Slow Cooker Beef Stew - Real Life Dinner

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just CRAVE a bowl of beef stew. So comforting and the best kind of dinner for a crisp fall evening or cold winter night. This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is my favorite kind of recipe–the kind you throw together in the morning, and it magically cooks itself to perfection by dinner time! Lately, when I make this, we’ve been serving it with my Easy French Bread, and they are a winning combination!

I’m still kicking myself for not having peas in the house when I took this photograph. Besides jazzing up the pictures a bit, peas bring an ever so slight sweetness to the beef stew that I really love. Promise me you will try this recipe at least once with the addition of peas. I usually wait until 2 hours of cooking time are left before adding the peas. They don’t need to cook as long as the meat and other veggies.

Two ingredients that add great flavor to this stew are paprika and bay leaf. If at all possible, please don’t leave them out. I am excited for you to try this recipe and see if it becomes a family favorite for you too!

More Slow Cooker Dinners

how to make slow cooker Beef stew

Tips for making Slow Cooker Beef Stew

For the stew meat, I use top-round steak. Cutting up a roast would work great, too.
If you don’t have beef broth, use 1 cup of water and 1 tsp beef bullion to replace it.
You can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes in the stew, whichever you prefer.
If you choose to add peas, wait to add them until the 3-hour mark, if cooking on high or the 4-6 hour mark, if cooking on low.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew

An ultimate comfort food, you will love the ease and deliciousness of this great Slow Cooker Beef Stew! Tender beef with perfectly cooked and seasoned veggies. YUM!

Author: Slightly adapted from All Recipes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2-3 lbs of beef stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces.
4 large red or russet potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
3-5 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks of celery cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 tsp minced garlic, about 1-2 cloves
⅓ cup flour
1¼ tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup beef broth
½ cup water

Instructions

Place the 2-3 pounds of beef pieces into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Stir until all pieces are coated.
Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and water. Stir gently.
Next, place lid on slow cooker and turn to high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.
If you choose to add peas, wait to add them until the 3-hour mark if cooking on high or the 4-6 hour mark if cooking on low.
Stew is done when meat is cooked through and veggies are fork tender.
Enjoy!