Traditional Beef Stew

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 8 hours

Makes

4 servings

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023
The aroma of this traditional beef stew is irresistible, making it impossible not to dig in the moment you walk in the door. —Rosana Pape, Hamilton, Indiana

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 pound fresh baby carrots
  • 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
  • 1 cup drained diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  1. In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.
Traditional Beef Stew Tips

Should you brown the stew meat before putting it in the slow cooker?

Browning the beef first will both add color and impart more flavor to the stew. Before adding to the slow cooker, brown the beef cubes over medium heat in a large skillet with about 1 tablespoon oil.

What other vegetables can you put in traditional beef stew?

Stew recipes are generally pretty forgiving and you can add or swap ingredients as you see fit. Try using mushrooms, pearl onions or parsnips.

How else can you cook traditional beef stew?

Although this recipe is made in the slow cooker, you can easily make pressure-cooker beef stew. This recipe could easily fit in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker and will reduce the cooking time by hours. If you'd rather make it on the stovetop, simmering over low heat in a large Dutch oven will give you similar results.

— Alicia Rooker, RDN, Taste of Home Senior Recipe Editor/Recipe Tester

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 334 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 70mg cholesterol, 611mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 6g fiber), 26g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable.