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Hearty slow cooker beef stew in a rustic white bowl with fresh parsley and thyme garnishes on a light wooden surface

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This slow cooker beef stew is a cozy and comforting dinner, perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. With tender beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich flavorful broth, it’s an easy crockpot meal that delivers big on taste with minimal effort. Perfect for fall, this hearty beef stew with vegetables is family-friendly and easily adaptable to be a gluten-free slow cooker stew!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons flour or gluten-free flour for a gluten-free slow cooker stew
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 medium onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 ounces white button mushrooms quartered
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • large skillet
  • Blender

Method
 

  1. In a blender, combine the beef broth, flour, tomato paste, 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.
  2. Heat a large skillet over high heat, spray with cooking oil, and brown the beef in two batches. This step seals in flavor and develops a rich base for the stew.
  3. Spray the skillet again and brown the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, stirring for about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beef.
  4. Add potatoes, mushrooms, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Pour the blended broth mixture over everything.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the veggies soak up all the flavor.
  6. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the thawed peas and let them warm up for about a minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed before serving.

Notes

If you don’t have fresh thyme, substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Searing the beef and sautéing the vegetables are key steps for developing layers of flavor. For a thicker stew, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water and stir it in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.