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Crock Pot Beef Stew

Crock pot beef stew with fall-apart chuck, hearty potato cubes, and a deep mahogany broth thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Slow-cooked on Low until tender, then finished on High for a rich, clingy 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: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine or extra beef broth
Vegetables
  • 1 lb baby potatoes halved
  • 3 carrots cut into thick rounds
  • 3 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic minced
Stew Base & Seasoning
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
Thickener
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
Seasoning
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.5 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Season & layer
  1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper to coat all sides for deep flavor.
  2. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker to form the stew base.
  3. Nestle the beef on top, then add the garlic, beef broth, wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves so everything steams evenly.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender, with a steady simmer throughout.
  2. Alternatively, cook on High for 4-5 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Thicken & finish
  1. Remove the bay leaves, then stir the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the stew to prevent lumps.
  2. Cook on High for 20-30 minutes until the broth thickens and looks glossy.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot with the vegetables and beef fully coated in the sauce.

Notes

For the richest texture, make sure the cornstarch slurry is fully stirred before adding so it dissolves quickly; if the stew still feels thin after thickening, add another small splash of water only if needed and cook 5 more minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently). For a gluten-free swap, use Worcestershire sauce labeled gluten-free.