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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, hearty potatoes, and a deep mahogany broth made in the slow cooker. Slow-cooked on Low until tender, then thickened with a cornstarch slurry for a rich, spoon-coating texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck cut into 1.5-inch cubes
baby potatoes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes halved
carrots
  • 3 carrots cut into thick rounds
celery
  • 3 celery sliced
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
red wine or extra beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine or extra beef broth
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
water
  • 3 tbsp water
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and season
  1. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, coating all sides so it browns richly during the long cook. Use a visible, even layer of seasoning.
Layer in the slow cooker
  1. Place potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker to form the stew’s base. Spread them in an even layer so they cook through.
  2. Nestle the seasoned beef on top, then add garlic, beef broth, red wine or extra beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Make sure the bay leaves are submerged in the liquid.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours or High for 4-5 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender. The meat should shred easily when pressed with a spoon.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove bay leaves, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. The slurry should disappear without large lumps and the liquid should look slightly thicker right away.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens and clings to the back of a spoon. You should see slow, glossy bubbling as it thickens.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to evenly distribute. Taste should be balanced, with flavors that pop and a hearty, thick texture.

Notes

For best flavor, don’t skip the bay leaves—they add a distinct herbal depth during the long cook. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently until steaming. Freezing is yes: freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat and simmer 5-10 minutes to re-thicken. Dietary swap: for a gluten-free version, use a Worcestershire sauce labeled gluten-free.