Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe (Rich Tomato Gravy)

Updated August 6, 2026: I've refreshed this post with new tips, expanded FAQs, and helpful make-ahead instructions based on your questions and feedback. Same delicious recipe, even more helpful! Originally posted on January 17, 2014, and photos updated on October 24, 2025.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe.

• Beef stew meat is the backbone here. Pre-cut stew meat from the grocery store works fine and is what I reach for most weeks, but if you want to cut your own, see the note below on the best cuts.
• Tomato paste is what sets this stew apart, and it's worth being deliberate about. A full 6-ounce can may look like a lot going in, but over eight hours it melts into the broth and builds a gravy with genuine richness and a gentle sweetness that balances the beef. This is not the recipe to cut back on. If you use a tablespoon or two like most recipes call for, you'll end up with a completely different, much thinner stew.
• Beef broth carries everything. Low-sodium is the safer choice since the recipe already includes both salt and garlic salt, and you can always season up at the end.
• Worcestershire sauce adds the savory depth that searing would normally give you. It's doing real work in a no-sear recipe, so don't skip it.
• Onion, carrots, and celery are the classic base. Slicing the onion thinly rather than dicing it lets it melt down into the gravy over the long cook.
• Flour and water make the slurry that thickens the stew at the end. Cornstarch works just as well, see the FAQ below for the swap.

👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.

Best Beef for Beef Stew

Tougher, well-marbled cuts are exactly what you want, because the connective tissue breaks down over a long, slow cook and turns into tenderness. Chuck roast is my first choice. Rich flavor, good marbling, reliably fall-apart. Bottom round roast is leaner but still gets there, and it's usually a little cheaper. Short ribs are the indulgent option if you're cooking for company. They bring fat and collagen that make the gravy genuinely silky.

Best Potatoes for Beef Stew

Red potatoes are my top choice. Their firm, waxy texture holds up through eight to ten hours without going to mush, the thin skin means no peeling, and their buttery flesh adds body to the gravy. Baby reds barely need chopping at all. Yukon Golds are a solid second choice. Russets will work in a pinch, but they're starchy enough that they can break down and cloud the stew.

How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew

Here's a quick overview of the process. Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Season the Beef

Season the stew meat generously and toss it with the Worcestershire sauce before anything else goes in the pot. Because we're not searing, this seasoning step is doing double duty. It's your only chance to get flavor directly onto the meat rather than around it. Don't be shy here.

Step 2: Layer Everything In

Beef goes on the bottom, onion on top of the beef, then the potatoes, carrots, and celery above that. The order matters more than people expect. The beef sits closest to the heating element where it gets the longest, most direct cook, and the vegetables sit above the liquid line where they steam gently instead of boiling into mush.

Step 3: Add the Tomato Paste and Broth

Spoon the full can of tomato paste over the vegetables, then pour the broth over everything. Don't stir it in. The paste will dissolve on its own as the stew heats, and stirring at this stage just knocks your careful layering apart. If the paste looks like too much sitting on top, trust the process. Eight hours from now it's gravy.

Step 4: Cook Low and Slow

Lid on, low for 8 to 10 hours. Slow cookers vary more than you'd think, so start checking at the 7-hour mark. You're looking for beef that pulls apart against a fork and carrots that give easily but still hold their shape. If the beef is still tough, it isn't overcooked, it's undercooked. Give it another 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 5: Make the Gravy

This is the step that turns a good stew into a great one. About 20 minutes before serving, whisk the flour and cold water together until completely smooth. No lumps, and use cold water, because warm water will seize the flour immediately. Stir the slurry into the stew, put the lid back on, and let it heat through. The gravy thickens as it comes back up to temperature, and it'll continue to thicken slightly as it sits in the bowl.

LaKita's Expert Tips

Here are my best tips for making this recipe turn out perfectly every time.

• Cut your beef and vegetables to similar sizes. Roughly 1-inch pieces across the board means everything hits doneness at the same time instead of some pieces turning to paste while others stay firm.
• Resist lifting the lid. Every peek drops the internal temperature and adds 20 to 30 minutes to your cook time. Check once around hour seven, not every hour.
• A 6- to 7-quart slow cooker is the right size. Too small and the stew crowds and boils; too large and the liquid spreads thin and reduces too fast.
• If your gravy is still thinner than you want after the slurry, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water, stir it in, and give it another 20 minutes on high. Starch needs heat to activate.
• If it's too thick, add warm broth a quarter cup at a time. Don't use cold liquid, it'll drop the temperature and stall the thickening.
• Taste before you serve, not before you thicken. The slurry mutes salt slightly, so season at the very end.
• Leftovers are genuinely better on day two. The tomato gravy deepens overnight, so if you're cooking for a weeknight, consider making it a day ahead on purpose.

Variations & Substitutions

This recipe is flexible, here are some easy ways to make it your own.

• Sear the beef first if you have the time and want deeper flavor. Brown it in a hot skillet for a few minutes before it goes in the pot. Optional, not required the Worcestershire covers a lot of that ground.
• Swap tomato sauce for tomato paste if that's what you have. Use one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce in place of the 6-ounce can of paste and reduce the broth by about a cup, since sauce brings more liquid.
• Add mushrooms in the last two hours for an earthier stew. Adding them at the start turns them to nothing.
• Stir in frozen peas or green beans during the final 20 minutes, right along with the slurry. They keep their color and bite that way.
• Make it spicier with a teaspoon of smoked paprika or a few dashes of hot sauce stirred in at the end. My family adds hot sauce at the table.
• Skip the potatoes and serve the stew over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes instead. Reduce the broth by about a cup if you go this route.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Make-Ahead

You can chop the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion up to two days ahead and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cover the potatoes with cold water so they don't brown, then drain them before they go in the pot. The beef can be seasoned and tossed with the Worcestershire the night before and kept covered in the fridge, which actually improves it. On a busy morning, that turns this into a five-minute job.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: Cool the stew to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Freezer: Transfer cooled stew to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating: The stovetop gives the best result. Warm it over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's heated all the way through. The gravy will have thickened in the fridge, so add a splash of broth or water as it warms to loosen it back up. For a single bowl, the microwave works fine at 50% power in one-minute intervals, stirring between each.

What to Serve with Crockpot Beef Stew

Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this dish.

• Cornbread is the classic pairing in my house, and there's nothing better for getting the last of that tomato gravy out of the bowl. Try it with Southern-Style Cornbread.
• Warm biscuits work just as well, especially for a Sunday dinner. My Homemade Cream of Tartar Biscuits come together while the stew finishes.
• A simple green salad cuts through the richness if you want something bright alongside.
• Crusty bread for dipping, store-bought is completely fine on a weeknight.
• Baked Potato Wedges if you're feeding a crowd and want something extra on the table.

Frequently Asked Questions