Tender Beef Stew in the Crock Pot Recipe
A hearty beef stew with tender meat, fresh veggies, and rich broth. Perfectly spiced and slow-cooked for ultimate comfort. Easy, customizable, and family-friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat cubed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour optional
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 leek sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 2 fresh carrots sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 3 medium potatoes cubed
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms optional
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp seasoning salt or salt-free alternative
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp cornstarch optional, mixed with ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef: The beef stew meat is patted dry with paper towels. If using flour, the meat is lightly coated in flour.
- Brown the Meat: Vegetable oil is heated in a skillet over medium heat. The beef is seared in batches until browned (3–4 minutes per side), then transferred to a crock pot.
- Deglaze the Skillet: Beef stock is poured into the skillet, and the browned bits at the bottom are scraped to release flavor. The liquid is then added to the crock pot.
- Layer Vegetables: The onion, garlic, celery, leek, fresh carrots, frozen peas and carrots, potatoes, mushrooms (if using), and diced tomatoes are placed in the crock pot.
- Season: Basil, rosemary, seasoning salt, and oregano are sprinkled evenly over the mixture.
- Cook: The crock pot is set to high heat and cooked for 3 hours.
- Thicken (Optional): If a thicker stew is desired, a slurry of cornstarch and water is stirred into the stew during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Serve: The stew is ladled into bowls and served hot.
Video
Notes
- Flour is optional but adds a richer crust to the beef.
- Mushrooms can be omitted for dietary preferences.
- Cornstarch slurry is only needed if a thicker consistency is desired.