Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Beef Stew is a timeless comfort food. Tender beef, hearty veggies, soft potatoes, and a savory, herb-infused broth come together to create the ultimate one-pot classic. Perfect for chilly evenings when you want a warm meal waiting for you.
This recipe uses simple ingredients and requires no cutting. Just pop it all into your slow cooker and go about your day.
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Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 8-10 hours on low
- Main ingredients: stew meat, baby carrots, baby potatoes, broth
- Servings: 8
- Best for: Busy weeknights, hands-off cooking
- Why it's lazy: one pot, simple ingredients, very little prep involved
Why you'll love this recipe
- Turns budget-friendly stew meat into fork-tender bites. Stew meat is affordable but tough. Slow cooking this type of meat gently breaks down the connective tissues over time. By letting your slow cooker do its thing, you will have a weeknight beef meal that the whole family will love!
- Toss and go. No need to babysit the stovetop with this simple dish. Perfect for busy days when you still want a delicious homemade meal.
- Great leftovers. This dish stores easily in both the refrigerator and freezer.
- Cook all day - This easy slow cooker beef recipe is perfect for longer days out of the house. The simple ingredients cook for as long as 10 hours, making it the perfect, easy weeknight meal.
📝Ingredient shopping list
Following are the ingredients you'll need to make this slow cooker beef stew recipe. Full quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
Meat
- Stew beef. I am lazy and buy the kind that is already cut into bite-sized pieces. To keep it even more economical, you can purchase a chuck roast, round roast, or London broil and cut it yourself.
Produce
- Baby potatoes
- Baby carrots
- Diced onion
- Green beans, frozen
- Garlic, minced
Pantry
- Beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
Herbs & Seasonings
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
- Dried marjoram
- Salt and black pepper
Optional Thickener
- Potato starch
- Cold water
Preparing your slow cooker
- Lightly coat your slow cooker with a non-stick spray, oil, or butter before cooking
- Avocado oil and olive oil are both great choices for this recipe
- Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup (always an optional step)
Step-by-step instructions
Add all ingredients, except the green beans, to a well-greased slow cooker.
Stir, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
About 5 minutes before serving, stir in frozen green beans.
Once the beans are warmed through, your stew is ready to serve.
If you love this recipe...
Please let me know in the comment section below!
Substitution suggestions
- Use a chuck roast cut into cubes in place of packaged, pre-cut stew meat
- Replace baby carrots with fresh carrots cut into 1-inch coins
- Swap green beans with peas for a sweeter flavor
- Use your favorite steak sauce in place of Worcestershire sauce.
One-Pot Wonder
Save time on cleanup with one-pot meals like this. Not only does this reduce dishwashing, but the flavors meld together beautifully when everything cooks in the same pot. Perfect for busy weeknights!
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Serving ideas
Just like Slow Cooker Ground Beef Stew, this dish is a full meal on its own. However, it is great with:
- Dinner rolls
- Corn bread
- A crisp side salad
- Quinoa
- Air fryer peppers
Storing leftovers
Store Garlic Herb Beef Stew leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer.
Gently reheat defrosted slow cooker beef stew in the microwave.
Expert tips from my kitchen
- Baby potatoes are great in this recipe because they require no peeling or cutting. However, a regular baking potato cut into bite-sized pieces works just as well.
- Add green beans about 15 minutes before serving to keep them bright and firm.
- This dish is delicious cooked on both low and high. However, cooking low and slow will produce the most tender and juicy beef.
- For a thicker stew, increase the potato starch slurry to 3 tablespoon potato starch and 3 tablespoon water.
- Taste just before serving and adjust any seasonings as needed.
- I am a fan of buying minced garlic by the jar. Fresh minced garlic would be a delicious upgrade to this recipe.
- In the market for a slow cooker? I love mine!
- Easy dinner idea: Use a slow-cooker liner when making this dish. You will have almost zero clean-up to deal with.
- Don't forget to turn on and PLUG IN your slow cooker! 😉
Good to know
Yes, fresh green beans can be added during the last 15 - 30 minutes of cooking in place of frozen.
No, this recipe is designed to be simple and hands-off. Beef becomes very tender during the long cooking time.
Yes, all ingredients, other than the green beans, can be mixed together and stored overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, just pop it in your slow cooker.
Yes, this dish can cook on high for 4-5 hours.
Yes! This recipe uses a potato starch slurry mixed with cold water right at the end to create a rich, thick gravy.
More great slow cooker stew recipes
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Beef Stew
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- 6qt slow cooker
- Mixing Spoon
- Small bowl for sluffy
- Measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 1 lb mini potato rinsed
- 8 oz baby carrots about 1//2 a bag
- 2 cup diced onion I use frozen
- 3½ cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or your favorite steak sauce
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
- 1 cup green beans I use frozen
For thickening (optional)
- 2 tablespoon potato starch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- To a well greased slow cooker, add 2 lbs beef stew meat, 1 lb mini potato, 8 oz baby carrots , 2 cup diced onion, 3½ cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir to combine
- Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4-5 hours
- 15 minutes before serving sitr in 1 cup green beans. Check to see if more salt or pepper is needed.
To Thicken Sauce
- To thicken sauce, use a small bowl to make a slurry by stir together 2 tablespoon potato starch and 2 tablespoon cold water
- Stir the slurry into the stew. It should start to thicken within a few minutes.
Final Step
If you love this recipe, please let everyone know by giving it a star rating and leaving a comment. This will help my business to grow and allow me to keep on testing and sharing free recipes with you.😊
Notes
- If you prefer a thicker stew, increase the potato starch and water to 3 tablespoons each.
- For the most tender beef, cooking on low for 8-10 hours is recommended.
- Fresh green beans may be used in place of frozen
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- Freeze for up to 3 months
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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Stacy says
I really live this recipe technique. I am going to buy a new slow cooker because I gave mine away. I was out of State at the time but just want to say that this looks fool proof!
admin says
Definitely time for a new one! I couldn't live without mine!!
Judy says
Is there a way to cut the time to 8 hours. I don’t get up that early to fix for dinner at 6:00 pm
admin says
8 hours of cooking should actually be fine. The meat and veggie should be cooked through by then. The only reason I suggest longer is because the extra time helps to tenderize the meat a little more. If you try it at 8 hours, I would love to hear what you thought!
Thanks for reaching out to ask!
Susan
Kathleen Williams says
You could always put in on the night before, that's what I do
admin says
I don’t know why I have never tried putting it on the night before, but it is certainly a great idea. Do you leave it on warm all day? Or refrigerate it in the morning and then reheat?
Thank you for the suggestion!
Max Hoeppner says
Please remove the pictures within the instructions. They are not necessary. Thank you.
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Done!