This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is hearty, cozy, and full of deeply satisfying flavor—and hands down, it’s my favorite version of the classic. It’s loaded with tender carrots, baby potatoes, and peas that soak up all the richness of the thick, savory broth. While I love the slow cooker for making beef stew a realistic weeknight dinner, I’ve included stovetop directions too… because flexibility is everything. The result? A nourishing, veggie-loaded meal that’s perfect for all those chilly fall and winter nights.

Beef stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas being stirred together using a wooden spoon in a slow cooker.
With the perfect balance of perfectly tender veggies, fall-apart beef, and deeply umami flavored beef broth, this slow cooker beef stew is exactly what you want to come home to at the end of a long day. 

I think for a lot of us, when we think of comforting veggie-packed soup or stew recipes, beef stew is what pops into our minds first. And for good reason. I mean…she’s a classic. And, yes, everyone has a favorite beef stew recipe. This one? This is mine—all day, any day. It’s the beef stew I hope my daughter makes as an adult and calls “Mom’s beef stew.” It’s the one I crave on those bone-cold Vermont winter days when getting out of my pajamas feels like a personal challenge. It’s just the taste of home for me.

So, when people ask me for my best beef stew recipe, this is the one I send. It’s loaded with carrots, baby potatoes, peas (hi, veggies!), and tender chunks of beef, all simmered in a rich, cozy broth made from a mix of beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar (my go-to swap for red wine in traditional recipes), and Italian seasoning to give it a deep, layered flavor.

It makes 8 hearty servings, perfect for feeding a crew, stocking the fridge with leftovers, or freezing for later. I’ve tested this recipe more times than I can count—on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, with browning, without—and here’s the truth: it works either way. But if you want that bold, deep, next-level flavor, browning the meat and sautéing the onions and garlic with the tomato paste first is worth the 15 minutes in the morning. If your priority is ease, I so get that and say skip it and still get a nourishing, satisfying dinner that basically cooks itself. No wrong answers—just options.

Oh, and if you’re not a slow cooker person? No problem. I’m including stovetop instructions too.

Let’s make dinner together. Just you and me…

All ingredients for beef stew sitting together on the counter prior to preparing.
Let’s get the ingredients together.
Chunks of raw beef being stirred together with seasoned flour by hand using a large spoon in a glass bowl on the counter. The other hand holds the side of the bowl. Next to the bowl sits a grey cloth napkin, a small dish with chopped onions, a bulb of garlic, and a liquid measuring cup filled with broth.
Coat bite-size pieces of meat evenly with flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Chunks of cooked beef in a cast iron skillet sitting on the counter. One hand holds the skillet handle with a grey kitchen towel while the other holds a large spoon in the skillet. Next to the skillet sits a slow cooker filled with cooked beef chunks, a small bowl of chopped onions, and a bulf of garlic.
In 2 batches, brown beef over medium-high heat. Move the browned beef to the slow cooker.
To the now empty skillet, add and sauté the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a bit.
Chunks of cooked beef and sautéed onion and garlic mixture sit together (unmixed) in a slow cooker on the counter. Next to the slow cooker sits a bowl of roughly chopped carrots, a liquid measuring cup filled with beef broth, and a grey cloth napkin.
Add the sautéed onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Beef broth being poured by hand from a glass measuring cup into a slow cooker filled with chunks of beef. A large spoon sits in the slow cooker. Next to the slow cooker on the counter sits a grey napkin, a bowl of roughly chopped carrots, and three small dishes filled with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning respectively.
Pour in most of beef broth.
Roughly chopped potatoes and carrots sit on top of beef in beef stew liquid in a slow cooker on the counter. One hand holds a large spoon in the liquid about to stir together the ingredients. Next to the slow cooker sits a grey cloth napkin and a small dish with salt.
Add in balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, the carrots, potatoes, remaining salt and ground pepper. Stir.
A pair of hands holds the side of a slow cooker filled with chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes in a liquid for stew. The slow cooker sits on the countertop next to a grey napkin and a small dish of salt.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
When 30 minutes of cook time remains, create a slurry by whisking the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup of broth. Stir the slurry into the stew to help it thicken.
A bowl of frozen peas being held above a slow cooker filled with the remaining ingredients for beef stew. The stew is being stirred together using a wooden spoon. The slow cooker sits on the countertop next to a grey cloth napkin.
After the last 30 minutes of cook time has passed, stir in the frozen peas.
One hand holds the side of a slow cooker while the other stirs beef stew with carrots, potatoes, and peas using a wooden spoon. The slow cooker sits on a countertop surrounded by a grey cloth napkin, a small dish of salt, and a peppermill.
Give the stew a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
A bowl of beef stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas sitting in a bowl on the countertop. A spoon and a slice of bread also sit in the bowl. Next to the bowl sits a grey cloth napkin, a glass with a slightly yellow, translucent liquid, a plate with two slices of bread, and a plate with chopped parsley.
Garnish with chopped parsley (if using), then serve.

Cozy Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Carrots, Potatoes + Peas

Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is hearty, cozy, and full of deeply satisfying flavor—and hands down, it’s my favorite version of the classic. It’s loaded with tender carrots, baby potatoes, and peas that soak up all the richness of the thick, savory broth. While I love the slow cooker for making beef stew a realistic weeknight dinner, I’ve included stovetop directions too… because flexibility is everything. The result? A nourishing, veggie-loaded meal that’s perfect for all those chilly fall and winter nights.

Ingredients

    • 2 pounds chuck roast stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 large onion , chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ pounds baby potatoes, cut in half (or large potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks)
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • Chopped fresh parsley, as optional garnish

Instructions

Slow cooker instructions

    • Sprinkle the meat evenly with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and all of the garlic powder, then toss in the flour to coat
    • Optional but recommended: For deeper, richer flavor, brown the meat and sauté the aromatics before adding them to the slow cooker.

      Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add the oil. When hot, add the beef and brown in 2 batches, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

      Transfer the onions/tomato paste mixture to the slow cooker with the browned meat.

      Short on time? Skip the browning entirely and simply add the beef, onion, garlic, and tomato paste straight into the slow cooker … the stew still turns out beautifully (just a little less rich in flavor, and the meat ends up more fall-apart).

    • Pour 3 ½ cups of beef broth over the meat and onions. Add the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, the Italian seasoning, the carrots, potatoes, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Stir to combine, making sure everything is mostly covered by the broth.
    • Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
    • If possible, remove the lid of the slow cooker during the last hour of cooking to help reduce and concentrate the liquid. Again, an optional step.
    • When there is 30 minutes of cook time left, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup of broth, then stir the slurry into the stew to help thicken.
  • When the cook time is up, stir in the frozen peas, then taste the stew and add more salt and pepper as needed.
  • Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

Stovetop instructions

  •  Heat the oven to 350℉ and shift any racks to make sure your Dutch oven can fit.
  •  Sprinkle the meat evenly with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder then toss in the flour to coat.
  •  Add the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown the meat in 2 batches, cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the browned meat on a plate.
  • Lower the heat to medium then add the onion and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the onion is lightly browned and the garlic is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato paste, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for a minute to bring out the flavors.
  • Stir in Pour 3 ½ cups the beef broth then add in the browned beef, carrots, potatoes, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper, making sure everything is mostly covered by the broth.
  • Cover the pot and place in the oven.
  • After an hour of cooking, remove the pot. Mix the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup of beef broth and stir into the beef stew. This will help thicken the sauce.
  • Cover the pot and place back in the oven. After another 30 minutes, remove the pot and check if the beef is tender by seeing if it easily shreds apart or tasting a piece. If the beef is still tough, continue to cook in the oven for another 15 to 30 minutes
  • Once the beef is tender, stir in the frozen peas then taste the stew and add more salt and pepper as needed.
  • Allow the stew to cool for 15 minutes then sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.

Notes

Allow the stew to cool then store in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for 2 months.

Browning the meat and sauteing the onions and garlic adds so much flavor to the stew. However, if you don’t have the time to brown the meat, omit the flour in the recipe and simply add everything to the slow cooker.

Serving: 1.5cups or 370g, Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 724mg, Potassium: 1302mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 6378IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 4mg