Hearty Beef Stew {Slow Cooker}
This hearty beef slow cooker stew is delicious and filling. The veggies are melt-in-your-mouth tender and the flavors are amazing.
Let me start by asking a really important, earth-shattering question. Is there anyone out there who has the same addiction and love for carrots that have been cooked with a succulent roast dinner? A Sunday roast dinner, as it was with my family growing up? Anyone? Anyone?
In my great Book of Opinions, carrots cooked in the flavorful juices of a delicious roast are incomparable. I could eat 83 of them and still go back for more.
Well, I’m happy to announce that this slow cooker beef stew has renewed my love of stew (it simply has really never been a favorite dinner of mine) for many reasons.
The first is that the cooked carrots in this stew are reminiscent of the divine vegetables in my mom’s Sunday roast dinners. They nearly melt in your mouth with tenderness while still having a bit of bite and they are infused with flavor. I chalk this up to the unusual cooking method and hereby vow to use foil packets in any and every slow cooker dinner from here on out.
The carrot phenomenon alone would allow me to rationalize making this weekly from here on out, but in addition, this hearty, rich stew is also packed with juicy, tender chunks of meat, delicious peas and potatoes, and the sauce is thick, velvety and so very tasty.
New favorite stew with my beloved old favorite carrots. That’s a win-win in my book.
FAQs for Hearty Beef Stew
Its usually found by the jell-o instant puddings, on the top shelf above them. General area should be near the baking aisle.
Yes, freezing this works great. I portion it into freezer-ziploc bags and then press out all the air and seal (so the bag is laying flat, like a big thick square). I thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat when we want to eat it.
What to Serve With This
- French Bread Rolls or Buttery Cornmeal Crescents
- Fresh fruit
- Sliced cheddar cheese
One Year Ago: Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl
Two Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Clam Chowder
Three Years Ago: No-Knead Bread Revolution
Hearty Beef Stew {Slow Cooker}
Ingredients
- 5 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound red potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
- 2 cups frozen peas
Instructions
- After the meat has been cut into chunks, pat it dry with a paper towel and season all the pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Cook half of the beef until it is well browned on each side, about 4 minutes. No need to cook it all the way through – just get some great brown color all around. Toss the meat in the slow cooker and follow the same process with the second half of the meat (you may need to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan if it looks a little dry). Remove the meat to the slow cooker, trying to keep as much oil in the pan as possible.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are translucent and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer it to the slow cooker, pouring it over the meat.
- In a large bowl, toss the carrots, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. On the counter, lay out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (use two sheets of regular foil on top of each other if you don’t have heavy-duty). Place the tossed vegetables on one side of the foil. Fold the foil over the vegetables and crimp the edges really well to form a little foil packet that will fit in the top of your slow cooker. Stir the tapioca into the slow cooker. Place the foil packet of vegetables on top of the stew, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 10-11 hours.
- When the stew is finished cooking, carefully remove the foil packet from the top of the stew. Discard the bay leaves from the stew. Carefully open the foil packet (be careful of steam that may escape as you open it!). Return the vegetables and any juices to the slow cooker and gently mix them into the stew. Stir in the frozen peas and let them rest in the stew for 5-10 minutes, until they are heated through. Serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country Dec/Jan 2011
have been making this for years ! My sister got me started when I was about 10 yrs old from then on I use to bother her
Mary please make hamburger hash
Of course in them days hamburger was cheaper but it was delicious !!
Now I’m doing my own with roast beef added turnips, some parsnips, peppers and at the very end I put in a can of peas
and omg what a treat
Thank you for sharing !!!!!
Mel could I use leftover pot roast for this stew? How would it change the cooking time/directions?
Maybe? I’d probably follow the step #2 for the veggies/tomato paste/broth and add that to the slow cooker with the veggies with the tapioca (don’t use the foil packet) and cook on low or high until the veggies are tender (a couple hours depending on low/high) and then stir in the leftover pot roast to heat through.
Is there a string tomato taste to this stew?
I’ve previously left a review for this recipe, but it’s sssooo good, I feel the need to leave another . This stew is the BEST. It’s just perfect winter comfort food. There is a little bit of prep on the front end. But once everything is the slow cooker, dinner is made! I omit the potatoes in the packet because I like to make mashed potatoes. I also cut down the amount of beef to 2-2.5 lbs (but keep the liquid the same).
I just wanted to let you and the readers know that if you are looking for a lower carb option you can substitute radishes for potatoes, believe it or not, and it still comes out amazing! The flavour of a cooked radish completely changes and in a stew you may not even know the difference. This is my all time favourite beef stew either way.
MEL! This is the absolute best, most delicious stew I’ve ever made or even tasted in my life. I just ate it for the second night in a row and plan to do so until the leftovers are gone. My husband loved it too. I I honesty think this needs to be filed under your “best recipe” section, its that good! I think it’s the whole tomato paste and onion simmer, and file steamed veggies that gives it the edge. That flavor is amazing! Also I couldn’t find tapioca so I just stirred in a little corn starch and water slurry when I dumped in the veggies and it was perfect. PERFECT!
Tried this recipe today and it was delicious.
I had a smaller piece of meat so I cut the ingredients in half and it was perfect.
I loved the foil packet idea for the veggies.
This is truly THE BEST stew in the slow cooker. I make it often and it always turns out so delicious. It is my go-to recipe for stew.
LOVE IT! : )
The batch I’m making right now is using antelope stew meat. Thanks for so many great recipes!
Thanks so much, Melody!
cant wait to try!! thank you so much!!!!
DELICIOUS! I used 5lbs and split the meat into 5 batches to sear in my cast iron. The recipe’s exact measurenmtents fit in my oblong 7qt slow cooker. Putting the vegetables in the foil on top is the best idea! I had only made beef stew once before this and I hated how the carrots made the entire meal taste like carrots so I never made again. So happy I found this recipe!
I made this yesterday and I feel compelled to leave a review because it was so good. I feel like everything beef I put into the slow cooker turns out the same mushy, soupy thing. But, not this stew! Cooking the carrots and potatoes separate is genius. The stew was hearty and the veggies kept their shape. I can now throw away all my other slow-cooker beef stew recipes that I didn’t really love anyhow.
*I only had 2 lbs of beef. I kept all the other liquid and veggie amounts the same. It turned out fine.
Have you made this recipe in the instant pot? Any pointers? I’ve made it several times in my old crock pot, and it turned out beautifully. But my crock pot died so I tried it in the instant pot on the slow cook setting and it was a disaster. ☹️
I haven’t yet because I haven’t figured out the timing exactly to cook the meat but not over cook the veggies.
I have made this recipe 2 or 3 times and it is great. It is definitely my go-to stew recipe! But how can 5 pounds of meat turn out to make 6-8 servings? Those are some big servings! Today I made the stew with 4 pounds of meat and I still think it will serve 8 people and I will have some leftovers. Also, with four pounds of meat, it barely fit into my slow cooker (I’m not sure what size I have, but it is a big one.) All in all- a great recipe and worth the extra work at the beginning to brown the meat and saute the onions with the sauce.
HI mel, just a question about the Tapioca, I have seen that our local supermarket sells Tapioca flour would that work as well as Tapioca itself? it actually says it is used for thickening stews, soups etc.
That’s a great question, Julie – and I’m not sure. Tapioca flour is much finer and I’m afraid it might mess up the consistency of the beef stew but it’s definitely worth a try – maybe whisking some of the tapioca flour and hot water or broth together and adding it to the stew after it cooks??
Have you ever frozen this? How does it turn out? Thanks so much!
it freezes pretty well. The potatoes are a bit softer after being defrosted but we still enjoy it as leftovers (the overall consistency is thicker, too).
When you do this in your pressure cooker, do you still use the foil method for the vegetables, or do you do something different with them?
No, I just put all the ingredients in the pressure cooker (after browning the meat) and cooked it at high pressure for 25 minutes (and ran it under cold water to release). I used my stovetop pressure cooker not the InstantPot (I think you’d need to add a few more minutes with the InstantPot). It was delicious. I think you could probably use the foil packet still but I opted not to.
I tried this one a couple weeks ago. My husband and I both didn’t like the tomato flavor. I was really disappointed as I love beef stew. But the tomato in this just does not work for me. The beef was very tender though! If you like a more traditional
Beef stew I suggest trying one without tomato paste in it. I love some of Mel’s other recipes though!
Curious if it has to be minute tapioca? I accidentally bought regular…
I read somewhere that if you grind the regular tapioca into a finer powder, you can sub it for the minute tapioca but I’m not positive. Sorry I’m not more help, I’ve never made it with regular tapioca.
I went ahead and threw it in before I read your response (I’m patient like that) and it turned out just fine. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for another great recipe. My family says “Mel never lets us down!”
Wow! I was excited to try this recipes and it did not disappointment. Everyone I had over wanted the recipes. I love your site.
Ok you’ve convinced me. I’m making this tonight. Glad I have it all on hand. Pot roast is one of my favorite meals, so I looked and noticed you didn’t have a roast recipe.. Unless I missed it. If you don’t, please get on that! I know you’d make a fabulous one! I made a life CHANGING roast once, it had broth and Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.. All kinds of seasoning, mushrooms and grape tomatoes along with all the regular veggies in a roast. I made it two more times that month then lost the recipe. I looked online for a couple of hours for it before giving up. If you recreated something similar I’d forever be indebted! Until then- looks like slow cooker roast it is!!
You are so funny. “In my great book of opinions…”. Thanks for all your service posting so many family friendly recipes.
do I need to put oil in crock pot before starting beef stew
Hi Carol, if the recipe doesn’t call for adding oil to the crock, I wouldn’t add the extra fat. The recipe does say to brown the meat in oil. You want to cook it in two batches so you don’t crowd the meat and make it steam rather than brown. Then move it to the crock leaving as much oil in the fry pan as possible. You will like the recipe. Enjoy!
No, you don’t need to add extra oil.
This is definitely a favorite of my family. I have made it many times (with less beef than called for and with some frozen corn added too)! Thanks for a great recipe!
I used a regular crock pot; mine is oblong, I used the regular recipe and it worked fine. I accidently used too much thyme, but wow it still turned out great! Go for it!
Really wanting to try this recipe but I only have a 4.5qt slow cooker. Could I just cut all the ingredients in half for the same results?
I used a regular crock pot; mine is oblong, I used the regular recipe and it worked fine. I accidently used too much thyme, but wow it still turned out great! Go for it!
Sure.
I think its great that you comment on your blog. This blog has been going on for a long time. And I am getting hungry for this recipe so I am going to have to make it again!!
someone posted about not being able to use soy sauce. Useful substitute to provide a bit of “umami” is anchovy paste.
Anchovy paste!! That’s it! I said salt. Himalayan pink salt is a really good diversion from the regular table salt.
Hi Kendra,
Yeah, it’s a no brainer. But it’s also a wonderful recipe that your family will enjoy. After your stew is cooked, let it completely cool in the dish you plan to freeze it in. Make sure there is at least an inch of head space between the stew and the lid because frozen stuff expands. Cover the cooled stew with a piece of plastic to push out the air bubbles then put the lid on it, date it, and freeze!! The day you plan to use it, take it out and let it thaw before you heat it up so that you don’t over cook the vegetables.
Hi Kendra – I freeze this stew and it works great. I portion it into freezer-ziploc bags and then press out all the air and seal (so the bag is laying flat, like a big thick square). I thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat when we want to eat it. Looks like Cat also gave some good freezing advice, too. 🙂
This looks so good. might be a no-brainer, but I’m kinda a beginner…. how could I make this as a freezer meal? Having a baby soon and I wanted some stew in my freezer stash!
This turned out great. Loved the flavor. I used ~2 lbs of stew meat and it seemed plenty to me.
I do not have tapioca, can I sub flour or corn starch?
Could definitely experiment but I don’t know for sure if it would work since I haven’t tried it.
I made this last night and it was a total hit! So YUMMY!!! And it was my first time making stew, ever! Thank you so much! I’m going to keep on making this one 🙂
do you think I can prep meat/sauce and foil packet ahead of time, then just add foil packet and turn on before work?
Definitely worth trying!
Delicious! I already have my leftovers packed away and hidden in the back of the fridge for my lunches the next couple days. If I didn’t hide them my husband would take them since he loved this stew so much!
Hi Mel,
I’d love to try this recipe for a dinner party I’m having this week, do you think this recipe would work with lamb shanks instead of chuck roast?
ALICIA – I’ve never used lamb in this recipe but it is certainly worth a try.
So I just realize I am out of tin foil…as in my drawer is empty and so is my pantry. Can I just add them when there is about 4 hrs left? I’ve made this before, but with the foil packet method. I’m kinda nervous about just dumping them in, but I am not running to the store!
Salem – Sorry for the delay in getting back with you. I’ve never tried it without foil but adding them in the last four hours or so would be a good compromise. I hope it worked out!
SO GOOD. This was the best stew I’ve ever made. But don’t just take my word for it….I sent some with a friend; she reported back that her husband wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t planning to eat — until he saw it — and said it looked like it was from a restaurant! I used 3 lbs of meat and increased the potatoes and carrots a bit. Thanks for another home run, Mel!
This was delicious! I followed the recipe to the letter and it got rave reviews from my family. The only part I didn’t enjoy was cutting up the 5 pound roast. I felt like I had taken part in a homicide! 🙂
hey!
Just wanted to comment that most grocery store butcher counters will cut roasts into any size cuts you want (thin strips, stew meat, etc.). Then they will slap the same price label back on the package, not charging for the cutting. It’s a big help, especially when I’m pregnant! It makes me sick to handle raw meat too much. Hope this helps!
-Marsali
Ugh! I hate handling raw meat and I am not pregnant. This is good info! Thank-you!
FYI: My food store has this cut roast already cubed for stew (SHWINGGG!!).
I’m not a beef stew person, but I loved this recipe!
I made this stew this past weekend and it was amazing! I added 1/2 c. of red wine for part of the broth and used one carrot and fresh green beans. That was the vegetable I had on hand. It was a rockstar dish and my family really enjoyed it. Thank you, Mel…this is now the only Beef Stew Crockpot recipe I’m going to use. The trick with the foiled vegetables was genius….truly!
The Crockpot Recipe Exchange posted a link to your recipe on Facebook today, so I decided to try it. This is what my family and I had to say: I thought it was awesome! My husband said it was the best stew he ever had. And during dinner my husband and 2 year old were chanting Man Food! and Fist bumping! (my 2 year old ate two bowls). My daughter loved it too. So, as you can tell, it will be in the family favorites list and making the rotation this winter. Thank you for posting the recipe!
AWSOME>My family love it,THANKS
I just put this together, and I must say that there is no way all of the ingredients would fit in my 4.5 qt slow cooker. I only used 4 lbs of meat and it still didn’t fit! good thing I have a 7qt slow cooker, or I’d be in trouble. Otherwise, this is easy to prepare in segments (did the chopping and made the veggie packet the night before). It also already smells amazing! You (and Cook’s Country) never steer me wrong!
So by Minute tapioca, do you mean tapioca starch? Does it have to be Minute brand? I couldn’t find it at my grocery store, but I know that Bobs Red Mill makes tapioca starch and I know where I can find that.
Sharon – I’ve never bought tapioca starch but I actually think that the Minute tapioca has a totally different texture than the starch so you’ll have to experiment if using the starch (or look around for the Minute tapioca). Good luck!
Only substitute = One cup of wine for one of the cups of broth. All great stew deserves wine for depth 🙂 Awesome idea on the veggies packet too, thanks!
We get weekly produce shares, and this week we received fresh red potatoes, peppers, carrots & onions. My husband wanted a pot roast, and this was the closest recipe I could find on your site. I kept my chuck roast whole and browned the entire roast before putting in crock pot. I halved all the gravy ingredients since I was going for less than stew consistency. I also added peppers to the veggie foil pack. FANTASTIC!!! My husband wants this to be our go to pot roast recipe! 😉 Maybe others have made these modifications (I didn’t have time to read all comments, sorry!), but I thought I’d pass along anyhow! I’m so tickled about the foil pack on top of the meat…I want to try your Slow Cooker Italian Beef next with a roasted potato pack on top. What do you think?! Thanks again for another great recipe, Mel! 🙂
This recipe sounds fabulously easy and delicious, problem is it calls for SOY SAUCE and I can not have soy products. Is there a substitute?
Hi Maureen – I’m not sure of soy sauce substitutes but you might try googling.
Salt?
Yes, I know it’s been 2.5 years since you posted this question, but what the heck: a perfect sub is COCONUT AMINOS. Tastes exactly like soy. You’ll find it in health food stores (Whole Foods, EarthFare, etc). Looks & tastes like soy, but much healthier for you. I sub it always and nobody can tell the difference. 🙂
I’m reading this quite a few years later but thought I would mention a tip I have seen quite a few times now…a couple of anchovies or anchovy paste is a flavorful substitute for soy sauce.
If your problem with soy sauce is gluten, then try tamari instead