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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow cooker beef stew with fork-tender beef, thick gravy, and vegetables cooked low and slow until the flavors meld. Floured, batch-browned beef plus a one-pan onion-garlic tomato paste base creates a glossy, hearty texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soups, Stews & Chili
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck roast
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
salt
  • 1.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
garlic
  • 3 garlic, minced
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
carrots
  • 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
celery stalks
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Toss the beef with flour, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated, then add the oil to a hot Dutch oven. Brown the beef in batches for 4-5 minutes per batch, turning so the outside is deep brown, then transfer to the slow cooker with a visible caramelized crust on the pieces.
Build the flavor base
  1. Cook the diced onion in the same Dutch oven for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened and glossy. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits so the tomato paste darkens slightly.
  2. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits from the pan until smooth, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Slow-cook until fork-tender
  1. Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots, celery, dried thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are easily pierced.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 10 minutes more, just until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove the bay leaves and top with chopped fresh parsley for a fresh, green finish before serving.

Notes

For the thickest stew, make sure the beef browns well in batches—avoid crowding so the flour can color and cling to the meat. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes: freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat, adding an extra splash of broth if it thickens. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire that fits your needs.