Slow Cooker Healthy Beef Stew (Easy Recipe)

When the temperatures start to drop, this crock pot beef stew always finds its way into our weekly dinner rotation. It’s a classic, comforting easy beef stew recipe made in the slow cooker—packed with veggies and hearty enough to satisfy the whole family (yes, even the kids!).

I love experimenting with new recipes, but there’s something special about the tried-and-true favorites. This crock pot beef stew is one of my family’s most requested meals, and it’s actually a recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up. It’s cozy, familiar, and one of the very first recipes I added to my recipe binder.

With tender beef, flavorful vegetables, and simple seasonings, this stew is the kind of meal that’s perfect to come home to after a long, cold day.

The best part about this recipe? It’s almost effortless.

Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Beef Stew

As a busy mom, I love dinners that can be prepped earlier in the day and forgotten about until dinnertime. This crock pot beef stew is exactly that kind of meal. Here’s why you’ll want this recipe in your rotation:

• Minimal hands-on time – Prep it in the morning and let the slow cooker do the work
• Hearty and filling – Packed with protein and vegetables
• Family-friendly – A classic flavor everyone enjoys
• Your house will smell amazing – Always a bonus

While you could make beef stew on the stovetop, that usually means hours of checking, stirring, and babysitting a pot. With the slow cooker, you just add everything, turn it on, and dinner is ready when you are.

Healthy Beef Stew

I made this beef stew with regular potatoes for years, but eventually switched it up to create a healthier version. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free, using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

Honestly? I think this version tastes even better.

That said, this recipe is flexible. You can:

• Use only sweet potatoes
• Use only regular potatoes
• Or do a 50/50 mix (also delicious)

Feel free to make it work for your family.

For another hearty meal that’s just as easy, try my chicken and dumplings casserole!

Ingredients

Let’s get cooking! Here’s what you’ll need to make this healthy beef stew:

• Beef stew meat
• Olive oil
• Sweet potatoes
• Chopped onions
• Chopped carrots
• Celery
• Diced tomatoes
• Beef broth
• Garlic cloves
• Parsley
• Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tapioca starch (can be replaced with flour if you are not attempting to avoid gluten)
• Bay leaf

Instructions

Now let’s dive into how to make this yummy dinner recipe! There are just a few simple steps involved.

1. Prep your ingredients

Cut your beef stew meat into 1″ cubes and cook over medium-high heat with olive oil. You’re just looking to brown the meat, not fully cook through.

While the meat is cooking, you can chop the vegetables. You’ll need large sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1″ pieces), chopped carrots, and chopped celery.

All of the above can be done the morning you make your stew or even the night before!

2. Add ingredients to the crock pot

Next, put the chopped sweet potatoes into the bottom of your slow cooker. Then, add chopped onions.

I hate chopping onions because it burns my eyes. It literally hurts! So I do what my grandmother did – I simply buy frozen chopped onions. So much easier!

The meat should be browned by now (if it browns before, just turn the heat off). Drain, then place on top of the sweet potatoes and onion.

Next, add the celery, carrots, and minced garlic cloves.

Then, add diced tomatoes and beef broth. You’ll need a total of 4 cups of beef broth for this recipe – you’ll save 1 cup for the next step.

Sprinkle basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper on top.

3. Thicken the stew

Next, pour the remaining 1 cup of beef broth into a bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the tapioca starch or flour.

Next, mix with a fork. The tapioca will stick to the bottom and be very hard to stir for a few seconds, but then it will suddenly begin to dissolve, and you can stir it easily.

Yes, I make a mess when I cook.

Pour the broth/tapioca starch over the stew.

Put a bay leaf on top (optional).

4. Cook the beef stew

Put the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. This is the easiest part!

Serve

Before serving, stir to combine all the ingredients. Enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes?

You sure can! I have made this recipe with sweet potatoes only (my favorite because I like the touch of sweetness!), as well as with just regular potatoes. Recently, I’ve done a 50-50 combo, and that was great too!

How can I make this meal more affordable?

The only downside to this recipe is that beef stew meat can be expensive, especially if you’re on a tight grocery budget.

To make it a bit more affordable, I often buy just 1 pound of stew meat and use more sweet potatoes and carrots to make up the difference. While my husband loves more meat, he knows he’ll get this dinner more often if it doesn’t cost as much, so he’s game too. And the kids don’t notice!

The other trick I do is wait until I see a good deal on beef, then stock up and keep some in the freezer. I usually go ahead and pre-cube it too. Then, whenever I want to make stew, I let the frozen beef cubes defrost overnight in the fridge before adding them to the crockpot the next morning.

How to Store Crock Pot Beef Stew

This crock pot beef stew stores really well, which makes it perfect for leftovers and meal prep.

• Refrigerator: Let the stew cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: This stew is freezer-friendly! Transfer cooled stew to freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger amounts on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You may want to add a splash of broth if it thickens as it sits.

Tip: Like many slow cooker meals, this easy beef stew recipe tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

• Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
• Beanless Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
• Unbelievably Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

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