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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with deep mahogany broth and fall-apart beef, simmered low-and-slow for tender cubes. Loaded with baby potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and aromatic herbs, then thickened to a hearty, spoon-coating texture with a cornstarch slurry.
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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
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
  • 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
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and layer the crock pot
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the Crockpot, then nestle the beef on top.
Add aromatics and liquids
  1. Add the garlic, beef broth, red wine (or extra broth), diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves.
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 that breaks with a spoon).
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir in the cornstarch slurry.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon).
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

For best flavor, cube the beef evenly so it turns tender at the same rate. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months. If you need a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt to taste.