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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, chunky baby potatoes, and a deep mahogany broth thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked on Low for 8–10 hours for tender meat and a hearty, spoonable 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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck, cut into cubes
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1.5-inch cubes.
Vegetables
  • 1 lb baby potatoes Halved.
  • 3 carrots Cut into thick rounds.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Stew liquids and flavorings
  • 2 cup beef broth For broth base.
  • 1 cup red wine Or substitute extra beef broth.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes Undrained.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Herbs and bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
Cornstarch slurry
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water Mix with cornstarch to make slurry.
Seasoning
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the Crockpot, then nestle the beef on top.
Build the stew
  1. Add the minced garlic, beef broth, red wine (or extra broth), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8–10 hours or on High for 4–5 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the cornstarch slurry.
  2. Cook on High for 20–30 minutes until the broth thickens to a hearty consistency.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: cut the beef to 1.5-inch cubes so everything finishes tender at the same time. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire to reduce overall salt while keeping the stew flavor-forward.