Easy Cowboy Stew Recipe (Slow Cooker)

This easy cowboy stew recipe with chunks of beef, potatoes, beans, and vegetables in tomato sauce makes a tasty, hearty and satisfying one pot meal.

My grandmother used to cook this old-fashioned cowboy stew all day on low and it was always so yummy!  I didn't realize how easy this satisfying meal was until I was much older. 

I do remember how wonderful the house smelled when my grandmother would make this stew. You could smell it from the street!

I also have to mention that including baked beans in tomato sauce adds so much flavor, and it tastes even better the next day! 

If you love the flavors in this hearty, satisfying dish you might also enjoy this spicy beef stew or Guinness beef stew.

Why You Will Love Cowboy Stew Crockpot

• Cowboy stew crockpot is a hearty, rustic beef stew that's loaded with flavor.
• It's the perfect meal to feed a family, especially during the fall and winter.
• It's loaded with beef and vegetables, and it has a great kick of flavor and heat.

Ingredients You Need

This super easy slow cooker cowboy stew recipe only uses a few simple ingredients. You'll find them all easily at your local grocery store.

• Stewing beef: An inexpensive cut of beef that's perfect for cooking beef stew with beans in the slow cooker. It's a tougher cut of meat which makes it so budget-friendly but cooking it in the slow cooker makes it tender and succulent.
• Baked beans in tomato sauce: Found in the canned beans aisle of the grocery store, it adds more flavor than plain cooked beans.
• Baby or mini potatoes: Simplifies the prep as they only need to be cut in half.
• Veggies: We will be adding corn, carrots, onions, and canned tomatoes to our cowboy beef stew.
• Barbecue sauce: This transforms our stew into a traditional Texas cowboy stew slow cooker with it's tangy, sweet flavor.
• Spices: Chili powder and black pepper is all you need!

See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.

How to Make Cowboy Beef Stew

This delicious slow cooker cowboy beef stew recipe couldn't be easier to make. The entire recipe is basically a matter of pouring and letting the slow cooker do its thing. That's it!

1. Place the beef in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the beans over the top.
3. Add the tomatoes, corn, carrots and onion to the pot.

4. Add the sauce and seasoning to the slow cooker.
5. Top with the potatoes cut into bite sized pieces.
6. Mix everything together.

7. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. If your meat still seems a bit chewy after the allotted time, allow stew to simmer another 15 to 20 minutes and check it again. Keep checking every 15-20 minutes and have some patience, eventually your beef will transition from tough to tender.

TOP TIP: It's important to give this stew plenty of time to cook in the slow cooker. Don't rush it, or you won't have beef that's nice and tender.

Substitutions and Variations

• Spicy: Add some smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or fresh sliced jalapenos (or your favorite hot pepper) for a spicy kick. Our jalapeno powder, chipotle powder, or dried jalapenos are also a fabulous addition.
• Fresh Herbs: Consider adding some fresh herbs once your stew is cooked. Aside from thyme, fresh herbs lose flavor as they simmer and that's why we add dried spices at the beginning and fresh spices at the end of recipes. Try a sprinkling of diced, fresh, parsley, tarragon, oregano or rosemary right before serving, if desired.
• Beef: It's important to use beef cuts suitable for a stew to ensure the stewed beef is tender. If you can't find a package of stew meat, choose cuts like any chuck roast or chuck shoulder, Brisket, Bottom Round, Eye or Rump Roast, Top Round, or Round Tip Roast.
• Add Sausage: Some versions of crockpot cowboy stew add sliced kielbasa sausage using two kinds of meat.
• Added Savory Flavor: Add a little worcestershire sauce or soy sauce.
• Add Sweetness: A little brown sugar or honey can go a long way.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this creole steak stew or my grandma's beef stew. Both are comfort food in a bowl.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftover stew in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.

Reheat: Place the stew in a pot and heat on medium-low until heated through.

Make Ahead: The stew is even better the next day. Feel free to make it the day before you plan to serve it.

What to Serve with Cowboy Beef Stew

Beef stew is a wonderful dish that pairs well with so many things and should not be served all by itself.

Fresh crusty bread or baguette work great to soak up all the gravy or sauce on the bottom of your bowl or plate. We often make these amazing corn muffins that are so good and were made for this stew.

Some other great ideas include:

• Garlic bread
• Broccoli cornbread
• Mashed potatoes
• No bake chocolate pie (I had to include this pie, I just love it!)

Check out even more great ideas on this list of what to serve with beef stew.

Tips

• Choose the right meat. Use tough, leaner cuts with minimal fat from the cow's front shoulder or rear end with connective tissue for juicy and tender meat that also naturally thickens and enhances the flavor of your stew.
• Don't rush this stew. It needs plenty of time to cook and the longer the better.
• Add hearty root vegetables like parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash or potatoes at the start and save less sturdy vegetables for the end of the recipe's cook time so you don't end up with mushy vegetables.
• Cook this cowboy beef stew with the lid on top to keep all of the liquid inside the stew and the flavors and heat evenly distributed. If your stew looks too watery, remove the lid for the last hour or so to allow some of the liquid to evaporate and create a stew with a thicker consistency and more concentrated flavor.
• Taste before serving to see if it needs anything else added to it to create the perfect stew for you.

FAQ

More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

Check out our video below so you can see just how easy this supper sensation is to prepare! 

Grandma's Easy Slow Cooker Cowboy Beef Stew Video

Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

This post was originally published December 2017. It has been republished with new images and content.