Easy Beef Stew Crock Pot Recipe

I'm constantly searching for kitchen shortcuts, and this easy crock pot beef stew with onion soup mix is exactly that. Nothing surpasses a slow cooker’s ability to blend flavors and cook the beef and vegetables to perfect tenderness. This meal-in-one is ideal for busy weeknights; prep it days in advance, then just set it and forget on the day you want to serve it. Voila!

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Why You'll Love It

• Less than 10 ingredients.
• Stew is a cozy, hearty, and comforting dish that's perfect on a cold winter day.
• It’s a simple and easy recipe to make, using a slow cooker and onion soup mix.
• The slow cooker does all the work, making it a great option for busy days.
• You can customize the recipe to your taste by adding your favorite vegetables or spices (check out the Substitutions and Variations section below).

Beef Stew Recipe Crock Pot Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this easy crock pot beef stew:

• Beef Stew Meat
• Vegetables: to keep this recipe as easy as possible I used a bag of baby carrots, bag of baby potatoes, an onion, and an (optional) bag of frozen peas. There are many ways you can vary this so check out the substitution ideas below.
• Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Onion Soup Mix: you can use a store-bought packet or make my easy homemade onion soup mix.
• Canned Tomato Paste
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garnish (Optional): fresh parsley or sliced green onions can be used for garnish

For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!

Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest! 🙂

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Substitutions and Variations

You can add or substitue ingredients to suit your taste preferences. Some options you might like:

• Make it spicy by adding hot sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, sliced jalapeños, or pepperoncini.
• Other condensed cream soups may be used such as cream of celery, cream of golden mushroom, or cream of onion.
• Change the vegetables up to use what you have in the fridge or pantry. Examples: drained canned corn or green beans, frozen corn or green beans. Large potatoes can be cut up into bite sized pieces and used instead of baby potatoes. Whole carrots can be used in place of the baby cut carrots.
• Mushrooms may be added but they will add extra moisture to the stew.
• A can of diced tomatoes is really good and adds brightness (you do not need to drain). My favorite is fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
• Fresh or dried herbs can be added - my favorite are thyme and marjoram as well as a couple of bay leaves.
• A can of tomato soup can be substituted for the tomato paste - or omitted entirely and a can of diced tomatoes substituted or an additional can of cream of mushroom soup.

How To Make Beef Stew in a Crock Pot

This is intended as an overview only. For detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below. Enjoy!

1. Add the meat, carrots, onion, potatoes, onion soup mix (and any other herbs or seasonings you might be throwing in).

2. Whisk the soup, tomato paste, and worcestershire together then stir into the stew - or, just dump it all in and move on. 😉

3. Cover and cook on low 6 to 9 hours or until beef is very tender.

4. Stir in the frozen peas the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste, and any other seasoning before serving.

How to Serve It

• Add salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or slice green onions if desired.

Meal idea! If you are looking for a little more, serve you cozy stew with a side of corn muffins, rolls, or crusty bread.

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Kori's Tips

• You do not need to add liquid to the stew while it cooks. Enough moisture will build up in the slow cooker as it cooks throughout the day. With that said...
• Every time I make this, I get a variable amount of liquid built up in the crockpot. This has to do with how much moisture was in the beef and vegetables to start with and how long it actually cooked in the pot - so sometimes the stew is too thick, and other times it might be too runny.
  • If it's too thick: dilute with water or broth.
  • If it is too thin: whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the pot and stir. Turn the crock up to high and let it sit with the lid off for a few minutes to thicken.
• Meal prepping tip: potatoes can start to turn brown and discolor once cut. Try and use small baby potatoes that you can leave whole.
• Please feel free to adjust or add any seasoning and add salt and pepper to your taste preferences.