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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, tender potatoes, and a deep mahogany broth thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked low and finished on High for the perfect hearty 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: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
Potatoes and vegetables
  • 1 lb baby potatoes
  • 3 carrots
  • 3 celery
  • 1 onion
  • 4 garlic
Broth and tomatoes
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine or extra beef broth
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 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
Seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. Nestle the beef on top, then add the garlic, beef broth, red wine or extra beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours or High for 4-5 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender, then visually check that the vegetables are soft and the beef shreds easily.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the cornstarch slurry to disperse it evenly through the stew.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring until the flavor is balanced.

Notes

For the richest flavor, sear the beef cubes in a hot Dutch oven for 2-3 minutes per side before loading the slow cooker (optional, but it deepens the color and taste). Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge) and reheat gently. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire, then adjust salt at the end. Thicken right after slow cooking so the slurry doesn’t break down during reheating.