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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, chunky potatoes, carrots, and celery in a deep mahogany broth. Slow-cooked on Low until tender, then thickened with a cornstarch slurry for a hearty, spoon-coating 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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
Baby potatoes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
Carrots
  • 3 carrots, cut into thick rounds
Celery
  • 3 celery, sliced
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 garlic, minced
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
Red wine or extra broth
  • 1 cup red wine or extra broth
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
Cornstarch slurry
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
Salt and pepper
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer in the crock pot
  1. Season the beef chuck generously with salt and pepper. Make sure each cube is coated so the stew develops deep flavor.
  2. Add the baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the crock pot. Nestle the seasoned beef on top in an even layer.
  3. Add the garlic, beef broth, red wine or extra broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir gently once to distribute the seasonings.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or High for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender. Look for beef fibers that break apart easily when pressed.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir the stew. This keeps the flavor from turning overly herbal.
  2. Stir together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry, then pour it into the crock pot while stirring. The broth should look slightly cloudy right after adding.
  3. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens. Watch for a glossy, spoon-coating texture.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust before serving for balanced flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: for the best consistency, don’t skip the slurry step—stir cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then add it during the High phase so it thickens evenly. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight, then reheat gently). For a lighter option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt at the end.