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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 on Low until the beef is fork-tender, then finished on High for a silky, 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: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and vegetables
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
  • 1 lb baby potatoes
  • 3 carrots
  • 3 celery
  • 1 onion
  • 4 garlic
Broth and aromatics
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine Use extra beef broth instead if preferred.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves You’ll remove them before thickening.
Thickener and seasoning
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and load the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of a slow cooker.
  3. Nestle the beef on top, then add garlic, beef broth, wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or High for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
  2. Stir the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the stew until no dry lumps remain.
  3. Cook on High for 20 to 30 minutes until the broth thickens and looks glossy.
  4. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and stir through.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the slow cooker lid on during the 8–10 hour low cook to maintain temperature and tenderness. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and trim any excess fat from the beef chuck before cooking.