This rustic beef stew recipe is simple and hearty. Having it made ahead in the freezer and ready to go in the crockpot® is the way to go! Once this homemade beef stew has spent the day in the crockpot, it is fall-apart-tender.

This all-in-one meal takes the guesswork out of everything. It is easy, easy to put together and there’s no way to mess this recipe up. That is very good news for beginner cooks or those who haven’t had the best of luck in the kitchen. With beef stew, you can do so many variations and put your own spin on it, but sometimes, it’s nice to go back to a simple classic beef stew recipe like this. This is just good old-fashioned comfort food.

Rustic Beef Stew Recipe:

2 lb. beef stew meat
3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

For the day of cooking:

4 potatoes, cubed* (peeled or not peeled, depending on your preference)

Assembly instructions:

Dump all the ingredients (except the potatoes) into a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove the excess air.
Seal and freeze.

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions:

Take the bag of stew out of the freezer to thaw.
Place the bag contents into the slow cooker along with the cubed potatoes.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve immediately with bread or buns.

A note about the potatoes: *I find that the consistency of potatoes changes when they are frozen, so I prefer to add them on the day of cooking. For best results, I suggest you do the same.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and also suitable for a Paleo diet.

Find more freezer to crockpot recipes along with shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels in our Slow Cooker Freezer Meal Plans.