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.
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.
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
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 to the .
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!
Oh my. This crockpot beef stew is such a soothing bowl of deliciousness with flavors that hit all the right notes!
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 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 recipes use to add , 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 ?
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 ?
If you want to cook this in the , first place it on saute to sear the with the onion and . Then add the remaining ingredients, seal the , and high- the for 35 minutes. After, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then your 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
Lentil Stew (Budget Friendly & Delicious)
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
Nutrition
Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.
~H. Jackson Brown
I talk to mamas with little ones too! Their childhood is fleeting. A good friend says ‘The days are long and the years are short.’ It is true! As a mom of an only child we experienced the going away to college and the empty nest all at once. We were excited for our daughter to take that first step into a life that was hers alone. But our home was so still without her in it. I would pass her empty room and smell her pillow, I missed her so much! The fours years of college flew by and our daughter is back home for the time being. I am enjoying each moment as I know soon she find her path and will move on to the next phase in her life. I am so proud of her and am excited to see where she goes next!
My oldest son called me this morning to tell me his wife was in labor with my 5th grandchild. My youngest and his wife just had their first last year. I remember when my oldest left home to join the Marines. He graduated by the skin of his teeth from high school and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life but somehow he stuck with the Marines and retired last year (at 38 years old). He’s a wonderful son, husband and father and has made me proud. When he left it wasn’t too much of a blow because I had another son at home that wouldn’t be leaving for another 7 years. When HE left to go to school I was devastated and lost. He was going through a hard time about 10 years ago, even at one point living in his car. BUT, he has been married to a beautiful girl for 4 years now, has a beautiful son who will be 1 soon and a very lucrative career. I can’t believe how proud I am of them. You have these days to look forward to. Believe me when I say it’s ALL worth it! But 5th grandchild (girl!)….well, I’m not sure about that! I’m only 60 (too young for that)!
Stews are my go to dinner in the winter. Love your recipe. But for me their is one thing missing and that’s dumplings. Theirs nothing like a fork full of light fluffy dumpling with all that’s lovely stew clinging to it. Oh yes heaven on a plate.
Oh I feel the same way! My baby is graduating this year and it is so hard. It just went by too fast. Praying for you!!
Hi Christy!
This subject really touched me! I am a homeschool mother of 6. I’m a VA native in between Charlottesville and Fredericksburg a area very rich in history.: ) Our first 2 daughters went to public school and with our last two daughters and our 2 sons we have homeschooled. We have 2 daughters married and our oldest son is about to get married in April. I have always been close to all of my children. When my oldest married she called me every day after she returned home from the honeymoon- she’s in NC. Now 3 children later and a homeschool mother herself. She doesn’t do that. But I reach out to get early every morning and tell her good morning it gives us time to chat before her busy day gets started. My second daughter is now in W VA and has been married almost 3 years and just had her first baby last May. She still calls me every day if possible. Our oldest son is on his own and usually calls or comes by if he needs something but occasionally just comes to visit.
We have 2 daughters and our youngest son ( he’s 13 ) still at home. I always had one day a week that we spent with my grandparents and with my parents and with my husband’s father. I talked to my father everyday (my mother wasn’t a phone talker) I talked to my grandma everyday until she left me for heaven, after that I talked to my grandfather everyday.
I wanted my children to see love each other and make time for each other. My father went to heaven almost 15 years ago and my mother is in the nursing home because of health issues. I am so pleased that my children take it upon themselves to make time and go visit her on their own.God is so good! He has put it in their hearts to make time for what’s important.
We dedicated our children to Him at birth and tried to teach them according to His Word knowing He would take care of the rest.
All 6 of our children have such unique personalities and characters. I thank God for their differences . Be blessed ❤
Oh, how I can relate to this post. At times it was if you were writing a scene at my house. Dinner together as a family has always been an important tradition as a family. With a teenager who has one foot out the door, as he’s in his senior year, it is awful hard to see those meals lessen. He also works after school so we’re lucky to get a few meals in a week. I try to make it special by making his favorites the nights I know he is home. We are blessed too with a sweet young man who rocks a great beard. <3 I'm not sure I am quite ready for this season but it is nice to know I'm not alone!
Awww….. the “season of change” is upon us as well, my friend….. retirement is an unknown area for us. We had a general idea of what it would be like, but honestly, it’s WAY different than we’d imagined! We’re muddling through this, though, much like you’ll muddle through the feelings of empty-ness…..thanks for sharing. We’re all heading down such a similar path!