How to Make Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

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Learn how to make beef stew in the slow cooker with this easy beef stew recipe. Loaded with vegetables and flavorful seasonings, this ground beef stew is the perfect hearty and filling comfort food dish.

Slow cooker easy beef stew.

I’m a big fan of slow cooker stews when the weather gets cooler and this easy beef stew is one of my favorites. It’s so easy to make, as it uses frozen vegetables, packets of seasoning, and tender beef. All you need to do is add all of the ingredients to the crockpot and go about your day. You will come home to an easy but delicious gourmet meal. How good does that sound? 

Each spoonful of this flavorful goodness warms my belly and my soul. The combination of crushed tomatoes, beef broth, ranch dressing mix, and Italian dressing mix takes the stew’s flavor over the top – trust me. I just know your family will love this slow cooker beef stew as much as mine. It’s hearty, filling, scrumptious, and such an easy comfort food main dish to serve for supper when you’re busy during the week.

Alright, let’s learn how to make beef stew in the slow cooker.

Ingredients for how to make beef stew in the slow cooker.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Lean ground beef 
  • Frozen stew mix (veggie mix) or gumbo mix
  • Frozen butter beans or baby lima beans
  • Small onion
  • Chopped crushed tomatoes
  • Beef broth
  • Ranch dressing mix
  • Italian dressing mix

How to Make Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.

Dump everything except the meat into the slow cooker/crock pot.

Take your meat and pinch off bits at a time to add to the crock pot, until it is all added. As discussed below, if I am using ground beef I add it raw. But if I am using larger chunks of meat I will sear it first in garlic and then add the browned beef to the crock pot.

Give this a little stir and turn it on. You’ll want to cook your beef stew on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Go about your day and get ready for a delicious supper!

Bowl of beef stew cooked in the crockpot.

Oh my. This crockpot beef stew is such a soothing bowl of deliciousness with flavors that hit all the right notes!

Bowl of easy crockpot beef stew.

Enjoy! And hey, if there are any leftovers, it’s even better the next day. 

Storage

  • Store stew leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
  • Beef stew also freezes beautifully, so I usually make extra and freeze it in single servings for my family to heat up or to take to friends who just need a little act of kindness for the day. Thaw in the fridge before reheating as above.

Recipe Notes

  • You can use any type of beef you like to make this flavorful dish. If you use ground beef, you are going to add this ground beef uncooked. This adds more flavor to your stew. If you use larger chunks of cubed stew meat (opt for beef chuck roast), I like to sear the beef cubes in a little garlic butter before adding them to the stew. Searing the stew beef adds a whole bunch to the flavor.
  • I buy the boxes of ranch and Italian dressing mix that has three or four envelopes in them and use one envelope per recipe. It’s cheaper to buy it this way.
  • For the beef stock, you can also use two cups of water and two beef bullion cubes.
  • Substitute the frozen butter beans for baby lima beans or the vegetable of your choice. Carrot, potato, celery, and frozen peas are stew favorites.
  • Many old-fashioned beef stew recipes use tomato paste to add flavor, but I like the combination of the crushed tomatoes with the packets of beef stew seasoning mix in this instance.

Recipe FAQs

What is frozen stew mix?  

A couple of people asked what this is so I came back to clarify. Frozen stew mix is just a mix of frozen veggies in a bag that you buy in the freezer section. Usually, it’s green beans or okra, corn, chopped onions, and sometimes tomatoes and such. It can be any blend of frozen veggies you like, though. I love the type that has okra in it for this stew.

What do you serve with this slow cooker beef stew recipe?

Serve your stew with crusty slices of bread, cornbread, crackers, or homemade buttermilk biscuits to soak up the juicy broth. You may also want to serve it with cauliflower rice, quinoa, brown rice, mashed potato, or mashed sweet potato.

Can you put raw beef in the slow cooker?

Yes, you absolutely can! I break up my uncooked ground beef and add it to the slow cooker as is. You can do the same if using beef chuck pieces. However, searing it just adds to the depth and flavor of the stew, so I highly recommend it if you have time.

How to make instant pot beef stew?

If you want to cook this classic beef stew recipe in the instant pot, first place it on saute to sear the beef with the onion and garlic. Then add the remaining ingredients, seal the instant pot, and high-pressure cook the stew for 35 minutes. After, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then your stew will be done.

Check out these other sensational stews:

Ground Beef Stew (With a Secret Ingredient)

Beef and Smoked Sausage Stew in the Crockpot

Our Family’s Southern Chicken Stew Recipe

Famous Alabama Camp Stew

Lentil Stew (Budget Friendly & Delicious)

Easy Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

Learn how to make beef stew in the slow cooker with this easy beef stew recipe, which is loaded with vegetables and flavorful seasonings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, crockpot, slowcooker, stew
Servings: 4
Calories: 539kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef uncooked (or seared beef chunks)
  • 1 bag frozen stew mix or gumbo mix 12-ounce
  • 1 bag frozen butter beans 12-ounce, can substitute for baby lima beans or veggie of your choice
  • 1 chopped small onion
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 29-ounce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 package ranch dressing mix 1-ounce
  • 1 package Italian dressing mix .7-ounce

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker except the beef. Using your hands, pinch off bite-size pieces of beef and drop them into the slow cooker. Beef doesn’t have to be uniform or done a certain way, it just needs to be in smaller pieces.
    1 pound lean ground beef, 1 bag frozen stew mix or gumbo mix, 1 bag frozen butter beans, 1 chopped small onion, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, 2 cups water, 1 package ranch dressing mix, 1 package Italian dressing mix
  • Stir ingredients together. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Notes

I buy the boxes of ranch and Italian dressing mix that has three or four envelopes in them and use one envelope per recipe. It’s cheaper to buy it this way.

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcal
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Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own. 

~H. Jackson Brown

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107 Comments

  1. “Make good choices”, “Smile and say hello to someone you don’t know”, these are almost daily heard (from me to my kids) My daughter is in her Junior year of college, and is an ARMY ROTC Nursing Cadet, so this summer she’ll spend a month in Africa. She’s so excited, it is contagious. Yes, I worry, but she says : “Momma, I have a heart to serve.” How can I really worry that much? I do believe she’s in the best hands possible. (The Lord watch over and protect her.) My son is a senior in High school and looking at schools out of state. He’s my logical one. His friends parents don’t worry if my son is going out with the gang, because they all say “Jake is the logical, calm one.” That brings me a bit of peace, but also worry, because I’m not completely stupid. HA
    Where I am going in all of this is the fact that you are kind hearted and generous. You’re children will be the same and when you look back, the memories are all that more precious. I can’t ease the pain in this ‘new season’ , but know you are not alone! 🙂

    1. Deb,

      I’m not Christie, but I’m pretty sure it is just a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. She prefers the gumbo mix of vegetables that includes sliced okra. I’m sure she will answer you, but if you are in a hurry to mix this up, you can try the mixed bag.

    2. Walmart has Pictsweet brand vegetables for stew. It has potatoes, carrots, onions and celery.
      The Pictsweet gumbo vegetables have celery, onion, bell pepper, corn and okra. I am sure your local grocery has their own brand of this. You can find the bags near the other frozen bags of vegetables.

  2. Must try this stew for family. I have only one child and while she’s ventured out of the nest for some experience, she comes back. She’s still young and I enjoy her company as a young adult; my daughter, my friend. Where do the years go? My Grandma told me I’d understand one day how fast time flies by.

  3. My first thought was “Wait…what?? Brady’s not old enough…” My heart goes out to all of you. You’ve done a fine job of raising him and now he has to put it into practice. My girls are grown and have children of their own, so we’re in round two of the teen years. It’s different though, being the Grands. You and your husband sound like you’ve got it covered though. Congratulations and here’s another hankie for the tears that will surely flow in the coming months. Much love!

  4. Well my husband loves the looks of this, but he said if it has hamburger it’s soup, beef stew has chunks of meat. I told him he could call it whatever he wants, it looks good.

    And as for that boy growing up…my boys are in their 30s now, and while it is hard to let go, there is nothing better than seeing the men those boys turn into. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing your son become a great man.

    Jenny in Florida

  5. First of all, I checked out your cookbook from the library today 🙂 it’s the little things that make me happy. Second of all, I am the mother of three children . Our middle one has just had her second job interview in Massachusetts and they have arranged the third one for Monday . We live in South Carolina and Massachusetts seems forever away . Therefore, I totally get your post.

  6. What an inspiration the way you were so honest with your son! And his response brought tears to my eyes. I only have a daughter but I have 4 grandkids. I can’t believe the oldest is about to turn 13. Soon they will be on their own. What a fine, young man Brady turned out to be! God bless him!

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