Stay warm this winter with more stew recipes like Classic Beef Stew, One Pot Chicken Stew and Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Stew. My Crockpot stays pretty active year round, but especially during the chillier fall and winter months. I love staying warm with cozy crockpot recipes like this Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef Stew! The flavor in this stew is downright mouthwatering. Tangy flavor from the balsamic vinegar and natural sweetness from the honey come together perfectly with other flavorful additions like Worcestershire sauce, garlic and more. Oh, and have I mentioned just how easy this Crockpot beef stew recipe is?! You basically just have to toss everything into the slow cooker and let it work its magic for you.
Why we love this Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe:
Flavorful: The sweet and tangy sauce is pretty addictive. It’s so good that I often find myself thinking about it long after the last dish gets washed! Easy: This is the definition of a set it and forget it recipe. After 10 minutes of prep time, the Crockpot slowly cooks the beef and veggies to tender perfection. Filling: You won’t be left hungry after a hearty serving of this beef stew! It’s packed with the perfect amount of beef and veggies to satisfy even the hungriest bellies at the dinner table.
Honey Balsamic Beef Stew Ingredients:
Beef: You can buy beef stew meat, but I find it more economical to buy an inexpensive round steak and cut it myself. The steaks are often fresher as well! Since we are cooking it low and slow, we do not need a tender cut of beef. Veggies: I use a medley of classic stew veggies – celery, carrots and onions. Cornstarch: This is what thickens the sauce. Beef Broth: I like to use unsalted or low sodium broth when I cook. That way, I can sprinkle in salt as needed and better control the amount of sodium in the dish. Honey: You can add more or less to adjust the amount of sweetness in the sauce. Potatoes: You can half or quarter the potatoes. They’ll cook all the way through either way. Balsamic Vinegar: I don’t recommend swapping this key ingredient with anything else! You need both the tangy and sweet flavors of it to compliment everything else. Tomato Paste: A little goes a long way with this. Seasonings: Seasoning salt and pepper are all I use, but you can feel free to sprinkle in whatever others spices sound good to you. Herbs like thyme or bay leaves would also be nice. Garlic: You can measure this one with your heart!
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Here’s a quick sneak peak of how to make the BEST slow cooker beef stew recipe! For more detailed info, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. “This was absolutely delicious just as it’s written. Made this with no modifications and came out perfectly. Everyone went back for seconds. A sweeter take on beef stew that I will definitely be making again! Thanks!” Michele Add your review
Add the beef and veggies to your slow cooker. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Variations and Substitutions
Add more veggies: Feel free to improvise and use what you have on hand. Some frozen peas added at the end of the cook time add a great pop of color! Make it vegetarian: If you wanted to make this a vegetarian meal, you could simply swap the beef for mushrooms and add in extra veggies.
How to store leftover Beef Stew
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through. If a lot of the liquid has been absorbed, add a splash of water or broth before reheating.
Can I freeze Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef Stew?
Sure thing! Let everything fully cool to room temperature before freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Take the stew out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge prior to reheating. Keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes can change after being frozen. If this is something you don’t enjoy, I recommend storing it in the fridge.
Can I brown the beef first?
You can absolutely brown the beef in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker. This will build flavor and prevent some of the liquids of the beef from escaping into the gravy. For my purposes, I wanted to keep this recipe super simple so we skipped it!
Serving suggestions:
You can always serve this stew with some Homemade Dinner Rolls or a loaf of crusty Artisan bread if you feel like showing off! I’m also pretty fond of Homemade Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls too. Rolls are always great with stew because they help soak up all of that delicious sauce!
More Crockpot recipes you’ll love!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy — the perfect Sunday dinner! Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken — just be sure to grab a straw to slurp up that sauce 😉 Crockpot Zuppa Toscana — full of flavor! Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef — skip the takeout next weekend!
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