Easy, old fashioned slow cooker ground beef stew recipe, homemade with simple ingredients and lots of potatoes and carrots. This hearty meal is also known as poor man's stew or hamburger stew. Full of tender ground beef and savory herb infused broth.
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You all love my Slow Cooker Stewed Tomatoes and Slow Cooker Beef Stew, which is why I think you will love today's recipe as well. It's so filling perfect for busy weeknights. The meat cooks low and slow for the best flavor ever
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Key ingredients
- Vegetables- My favorites for this meal are onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Except for onions, don't cut the rest of the veggies too small. Keep them chunky.
- Herbs- Use fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley and bay leaves for best flavor ever.
- Spices- Keep it classic with salt, pepper and some fresh garlic.
- Broth- Use beef broth and make sure it's low sodium.
- Ground beef- You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken but this is more hearty.
- Cornstarch- Make sure to dissolve it in water to create a slurry before adding to stew to thicken it.
- Oil- Any neutral flavored oil like corn or canola works well but you can also use olive oil.
- Tomato paste- This adds a slightly tangy and sweet flavor plus a lovely color to the overall dish.
- Worcestershire sauce- Adds lovely savory umami flavor.
Variations
- Sweet and savory flavor- Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to brighten the flavors and add a hint of sweetness.
- Ground beef alternative- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken for a leaner meal.
- Try different herbs or spice blends- Like Italian seasoning, sage, basil, oregano, tarragon, bay leaves e.t.c.
- Spicy kick- Add a pinch of red chili flakes or diced jalapeños.
- Veggie packed version- Stir in frozen peas, corn, or green beans during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- Red wine infusion- Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of dry red wine (like Cabernet) after browning the beef for extra depth.
- Creamy flavor- Stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream or sour cream right before serving for a "Stroganoff style" stew.
- Mushroom rich flavor- Add 8oz of sliced cremini mushrooms while sautéing veggies for an umami boost.
How to make easy slow cooker ground beef stew recipe from scratch?
1. Brown ground beef- Discard grease and transfer to crockpot.
2. Saute veggies- Transfer to crockpot.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients- Then, cover and cook.
4. Thicken stew- By mixing in cornstarch slurry.
What to serve with this meal?
- It's typically served on its own since it's a complete meal and very filling. However, you can serve alongside bread such as bread sticks, dinner rolls, sourdough or ciabatta bread slices, cornbread. Try my Slow Cooked Jalapeno Cornbread With Jiffy.
- Serve alongside a simple salad.
- Steamed basmati rice would also compliment nicely.
- Pasta and especially egg noodles actually wok very well too.
Tips and techniques
- I highly recommend using a multifunctional slow cooker- Which has the "Saute" feature and allows you to brown the ground beef and even saute the veggies. This means less pots and pans to clean later.
- I know the beef bouillon base is optional- But I highly recommend adding it to this recipe since it enhances the flavor so much.
- Be sure to drain fat from the browned beef- To prevent this meal from being too greasy.
- Use low sodium ingredients- To prevent this meal from becoming too salty.
- Don't skip Sautéing the veggies- Because this simple step softens their bite and intensifies their natural flavors.
- Size matters- Cut your potatoes into uniform 1.5 inch chunks to ensure they cook at the same rate as the carrots.
- Low heat is best- While you can cook this on High for 3-4 hours, the "Low and Slow cooking method results in a better texture and overall flavor.
- Slurry success- Always dissolve cornstarch in cold water first. Adding dry cornstarch directly to hot liquid will cause lumps.
- Use fresh herbs- Rather than dried herbs for the most robust flavor and aroma.
- Adjust consistency- If you prefer a "soupier" stew, add an extra broth at the end. For a thicker "gravy" stew, let it cook uncovered for an extra 15 minutes or mix in more cornstarch slurry.
- Season at the end- Taste your stew before serving. The flavors concentrate and develop during slow cooking. You may need an extra pinch of salt or pepper at the very end.
Recipe FAQs
Can I put raw ground beef straight into the slow cooker?
Technically yes, but it is highly recommended to brown it first. Browning adds flavor and allows you to drain the grease so your stew isn't oily.
My stew is too thin, what should I do?
Increase the cornstarch slurry quantity or simply cook without lid in the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow excess liquid to evaporate.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
Yes, but you will need to add them in in final 20-30 minutes of cooking to prevent them from becoming too soft and mushy.
Storage
- Refrigerate- In a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze- In freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 1 month. Please note that potatoes can sometimes change texture and become mushy when thawed.
- Reheat- In the microwave with a splash of water or broth because it will become thicker as it cools and chills.
- Make ahead-This can easily be made 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge and reheated before serving. The flavors actually develop overnight and even improve by the next day.
More crockpot beef dinner ideas
- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon (With and Without Wine)
- Slow Cooker Smothered Steak
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
- Slow Cooker Frito Pie (Chili Pie)
- Slow Cooker Lasagna (With Ricotta)
Recipe
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Stew (Poor Man's Hamburger Stew)
Easy slow cooker ground beef stew recipe, homemade with simple ingredients and lots of potatoes and carrots. This hearty meal is also known as poor man's stew. Full of tender meat and savory herb infused broth.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Oil Divided
- 1.5 pounds Ground beef
- 1.5 cups Onion Finely chopped
- 1 cup Celery Roughly chopped
- 2 Carrots Medium size, Peeled, Cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cloves Garlic Finely minced
- 4 Red potatoes Washed and scrubbed clean, Patted dry, Medium size, Cut into large 1.5 inch chunks
- 3 cups Beef broth Low sodium, Can use chicken broth if that's all you have in your pantry
- 1 teaspoon Beef bouillon base Optional but highly recommended
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 sprigs Fresh thyme Add more or less depending on your preference
- 1-2 sprigs Fresh rosemary Add more or less depending on your preference
- 1 Bay leaf
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1.5 tablespoon Cornstarch Dissolved in 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon Parsley Fresh, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat.
- Add ground beef and break it up into smaller chunks.
- Cook until browned and no longer pink. It does not have to be fully cooked.
- Drain fat and transfer this beef to slow cooker.
- In the same pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium high heat.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, potatoes and sute for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. The potatoes don't need to be fully cooked.
- Transfer veggie mixture to the crockpot.
- Add broth, beef bouillon base, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, pepper, tomato paste and mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on Low heat for for 6-7 hours or until veggies (especially potatoes) are tender but not mushy.
- Mix in cornstarch slurry and let it cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes on Low heat until stew is thickened slightly.
- If you prefer a thinner stew, mix in some more broth. If you prefer a thicker stew, continue cooking uncovered for longer or mix in a bit more cornstarch slurry.
- Discard sprigs of thyme and rosemary as well as the bay leaf.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.
Notes
- I like to use a multifunctional slow cooker which has the "Saute" feature and allows me to brown the ground beef and even saute the veggies. This means less pots and pans to clean later.
- Try different herbs or spice blends like Italian seasoning, sage, basil, oregano, tarragon, bay leaves e.t.c.
- I know the beef bouillon base is optional but I highly recommend adding it to this recipe since it enhances the flavor so much.
- Be sure to drain fat from the browned beef to prevent this meal from being too greasy.
- Use low sodium ingredients to prevent this meal from becoming too salty.
- Served as a filling meal on its own but you can serve alongside bread sticks, dinner rolls or toasted sourdough bread.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water or broth because it will become thicker as it cools and chills.
Nutrition
Calories: 489kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 27gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 1207mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3633IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 4mg
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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