8 Easy Dinners to Make With Stew Meat (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
Beef stew meat turns tender in a slow cooker or a pot on the stove. Here are eight cozy dinners that go well beyond stew.
A pack of stew meat is one of the more affordable cuts of beef at the store, and it is more flexible than the name suggests. It is usually chuck, cut into cubes. Chuck has plenty of connective tissue, which melts into the sauce over a long, gentle cook and leaves the meat tender. Cooked quickly, it stays chewy.
How to cook stew meat so it turns out tender
- Go low and slow. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours in a slow cooker, or simmer covered on the stove or in a 325°F oven for 2 to 3 hours. If it is still tough, it needs more time, not less.
- Keep it covered in liquid. Broth, canned tomatoes or gravy should come at least halfway up the meat.
- Brown first if you have 10 minutes. Browning in a hot pan adds flavor, but you can skip it on busy nights and still get a good dinner.
- Thaw it first. Frozen meat should never go into a slow cooker, because it spends too long in the temperature range where bacteria grow. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Cut big pieces down. Cubes about 1 inch across cook evenly. Trim any large pieces of fat.
Where it fits into your week
Cook a double batch on Sunday, then use half for a different dinner midweek. Our slow cooker dinners and crockpot dump dinners have more hands-off ideas, and the slow cooker converter adjusts oven recipes to the slow cooker. Looking for another way to use ground beef instead? See what to make with ground beef.
Storing leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if the room is above 90°F) and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F. Most of the dishes below also freeze well; the freezer dinner guide explains how to freeze and reheat them. Check how long leftovers last if you are unsure.
Slow cooker beef stroganoff
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 ounces egg noodles
Cook the beef, mushrooms, onion, broth and Worcestershire on low 7 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook on high 10 minutes to thicken, then stir in the sour cream off the heat. Serve over cooked noodles.
Beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Mashed potatoes, to serve
Brown the beef in the oil in a Dutch oven, add the onion, broth and tomato paste, cover and simmer on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until tender. Whisk the flour with 1/3 cup cold water, stir it in and simmer 5 minutes until thick. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Beef and barley soup
8 servings
- 1 1/2 pounds stew meat
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 cups beef broth
- 3/4 cup pearl barley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Simmer the beef, vegetables, broth and thyme covered for 1 1/2 hours, add the barley and cook 40 minutes more, until both the beef and barley are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Stew meat chili
8 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
Combine everything with 1 cup water in a slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours, until the beef is tender. Top with cheese and sour cream.
Beef and noodles
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
Cook the beef with the broth, soup mix and Worcestershire on low 8 hours. Stir in the noodles, turn to high and cook 25 to 30 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Add a splash of broth if it thickens too much.
Slow cooker beef and broccoli
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- Cooked rice, to serve
Cook the beef with the broth, soy sauce, sugar and garlic on low 7 hours. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and broccoli, cover and cook on high 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened and the broccoli is just tender. Serve over rice.
Shredded beef tacos
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 12 tortillas
- Cheese, cabbage and lime, to serve
Cook the beef with the salsa, broth and seasoning on low 8 hours, until it shreds easily. Shred in the juices and serve in warm tortillas.
Classic beef stew
6 servings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, cubed
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
Toss the beef with the flour, then cook it with everything else on low 8 hours, adding the potatoes for the whole time. Season to taste before serving.
Questions, answered
How long does it take to cook stew meat in a slow cooker?
About 7 to 8 hours on low, or 4 to 5 hours on high, until the cubes are fork-tender. If the meat is still chewy, keep cooking another 30 to 60 minutes.
Why is my stew meat tough?
Usually it has not cooked long enough. Chuck needs time for its connective tissue to break down, so keep it covered in liquid and cook it longer on low heat.
Can you put frozen stew meat in a slow cooker?
No. Thaw it in the refrigerator first, because frozen meat takes too long to reach a safe temperature in a slow cooker.
