Quick & Hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Stew Recipe

Slow cooker beef and potato stew refines ordinary ingredients into a hearty, comforting meal that promises warmth and satisfaction.

Cold evenings call for rich, robust dishes that fill hungry bellies and spark conversations around the dinner table.

Tender meat slowly simmering with chunky potatoes creates a delightful symphony of flavors that dance across your palate.

Robust seasonings infuse each bite with incredible depth, making this stew more than just another weeknight dinner.

Hearty ingredients merge together, developing complex tastes that elevate simple home cooking into something truly memorable.

Home cooks appreciate how minimal preparation can result in such a magnificent meal that feels like a culinary embrace.

Fragrant aromas will drift through your kitchen, signaling a delicious experience waiting to be savored.

Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Beef & Potato Stew

• Savor Hands-Off Cooking: This slow cooker recipe lets you dump ingredients and walk away, making meal preparation supremely easy for busy home cooks.
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Meat Magic: Cooking beef on low heat for 8-10 hours transforms tough meat cuts into incredibly tender, succulent morsels that practically dissolve on your tongue.
• One-Pot Comfort Food Wonder: The combination of hearty potatoes, rich beef, and flavorful spices creates a deeply satisfying meal that warms you from the inside out, perfect for chilly days or when you crave classic home-style cooking.
• Time-Saving Dinner Solution: Minimal prep work and the ability to set-and-forget means you can have a nutritious, delicious meal ready with almost zero active cooking time, making it ideal for hectic weeknights or lazy weekends.

What Goes Into Beef & Potato Stew Magic

• Beef Chuck Roast: A marbled, tough cut that becomes incredibly tender with slow cooking, perfect for stews with rich, deep flavor.

• Potatoes, Carrots, Onions: Hearty root vegetables that add substance, sweetness, and texture to the stew, creating a complete one-pot meal.

• Beef Broth: Provides a rich, savory base that enhances the meat's flavor and helps tenderize the beef.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Adds depth and umami complexity to the overall taste profile of the stew.
• Tomato Paste: Offers a concentrated tomato flavor and helps thicken the stew's sauce.
• Garlic: Brings a pungent, aromatic element that complements the beef's richness.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that balance and highlight the stew's natural flavors.
• Dried Thyme, Dried Rosemary: Traditional herbs that provide earthy, woodsy undertones to the dish.

Steps to Slow Cook the Perfect Beef Stew

Step 1: Gather Ingredients

Collect all the necessary ingredients for a hearty slow cooker beef and potato stew. Make sure everything is fresh and ready to go.

• Beef chunks
• Potatoes
• Spices
• Cooking liquid

Step 2: Prepare Meat and Vegetables

Chop the beef into bite-sized chunks. Cut potatoes into consistent cubes to ensure even cooking. This helps create a uniform texture throughout the stew.

Step 3: Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker

Spread the beef chunks evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle spices over the meat. Add potato cubes on top, distributing them carefully to create a balanced mixture.

Step 4: Add Cooking Liquid

Pour your chosen liquid (such as beef broth or water) over the meat and potatoes. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the ingredients, allowing them to simmer and develop rich flavors.

Step 5: Set Slow Cooker

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Select the LOW heat setting. Cook for 8 to 10 hours, which allows the beef to become incredibly tender and lets all the flavors blend together perfectly.

Step 6: Check for Doneness

After cooking time is complete, check that the beef is fork-tender and potatoes are soft. If needed, cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Step 7: Serve and Enjoy

Ladle the steaming stew into bowls. Serve hot, optionally garnishing with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of black pepper for extra flavor.

Tips for Tender Meat & Flavorful Broth

• Choose Quality Beef: Select chuck roast or stew meat with good marbling for maximum tenderness and rich flavor.
• Layer Ingredients Strategically: Place root vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker, meat in the middle, and seasonings on top to ensure even cooking and flavor distribution.
• Control Liquid Levels: Add just enough broth to barely cover ingredients, preventing watery stew and maintaining concentrated taste.
• Trim Meat Carefully: Remove excess fat before cooking to reduce greasiness while keeping the meat juicy and succulent.
• Enhance Depth of Flavor: Consider searing meat briefly before slow cooking to develop deeper, more complex taste profiles and create delicious caramelized edges.

Store and Reheat Your Stew Like a Pro

• Refrigeration: Transfer leftover stew into airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. Cool completely before sealing to prevent bacterial growth. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Pour cooled stew into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Remove excess air to prevent freezer burn. Label with the date and contents. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
• Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for even warming. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add a splash of broth or water if the stew seems too thick. Ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F for food safety.

Best Sides with Beef & Potato Stew

• Pair with Bold Red Wine: Match this hearty stew with a robust Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, whose rich tannins complement the deep beef flavors and cut through the stew's richness.
• Serve with Crusty Sourdough Bread: A thick slice of rustic sourdough provides the perfect vehicle for soaking up the savory gravy, adding delightful texture and helping to mop up every delicious bit.
• Add a Fresh Herb Salad: Create a light green salad with crisp arugula, fresh parsley, and a tangy vinaigrette to balance the stew's heavy, warm qualities and provide a bright, refreshing contrast.
• Complement with Roasted Root Vegetables: Serve alongside roasted carrots or parsnips to echo the stew's earthy potato base and add an extra layer of caramelized vegetable sweetness.

Beef & Potato Stew Variations to Try

• Rustic Mountain Beef Pot: Replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes and add roasted red bell peppers for a heartier mountain-style flavor profile.
• Mediterranean Herb Fusion: Incorporate oregano, rosemary, and thyme with kalamata olives to transform the stew into a Mediterranean-inspired dish that brings coastal Mediterranean warmth to your meal.
• Spicy Southwest Beef Stew: Introduce diced green chiles, cumin, and smoked paprika to create a bold southwestern kick that elevates the traditional stew with vibrant southwestern spice characteristics.
• Lean Protein Alternative: Substitute beef with lean ground turkey or chicken for a lighter protein option while maintaining the rich, comforting slow cooker cooking method.

Slow Cooker Beef And Potato Stew Recipe

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4.6 from 19 reviews

• Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Stew brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table. Rich beef chunks mingle with tender potatoes, creating a soul-warming meal that wraps you in delicious warmth when hunger calls.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 1.25 pounds stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups Yukon gold potatoes, cubed and peeled
• 4 cups beef broth

Seasonings and Spices:

• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Additional Ingredients:

• 0.25 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup brown steak sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Carefully layer beef chunks and cubed potatoes inside the slow cooker, ensuring uniform distribution of ingredients to promote even cooking and flavor infusion.
2. Sprinkle dried herbs and seasonings across the meat and potato surfaces, creating a comprehensive seasoning blend that will penetrate every component during the cooking process.
3. Pour beef broth and diced tomatoes over the layered ingredients, allowing the liquid to cascade through the meat and potato pieces and provide necessary moisture for the stew.
4. Gently stir the contents to integrate the seasonings and liquids, guaranteeing that each potato and beef chunk is coated with the aromatic cooking liquid.
5. Secure the slow cooker lid tightly, preventing any moisture from escaping during the extended cooking period.
6. Configure the slow cooker to LOW temperature setting, which will facilitate a gradual, gentle cooking process that transforms tough meat fibers into succulent, fork-tender morsels.
7. Allow the stew to simmer undisturbed for 8 to 10 hours (480 to 600 minutes), enabling complex flavors to develop and ingredients to meld into a rich, comforting dish.
8. Once cooking is complete, perform a final taste check and adjust seasonings with salt and ground black pepper as needed before serving hot.

Notes

• Cuts of beef like chuck roast or stew meat work best for slow cooking, ensuring maximum tenderness and rich flavor absorption.
• Opt for waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes, which hold their shape well during the extended cooking process.
• Cooking on LOW heat for 8-10 hours transforms tough meat fibers into melt-in-your-mouth texture, creating a deeply satisfying meal.
• Resist the temptation to lift the lid during cooking, as this releases heat and can significantly increase overall cooking time.
• Thicken the stew by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water and stirring into the liquid during the last hour of cooking for a luxurious, velvety consistency.
• Fresh herbs like thyme or parsley make an excellent garnish, adding a bright, fresh finish to this hearty, comforting dish.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 358 kcal
• Sugar: 8 g
• Sodium: 780 mg
• Fat: 15 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
• Trans Fat: 0.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 30 g
• Cholesterol: 95 mg