Hearty Slow-Cooker Beef & Root Vegetable Stew

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-06 · Updated 2026-04-06

A comforting one-pot stew with tender beef, carrots, and potatoes simmered in savory broth until perfectly fall-apart tender. This american-inspired slow cooker ready in about 455 minutes pairs stew beef, all-purpose flour, olive oil for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs stew beef
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large, diced onion
• 2, peeled and sliced carrots
• 2 stalks, sliced celery
• 2 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 large, peeled and cubed potato
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat the 1.5 lbs stew beef dry with paper towels, then season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Toss the beef with 2 tbsp all-purpose flour until evenly coated.
2. Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden, then transfer to the slow cooker.
3. Step 3: Add the 1 large diced onion, 2 sliced carrots, and 2 sliced celery stalks to the skillet with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Step 4: Pour 1 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup red wine into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour over the beef in the slow cooker.
5. Step 5: Add the 1 large cubed potato, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
6. Step 6: Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
7. Step 7: Stir in 1/2 cup frozen peas and cook for 15 minutes on HIGH. Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water, then stir into the stew. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.