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The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

Name: The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 1 pound beef stew cubes; 4 large carrots ((sliced)); 4-6 red potatoes ((cut into large cubes)); 1 bay leaf; 1 packet dry onion soup mix ((about 1 ounce packet)); 2 cans cream of mushroom soup ((10.75 ounces each)); 1 can tomato sauce ((8 ounces)); 1 package frozen green peas ((10 ounces))

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5 from 1 vote

Published: December 17, 2019Updated: October 10, 2020Author: Camille Beckstrand

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During the winter months, we love to make warm and hearty meals. Our slow cooker beef stew is just that! It has all the wonderful flavors you would expect and more with tender chunks of beef and vegetables to create one of the best comfort food recipes on a cold day.

If you love a thick and hearty slow cooker beef stew, this is the recipe for you!

One thing we love about the cold wintertime is that you can never get enough slow cooker recipes.

This is the best slow cooker beef stew you will ever try (and it’s so easy!).

This is an easy beef stew recipe that will come together in minutes.

While it cooks throughout the day it develops all the wonderful old fashioned beef stew recipe flavors you expect to taste.

If you are looking for a recipe to throw in the crock before work, this slow cooker beef with onion soup mix is exactly what you need!

You will be excited to race home for dinner after work and have it ready to eat.

Love stew? Here are more of our favorite stew recipes:

We have many other great beef slow cooker recipes that are easy and enjoyable! Some of our best-reviewed recipes are our Slow Cooker Beef and Rice, Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy, and our Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.

How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Crock pot beef stew ingredients:

Beef stew cubes
Carrots (you could also use baby carrots)
Red potatoes
Bay leaf
Dry onion soup mix
Cream of mushroom soup
Tomato sauce
Frozen green peas

If you do not have the cream of mushroom soup you can replace it with cream of chicken, just know it will alter the taste of the stew a bit.

You can also make your own Cream of Mushroom soup – just check out this recipe here.

Kitchen items needed to make this crock pot beef stew:

Crock pot / slow cooker (THIS one is my favorite to use)
Non-stick cooking spray
Small-sized mixing bowl

Pro-tip: Be sure you start this wonderful beef stew early enough as it does take most of the day to cook and develop all of those lovely flavors!

This is also a great recipe to make if you will be gone all day since it can cook for up to 10 hours in the slow cooker.

If you have an Instant Pot, be sure to check out this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe!

Related Article: These Slow Cooker Beef Gyros are prepped in under 30 minutes!

How do you make this savory crock pot beef stew?

Begin by spraying the bottom of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, or if you prefer easier cleanup, check out these amazing slow cooker liners. I am always a fan of less work after a making a delicious meal.

Then, place the beef cubes on the bottom of the slow cooker, then add in the carrots you have chopped, and diced red potatoes and then top it off with the bay leaf.

Now, in a small mixing bowl, add in one package of onion soup mix (the ounces may vary depending on the brand you use), cans of cream of mushroom soup, and tomato sauce, and frozen peas.

Mix everything together well and then pour it over top of the beef and veggies, trying to spread it as evenly as possible.

If desired, you can place a bay leaf on top for added flavor, but it’s not necessary.

Then, simply put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on low and set the timer between 7-10 hours.

If you need to, it can cook on high for 5-6 hours, but we prefer the low and slow method (the meat just falls apart after cooking for that long!).

We LOVE to serve rolls with our stew, perfect to dip and even clean up your bowls with! If you like to make your own, check out our 30 Minute Dinner Rolls.

Tips for this easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe:

This meal can easily be made into a freezer meal. To make this a freezer meal, place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag (or another freezer-safe container). Mix contents together in the bag and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove the bag from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours. Then spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and the pour contents of bag into the slow cooker. And simply cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).
No worries if you don’t have beef stew cubes at your grocery store – you can buy your favorite beef roast and cut it into bite-sized pieces yourself.
I prefer to add double the meat, just to make it even more hearty.

Make this beef stew your own:

You can add whatever veggies you like! Here are a few suggestions:

Green beans
Veggie mix
Corn
Green Peppers
Red Peppers

More Slow Cooker recipes to try:

Serves: 6