stars
    I just made this for dinner! Delicious! I plan on making it again. This was my first time making this recipe and it was simple and the whole house smelled great! I also made the Irish Soda Bread that’s on this Food website to compliment my Irish stew, wow, it was fantastic and easy to make too.
    This is in my favorite recipes! Perfect for a chilly rainy day!😋👍

  6. Thanks for sharing the Irish beef stew its one of my favourites and I like to add my dinner menu for an upcoming family event hope everyone likes and enjoy this meal.

  7. 5 stars
    Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    Absolutely delicious! Friends and family first request, always! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  8. 5 stars
    My family loved this recipe; however, I love using fresh herbs and used fresh thyme (1 heaping tablespoon) and 3 teaspoons of fresh parsley. Is the recipe correct in using 1 tablespoon of dried thyme? I thought you use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs to 1 time of dried herbs. Anyway, the stew is delicious! I will check out more of your recipes. Thank you.

  9. What 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.

  10. I 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.

  11. 5 stars
    This 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!!

    1. It 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!

    1. Hmmmm 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!

  12. 5 stars
    Great 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!

    1. I 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!

    1. We 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!

    2. Just came across this page and although I know this page is from 2017, I feel compelled to share that authentic Irish stew doesn’t contain alcohol at all:) I’m Irish, living in Ireland my whole life, have my paternal and maternal ancestors recipes from different parts of Ireland as well as my convent school recipe and I’ve never heard of an Irish stew with alcohol in it. Sure, beer would ruin it altogether!!

      1. Thank you for posting this!
        I think the world believes the Irish put beer in everything, just as it thinks all Americans eat is McDonald’s, lol!!

        Is traditional Irish stew anything like this recipe, which is a basic American stew? I’d love to hear how you make yours. Thanks so much!

  13. How many servings would you say this will make? I always like to save that along with any recipe I keep for future use.

    thanks

  14. I’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

  15. My 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!!

  16. Just 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.

    1. Glad it still worked out for you, despite the vinegar mix-up! Great idea serving with sourdough!

  17. I’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.

  18. Made 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?

    1. The 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!

  19. I 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 🙂

    1. You 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!

  20. 5 stars
    Just 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!

  21. Thank 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?

  22. 5 stars
    I 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

    1. If you added any alcohol you may want to just cut down on some of the broth so it stays thick 🙂 Hope this helps!

  23. sounds good… How would this be with chunks of cabbage tossed in and if so, when would you insert them?

    1. I am sure if would be great! You could probably add them any time. I would probably add them closer to the end.

      1. We haven’t tried that before – but it sounds delicious! Let us know if you do try it!

  24. 5 stars
    I 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.

  25. How 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

    1. This 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!

  26. Thanks 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!

    1. Thank 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.

      1. By 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!

    1. You’re right – I had 3 cups instead of 3 cans. Thank you so much for catching this! I made the change in the recipe.

      1. You’re right – I had 3 cups instead of 3 cans. Thank you so much for catching this! I made the change in the recipe. I found this comment under the Crock Pot Stew. My question is, Three cans of what??? Water, broth? Please explain. Thank you. Dave