Golden potatoes, carrots and celery simmered with tender chunks of chuck roast in a rich, dark gravy, this classic crockpot beef stew recipe will transport you to another time!

A few quick steps before it all goes into the slow cooker make this beef stew taste like it simmered on the stove all day.

Once the beef stew ingredients are all together, your slow cooker will do the rest! Nothing beats coming home to the aroma of beef stew on a chilly night!

Why This Is the Best Beef Stew Recipe

Most crockpot stews lack depth of flavor and have a thin and watery consistency. The meat is never browned and the liquid is never reduced, so the end result is a little one-dimensional.

This recipe starts things out the right way. The beef is coated in flour and browned in a skillet over high heat. Browning adds flavor, and the flour will help thicken the gravy as it simmers. Then red wine is deglazed and reduced in the same skillet. This will concentrate the wine’s flavor and incorporate all those tasty browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and a bouillon cube add extra savory flavor so that the gravy tastes like gravy and not just beefy water.

The final trick? Add two tablespoons of cold butter at the end and whisk until melted. This gives the gravy a nice sheen and adds a silky texture. It’s the sort of thing restaurant cooks do all the time.

The Best Beef Stew Meat for the Crockpot

Forget the package of beef stew meat you can buy at the store and go ahead and buy a chuck roast. Chuck is well-marbled with lots of connective tissue, and during the long cooking time that all melts down and leaves the meat super moist and fork tender.

Pre-cut stew meat is typically a random assortment of cuts, some of which will dry out when cooked for a long period of time, and the pieces aren’t large enough to be suitable for long cooking.

It takes about 5 minutes to do it yourself. Just trim away large, tough chunks of fat, and then slice your roast into 1-inch cubes. A 3 1/2-pound roast should yield just about 3 pounds once trimmed, as needed for this recipe. And larger cubes are important; otherwise, your meat will shred apart by dinner time.

Choosing Your Potatoes

I always use Yukon golds for my beef stew in the crockpot because they have a lovely creamy texture but still hold up well in a stew, unlike russets which tend to disintegrate and make the gravy a bit grainy. I leave the skin on since it helps to keep each piece intact. If you happen to find little baby Yukon golds, then you can just slice them in half. Otherwise, regular-size Yukon golds will work beautifully; just chop them into 1 1/2-inch pieces so that they cook at the same rate as the beef and carrots.

How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew

Season your beef with salt and pepper, then coat it in the flour until all the pieces are covered.

Place your beef in a skillet and brown it in small batches so you leave some space between each piece so they cook rather than steam. The beef doesn’t need to cook all the way through, just until it’s browned on all sides, which shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of browned beef into your crockpot as you go.

Add the onion to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the crockpot.

Add the broth, bouillon, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme, then add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Push the vegetables down into the liquid as best you can. Anything sitting on top cooks much slower, and carrots especially can stay firm if they’re riding above the gravy.

Depending on how full the crockpot is, this can take a little longer than you think it should to heat through, especially since we’re using 3 pounds of beef and a lot of veggies. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 6 to 7. Try not to lift the lid, either, since that also lets heat out and increases cooking time.

When the beef is tender and falls apart with a fork, stir in the frozen peas and cook for a few minutes, until the peas are no longer frozen. Stir in the cold butter and season with salt, if necessary.

Why Is My Beef Stew Chewy?

If the carrots are still firm, press them below the liquid line and continue cooking.

Likewise, if your beef is still chewy, resist the temptation to stop cooking! Chuck roast is a tough, connective-tissue-laden cut of beef that becomes fork tender when stewed. If you take a bite and it’s still chewy, the stew just needs more time. Cover and continue cooking, checking the roast for doneness (it should be fork tender) after an hour. The meat will go from tough to tender quickly, so keep an eye on things.

Can You Skip Searing the Beef?

Yes you can! If you don’t have time to spare in the morning, simply throw the floured beef into the crockpot with the onions, garlic, and all of the other ingredients. The stew will still be tender and flavorful.

That being said, taking an additional 15 minutes to sear and reduce the wine is really what takes this stew from mediocre to ‒how come you never make this for us anymore?‒ So if you have the time, go ahead and take the extra few minutes.

Easy Swaps and Add-Ins

Want to bump this up to more of a vegetable beef stew? In addition to the potatoes, try 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered, parsnips, green beans or pearl onions.

No wine to cook with? Add an additional cup of beef broth plus a tablespoon of red wine vinegar (the vinegar adds a bit of the same tang to balance the richness).

Don’t have a bouillon cube? Sub a packet of onion soup mix or omit and season with a little additional salt at the end.

Want your stew to be a little thicker, almost gravy-like? Stir in a cornstarch slurry (see instructions above) and continue to cook on high for an additional 15 minutes.

What to Serve With Beef Stew

While you could easily eat a large bowl of this stew as your whole dinner, you’ll probably appreciate some sort of bread or starch to sop up the gravy. Crusty bread, warm buttermilk biscuits, or a pan of cornbread are all delicious options. You can also serve the stew over mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a true comfort food experience.

A light salad on the side cuts the richness just enough to keep it from being too heavy.

Storing and Reheating

Leftover beef stew tastes even better the next day! To store beef stew in the refrigerator, let it cool and then transfer to airtight containers. It will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place the stew on the stove over medium-low heat. If the gravy has gotten thick, you can add a splash of broth to thin it out.

You can also freeze the beef stew for up to 3 months! Keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes will be a little softer once thawed, but otherwise the stew will taste just as good as the day it was made. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.