Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

A hearty stew for your slow cooker (or Instant Pot)!

One of the best feelings is coming home after a long day, knowing that you’ll soon be walking into your home to the aroma of an already prepared dinner.

We’re guessing you probably agree. Slow cooker meals are the best! Not only is the chopping, dicing and prepping completed beforehand, but clean up is a breeze and leftovers are always a win.

You can’t go wrong with the heartiness and ease of this classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe.

This recipe is truly a one-dish wonder and one you’ll want to add to your menu! The variety of wintery, fiber-rich veggies, the perfectly cooked potatoes, and the hunks of tender beef  will have your taste buds singing and your family happy. A generous portion will provide you with an adequate source of protein, fats, carbs and fiber making this a perfectly-balanced meal all in one bowl. However, if you’re wanting a little somethin’ more to go along with this Slow Cooker Beef Stew, we highly recommend to serve it up with our delicious  Gluten-free Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (Red-Lobster copycat biscuits). They’re perfect for dunking into the last bit of soup at the bottom of the bowl.

Hold in the flavors by sautéing the beef cubes before adding to the slow cooker.

While this step isn’t necessary, we both agree that the beef cubes hold-up better and the flavors are bolder when sautéed on medium heat in a bit of fat just until browned on all sides. Wondering which fat to use? See our 3 must-have oils for the kitchen here.

However, we’re all about ease here so if time is not in your favor (we get it!), go ahead and throw the raw beef in the slow cooker, right along with the rest of the ingredients. Set the slow cooker on low and carry on with your day.

Wondering if you should purchase grass-fed beef? Learn how to choose quality red meat in this post!  

Adding 2 Tbsp. of potato starch will thicken this Slow Cooker Beef Stew just a bit.

In addition to sautéing the beef, another optional step is to add potato starch to the hot stew. This will thicken it up nicely and make it extra stew-like if that’s your jam.

Freezer-friendly too!

As most soups & stews are, this recipe makes a perfect freezer-meal to have on hand. We like to portion them into individual servings, about 2 cup portions, and have them on hand for emergency meals. Meaning those days when you’ve just got nothin’ in the fridge and zero ambition to cook-up a meal.

Is your mouth watering yet? We know you’ll love our Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe! Give it a try and let us know what you think.

This recipe has been edited to also include Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker instructions! 

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Let's Get Cookin'

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

The easiest beef stew ever! Throw all of the ingredients in the slow-cooker and walk away! Come back at dinner time, grab a bowl and enjoy!

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 10 mins
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Slow Cooker, Main Entree

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. stew meat
• 1 Tbsp. cooking fat of choice
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 small parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme (may substitute 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme)
• ½ tsp. dried rosemary (lightly crushed between your fingers; may substitute 1 ½ fresh rosemary, chopped)
• Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. potato starch (optional)

Instructions

1. Slow Cooker Directions:
   1. Heat ½ Tbsp. cooking fat in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes, then flip and repeat until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining ghee and beef.
   2. Place remaining ingredients in the slow cooker (with the exception of green beans, salt, pepper and potato starch). Stir, place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 8 hours or HIGH heat for 4 hours. Stir in green beans during the last 30-60 minutes of cooking time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   3. Optional step to thicken stew: Combine potato starch with a few tablespoons of cold water and stir into hot stew to thicken.

   Instant Pot Directions:

   1. Select ‘Saute’  on the Instant Pot. Melt ½ Tbsp. ghee in the pot.  Add half of the beef and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes, then flip and repeat until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a plate and repeat with remaining ghee and beef.
   2. Place remaining ingredients in the Instant Pot (with the exception of green beans, salt, pepper and potato starch). Stir, lock lid into place, set vent valve to ‘sealing’ and select the ‘Meat/Stew’ setting (about 35 minutes, high pressure).
   3. Allow for 10 minutes natural release before flipping the value to ‘venting’ to release any remaining pressure.
   4. Press ‘Cancel’ then select the ‘Saute’ setting. Add green beans and cook 5-6 minutes or until green beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
   5. Optional step to thicken stew: Combine potato starch with a few tablespoons of cold water and stir into hot stew to thicken.

Notes

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
• Calories: 234
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 200 mg
• Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 27g

What are your favorite slow cooker meals? Let us know if you’d like to see more Slow Cooker recipes?

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All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians so credit is given where credit is due. Thank you!

About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.