Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes
7 h 20 min
|
easy
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
This slow cooker beef and potatoes brings real flavor, not watery stew, with Worcestershire, soy, tomato paste, bouillon, garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika building a rich, beefy gravy while the meat turns fall-apart tender.
It’s a set-it-and-forget-it winner for weeknights, meal prep, or game day, and a quick cornstarch finish at the end makes the sauce cling to every potato chunk like it should.
Ingredients (6 servings)
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Ingredients for the Beef & Potatoes
- 2 lb beef, cut into 1-inch cubes beef stew meat 32 oz
- 1½ lb potatoes, peeled, diced into chunks Russet potatoes 1.5 lb
- 1 big onion, chopped onion 1 ct big
- 5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced garlic 0.45 head (for fresh garlic)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil olive oil
Ingredients for the Sauce
- 2 cups beef broth beef broth 16 oz
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce Worcestershire sauce 1 fl oz
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste tomato paste 1 oz
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce soy sauce 0.5 fl oz
- 2 beef bouillon cubes beef bouillon cubes 2 ct
- 1 tsp salt salt
- ½ tsp black pepper black peppercorns (for black pepper)
- 1 tsp dried thyme dried thyme 0.02 oz
- ½ tsp smoked paprika smoked paprika 0.04 oz
- 1 tsp cornstarch (for thickening, optional) cornstarch 0.1 oz
- 2 Tbsp water water
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes
-
Prep and season
Pat the beef dry, then season evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, reserving a pinch of salt for finishing if you prefer.
Peel and chunk potatoes into sturdy 1 to 1.5 inch pieces so they do not fall apart.
-
Brown the beef
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high until shimmering.
Brown beef in batches without crowding, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon oil as needed.
Transfer browned beef to a bowl and keep the tasty fond in the pan.
-
Sweat aromatics
Add chopped onion to the same pan and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
-
Build and bloom the sauce
Push onions to the side and add tomato paste to the center of the pan.
Cook the paste for 1 minute to bloom, stirring to coat the onions and garlic.
Pour in beef broth, Worcestershire, and soy, scraping up any browned bits.
Add bouillon cubes, dried thyme, and smoked paprika, then stir until the cubes start dissolving.
-
Load the slow cooker
Place potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker to keep them intact.
Add the browned beef on top of the potatoes.
Pour the hot sauce mixture over everything and tuck in any stray onions.
-
Cook until tender
Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or on High for 3.5 to 4.5 hours until the beef is very tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
-
Thicken the gravy
If you want it thicker, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry.
Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, set to High, and cook uncovered 10 to 15 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened.
-
Taste and finish
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a pinch of salt or a splash of Worcestershire if needed since bouillon and soy are already salty.
Let it rest 5 minutes so the juices settle, then serve hot.
Substitutions
- Soy sauce -> Tamari
- Use tamari in the same amount for a gluten-free swap that keeps the savory depth and gentle sweetness intact.
- Potatoes -> Sweet potatoes
- Swap equal weight of sweet potatoes for a plush, slightly sweet bite that plays beautifully with smoked paprika while still holding shape when cut into large chunks.
- Beef bouillon cubes -> 1 tablespoon beef base
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of a concentrated beef base like Better Than Bouillon for cleaner dissolving and a rounder, beefier finish.
Tips
- Brown hard, not long
- High heat and dry beef give you a quick, dark sear that builds flavor without overcooking the cubes before the slow cook.
- Layer for texture control
- Potatoes on the bottom act like a buffer, so they soften gently while the beef sits higher in hotter juices and becomes spoon-tender.
- Bloom the paste
- Cooking the tomato paste for a minute concentrates its sweetness and removes raw acidity, giving you a deeper, more complex gravy.
- Mind the salt load
- You have bouillon and soy in the mix, so hold back extra salt until the end when flavors have concentrated and you can season with precision.
- Cut size matters
- Aim for 1 to 1.5 inch potato chunks and 1 inch beef cubes so everything finishes at the same time without disintegrating.
- Uncover to tighten
- If the stew feels loose, crack the lid for the last 20 minutes on High and let steam escape while the slurry works its magic.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 552 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 43 | g |
| Total Fat | 27 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- My beef is still tough after 4 hours on High. What now?
- Keep cooking until it yields easily to a fork because connective tissue needs time to melt, and check liquid level so at least one third of the beef stays submerged.
- The sauce is too salty. How can I fix it?
- Stir in a splash of water or unsalted broth, add a small knob of unsalted butter, and finish with a squeeze of lemon to balance without dulling flavor.
- Can I add more vegetables without making it watery?
- Yes, choose firm options like carrots or parsnips and keep the total veg volume similar to the potatoes while holding back watery veg like zucchini unless you add extra slurry.
- Can I prep this the night before?
- Yes, brown the beef, build the sauce, and store separately in glass containers, then load the slow cooker cold in the morning and add 15 to 20 minutes to the total time.
- Can I make this in an Instant Pot?
- Use Sauté to brown and build the sauce, pressure cook on High for 30 minutes with a natural release for 10 minutes, then add slurry on Sauté until thick.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a garlicky green salad and warm crusty bread, then finish each bowl with a drizzle of good olive oil and a crack of pepper for a glossy, silky bite.
For a little city swagger, fold in sauteed mushrooms or a spoon of horseradish cream at the end, and hit it with chopped parsley to wake up the color and the flavor.
More pairings:
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