Bite sized chunks of beef, tender potatoes, and all of your favorite vegetables slow simmered in a delicious beef gravy.
Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew is satisfying comfort food! This easy to assemble recipe is completely customizable with the vegetables that your family likes or what you have on hand. A quick browning of the beef chunks allows the slow cooker to create the perfect beef gravy as the vegetables slow simmer.
This is a working family favorite – just throw everything into the slow cooker before you head to work and when you get home dinner is ready! The slow cooker does all the work!
About the Ingredients
- Stew Beef – Stew beef is typically pretty inexpensive and consists of the tougher parts of either round roast or chuck roast that has been cut into pieces by the butcher and packaged for sale. When stew beef is simmered in a liquid, the tough connective tissue breaks down and becomes surprisingly tender.
- Vegetables – Traditional stew contains a mixture of vegetables. This recipe includes turnip, celery, potato, onion and celery but there is nothing written in stone that says that’s what you have to put in your stew. In the past I have catered the stew to include what I had on hand. You need about seven (7) cups of vegetables total for this recipe but if you want to include something other than what’s listed in this written recipe feel free to substitute whatever works for you! Want more potatoes and no carrots, go right ahead. If you stick to having around seven cups of vegetables, the proportions will be right no matter what the contents are.
How to make Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl combine flour and garlic powder. Add stew beef and toss until evenly coated. The flour mixture, combined with the oil and the browning in the pan is the base of the stew gravy that develops as the stew cooks.
Fry the coated stew beef in oil until browned (about 5 minutes) stirring often. The meat doesn’t need to be cooked all the way, just coated well and slightly browned.
Remove the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the turnip, potatoes, onion, celery and carrots to the mixture.
Pour the beef broth, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, and dry onion soup mix over the top of the mixture. Stir to combine.
Put the cover on the slow cooker and set the temperature setting to low. Cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally if possible. (Or cook on high for 3-5 hours).
Stir before serving. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Please Note: *If gravy is not thick enough, combine optional cornstarch and water, stir into stew, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring before serving.
Other Easy Dinner Ideas You May Like
Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs – does double duty as either a meal or as an appetizer!
Keto Eggroll Bowl – all the delicious flavors of an egg roll come together in this super easy one pan meal!
Crockpot Taco Chili – dump, stir and walk away – super easy with just the right amount of spice!
Weeknight Pineapple Shrimp and Rice Bake – easy and delicious family weeknight meal!
Spaghetti Pie – With Italian sausage and spinach hidden inside this is an unexpectedly good (and super easy!) weeknight creation that the entire family will love.
One Pan Sausage and Peppers – Baked Italian sausages on a bed of seasoned peppers and onions.
Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Skillet – Tender and juicy chicken thighs, crisp asparagus pieces and a flavorful cream sauce come together in just one skillet in about 30 minutes.
Get the Printable Recipe Here
Did you enjoy this recipe for Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Equipment
- Slow Cooker 6-8 quart size
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 pound stew beef cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 medium turnip peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, about 1 cup
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, about 2 cups
- 1 medium onion peeled and cut into chunks, about 1 cup
- 2 celery ribs sliced into bite sized pieces, about 1 cup
- 2-3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, about 2 cups
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup water optional*
- 1 tbsp cornstarch optional*
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a medium bowl combine flour and garlic powder. Add stew beef and toss until evenly coated.
- Fry coated stew beef in oil until browned (about 5 minutes) stirring often.
- Remove the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the turnip, potatoes, onion, celery and carrots to the mixture.
- Pour the beef broth, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, and dry onion soup mix over the top of the mixture. Stir to combine.
- Put the cover on the slow cooker and set the temperature setting to low. Cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally if possible. (Or cook on high for 3-5 hours).
- Stir before serving. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
- *If gravy is not thick enough, combine optional cornstarch and water, stir into stew, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring before serving.
Leave a Reply