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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock Pot beef stew with fall-apart beef, chunky potatoes and carrots, and a deep mahogany broth thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked on Low until tender, then finished on High to lock in rich, hearty 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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
baby potatoes
  • 1 lb baby potatoes
carrots
  • 3 carrots
celery
  • 3 celery
onion
  • 1 onion
garlic
  • 4 garlic
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
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
water
  • 3 tbsp water
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Prep the stew
  1. Season the beef chuck generously with salt and pepper until coated on all sides and no dry spots remain.
  2. Add the baby potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker, then nestle the beef on top.
Slow-cook
  1. Add the garlic, beef broth, red wine or extra broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves, spreading everything so it distributes around the beef.
  2. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours (or High for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fall-apart tender and the vegetables are softened.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir the stew so the remaining pieces are evenly distributed.
  2. Stir together cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then pour it into the slow cooker while stirring until no lumps are visible.
  3. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes, stirring once midway, until the broth thickens to a glossy stew consistency.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with crusty bread if desired.

Notes

For best flavor, brown the beef in batches in a hot skillet before adding to the slow cooker (optional) so the broth develops more depth; if you skip browning, still ensure the beef is well seasoned. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). To make it gluten-free, use Worcestershire sauce labeled gluten-free (or substitute gluten-free tamari).