Slow Cooker Chunky Beef and Potato Stew

4.04 from 97 votes

Calling all meat-lovers with massive appetites!

Slow Cooker Chunky Beef and Potato Stew

Now that we’re in the heart of the colder months, curling up to a belly-warming bowl of stew sounds absolutely heavenly. And honestly, nothing beats this incredible slow cooker chunky beef and potato stew! Tender, juicy beef compliments warm, decadent potatoes and bathes in an indulgent broth that simply satisfies. Our comforting stew fills you up and soothes the soul. It makes the perfect weeknight recipe to throw together in a moment’s notice, and hits the spot on a chilly night.

Massive Appetites Will Meet Their Match

This warm and comforting beef stew is the perfect recipe for a cold, winter day!

This slow cooker chunky beef and potato stew gives all meat lovers out there a reason to rejoice! With its hearty, protein-packed profile, our recipe satisfies even the largest appetites, and will keep you feeling full for hours on end. Cooked potatoes turn warm and buttery in this stew. The starch pairs beautifully with fire-roasted tomatoes and lean steak chunks. Together, these key ingredients release a range of bold, juicy flavors your taste buds will go crazy for.

Aromatics like paprika give this decadent stew a zesty kick. At the same time, Worcestershire sauce lends a unique tanginess that flavors the steak chunks beautifully. Garlic and dried oregano give this beef and potato stew some impressive depth of flavor. These potent spices not only contribute to incredible taste, but they also offer powerful health benefits your body will appreciate.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chunky Beef and Potato Stew

This basic but incredibly flavorful stew is sure to please the entire family!

We love easy slow cooker recipes like this one, because they’re a snap to make and loaded with flavor. With your slow cooker doing most of the work, our beef and potato stew doesn’t take a whole lot of effort on your part. This classic, nourishing meal makes for a hearty dinner and satisfying lunch the next day!

Our recipe takes just 20 minutes of your time to prep, and then you can go about the rest of your day! First, dredge your beef cubes in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper. Afterwards, place meat in a large skillet and cook until the beef cubes are just browned on the outside. Add meat and drippings to the slow cooker, along with onions, potatoes, worcestershire sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and allow your slow cooker to take over from there!

This savory slow cooker stew lets you choose from cooking on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours. Both options will yield scrumptious results, so choose whatever fits within your schedule best!

For added tastiness, soak up your stew with Grandma’s Homemade Wheat Bread recipe. Yum!

The Takeaway

Make this chunky beef and potato stew tonight and enjoy the leftovers tomorrow!

This slow cooker chunky beef and potato stew serves as an ultra-satisfying, incredibly simple meal. We promise that it will become a new family favorite. As a bonus, stews like this one make wonderful leftovers when you store overnight or freeze for days, so stock up!

4.04 from 97 votes

Slow Cooker Chunky Beef and Potato Stew

This hearty and nutritious stew is chock-full of mouthwatering ingredients and belly-warming flavors that will leave you feeling satisfied for hours.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Yield 10 people
Serving Size 1 cup
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Universal
Author SkinnyMs.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean chuck stew meat or other beef stew meat, cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 3 potatoes large, peeled and chopped into large bite-sized pieces
  • 14 1/2 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes can, with juice (BPA-free cans)
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon  black pepper
  • 3 to 4 cups beef broth low-sodium
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped oregano leaves
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Whisk flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Dredge the beef cubes in the flour mixture.
  • Place half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place half of beef cubes into the skillet and cook on all sides, for about 30 seconds per side, or until golden. Do not cook the meat through, just brown the outside. Remove and set aside. Add the rest of the oil and the remaining beef cubes and repeat.
  • Add meat pieces to the slow cooker along with the drippings. Add onions, potatoes, worcestershire sauce, and can of diced tomatoes with juice.
  • Stir balsamic vinegar along with broth (use more or less, depending on how much liquid you like), garlic, oregano, paprika, and bay leaf, and add in. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. Stir well.
  • Note: For a thicker stew, combine 2 tablespoons flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Add and stir to the stew about 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 6
Keywords Kid-Friendly, Slow Cooker

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For more clean-eating slow cooker recipes the whole family will love, check out some of our top picks below!

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Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on January 2, 2016.

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SkinnyMs.

The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.

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102 Comments

  1. recipe looks simple enough, however, you don’t say how much or what kind of oil to use to brown the meat. thanks

    1. A lovely.good well balanced meal i added a little more smoked paprika. Doubled upnon recipe to freeze for another meal for the three of us.lovely with rose’ wine and a slice of homemade wholemeal bread.5 stars

    1. Add the bay leaf when the seasonings are added just before cooking. We’ve added this to the instructions. Thanks!

    1. Me either! I used 1 large can (28 oz) of whole tomatoes…squeezed the juice out of the tomatoes and added it along with the juice in the can. Worked for me!

    1. I used a normal can of tomatoes and smoked paprika because that is what I had. This recipe turned out so well it is one of my favourites. So delicious and comforting

  2. Here I am at work on the graveyard shift, starving, didn’t bring my lunch and the hospital cafeteria leaves a lot to be desired. Do you know how hard it is for me to see these pictures of this fabulous stew?? Will for sure make this on my next day off!

    1. Thanks for your question, Jil!

      This can be cooked on the stove top in about 2 hours. Bring the stew to a boil and reduce to simmer and cover. Simmer until the beef and veggies are tender! Stir frequently, the stew is more likely to burn on the bottom when cooked on the stove. I recommend using a dutch oven, if you have one. Otherwise any old soup pot will work!

    1. Hi Sandra,

      Your finished stew should be nice and thick. If it’s too runny for your preference, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water. Stir into the hot stew and cook for another 15 minutes or so on high in the slow cooker. You can repeat the process if needed. Another option is to remove a few of the potatoes, mash them,and return to the stew.

  3. Making this now, and it smells delicious, but not nice and thick like the photo. Mine looks more like a soup with chunks of meat and veggies. I followed all the directions exactly. The photo looks like the stew was made on the stove with a soup pot. If I were to make mine on the stove next time, will it help to make a thick gravy sauce?

    1. Christie, I added a note about making a thicker stew. Making the stew on the stovetop will make a thicker stew since the slow
      cooker doesn’t allow for evaporation. 🙂

  4. Just started making this. So far smells good and looks good. Definitely will use the tip for
    thicker stew. Add to carrots, otherwise followed the
    instructions to the t

  5. This was excellent! I used Venison and it was very tender, I did add a few strips of fatback to bump up the fatty flavor. It made a full 6 qt crockpot full. My neighbor was ill and I gave he and his wife a huge bowl with some rice. Very happy campers 🙂 Oh and the thickener was used and worked perfectly! Thanks!

  6. I made this last night. For my family, I added a bit of honey and a squirt of ketchup. They loved it. Definitely easy and will make again.

  7. I would like to add thick sliced steak mushrooms so I’m guessing I’ll add them about half way through the cooking process, correct? Plus I added some purple and yellow carrots. DIVINE, once I added some cornstarch to thicken up a tad it was a knockout! Also doubled the balsamic. Thanks for an amazing recipe!

    1. Mike, This recipe doesn’t call for cubes but rather already prepared beef broth. Beef broth can be found next to chicken and vegetable broth in grocery stores.

  8. I’m in the UK and can’t find the tomatoes anywhere any ideas? Or what else can I use? Thanks Helen

  9. The recepie says it will be ready between 4 to 6 hours ,so when is ready for sure,after4-5or 6 hours?
    Am I suppose to open the lid after 4 and check it or how does it work?!
    Thank you!

  10. Forgot to ask:
    can i use flour( and how much flour and water combine togheter),if I do not have cornstarch in the house?!
    Thanks!

  11. My husband doesn’t like potatoes so I was thinking to make this minus potatoes and serve it over some type of noodle. Do you think that would go well?

    1. Yes, Andrea, that’s fine! Between the broth and the tomatoes, you should still have enough liquid.

  12. Made this tonight for the first time and it is so delicious! It’s a 100 degrees today and was told I was crazy making a stew when its this hot but I don’t care! I found your recipe on pintrest. Every 5 recipes I was looking at was this recipe. I said “ok ok I get it I will make you!” I did and now its not showing as much lol. I am glad I made it and will make it again. Thank you for the note about making it thicker. It helped a lot! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

    1. Candace, Yes, still delicious even without tomatoes. You might want to add about 1/2 cup broth to make up the difference.

    1. Hi Jenn! You can make this in an Instant Pot! Instead of using a skillet on the stove, set your Instant Pot to the saute setting to cook the beef. Once browned, add the veggies and cook for 5 minutes. Change the Instant Pot setting to Meat/Stew, add the remaining ingredients, and cook with high pressure for 35 minutes. Let the Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes before releasing the steam and opening the lid.

      If thicker stew is needed, follow the directions in the original recipe!

  13. Also, do you have instructions to make this recipe with CHICKEN in the 6 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker?

    1. Jenn, to make this with chicken, substitute chicken for the beef, chicken broth for the beef broth, and omit the Worcestershire sauce.

  14. You can make a stew even if you have no beef, you can use wieners, or ground meat in balls, or chicken pieces, to name a few, and it can be delicious! the way I make my stew, in a clean pot or pan, I add the cooking oil, chopped onions, chopped tomato, meat, then cook until the onions are soft and tender, then add potatoes, then add the water not too little water or too much, just the right amount, then add salt and pepper then cook on medium, and check the stew often or it can burn easily, so that is my easy way of making my stew, and of course everyone has their own way, and if any of you want to do like I do, then good luck! and bon appetite!

    1. Deanna, Thank you so much for the great tips. You’re right, everyone has their own version and yours sounds delicious. 🙂

  15. This is now my “go-to” and favorite beef stew recipe! Love it! I add carrots and peas and cook it stove-top. I cook the meat with all the ingredients till done then add the veggies and continue cooking on low till they are done. Perfect and delicious!!

  16. I didn’t use olive oil and flour at the start, cooked in casserole dish in the oven for 2hrs on medium heat, then thickened with cornflour in water to thicken therefore reducing fat so reducing calorie count

  17. I making this right now and it doesn’t look like there’s near enough liquid as everything on top isn’t covered or even close to being covered

  18. I made this before and it is soo good. I came back here to get the recipe again to make it again. I want it again. Have a craving for some beef stew. Great recipe

  19. Just made mine today, now to wait for the end result. I made it a couple of months ago and it was so good. Such a delicious and easy slow cooked meal.
    Par boiled the spuds and fried the onion off a bit with the meat, but other than that, I kept to the recipe and it is spot on for my tastes with the thickening at the end 🙂

  20. Well. I have it cooking now, I ran into a problem. I put in regular beef broth, instead of low sodium. I’m not sure if it is going to be too salty. It’s only been cooking 30 minutes. Is there something I can do. Or will it be ok. Any help would be appreciated.

  21. Amazing recipe! I fell in love the first time I made it. With the shelter in place, and cold rainy weather, this was the perfect thing to make my house smell scrumptious and to fill my families bellies.

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