Hearty crockpot cowboy stew is the perfect meal to serve on cold winter days or whenever you need to feed a crowd. Simple ingredients like ground beef, frozen mixed vegetables, and canned tomatoes are simmered in the slow cooker for hours until tender. This satisfying crockpot meal can be served with cornbread, biscuits, or with your favorite toppings!

Cowboy stew with potatoes is my favorite go-to dinner to make during the colder months. It's perfect if you are craving something warm and comforting or if you have a bunch of vegetables and meat that need to be used up.

The beauty of slow cooker recipes is that you don't need a lot of time or fancy ingredients to make a filling and delicious dinner for your family. Hearty crockpot cowboy stew is a straightforward meal packed with flavor.

Usually made with kielbasa sausage and beans, my cowboy stew recipe is made simply with condensed tomato soup, canned diced tomatoes, beef broth, ground beef, and mixed vegetables. These fridge and pantry staple ingredients come together to create a flavorful heart-warming meal with just a few minutes of prep work.

I love recipes that provide a lot of leftovers and this slow-cooker cowboy stew does just that! Leftover stew is wonderful to enjoy for work or school lunches or simply reheated for dinner the next day. Super easy!

Recipe ingredients

Ground beef. Browned and then added to the crockpot with the other ingredients.

Frozen mixed vegetables. Use a mix of carrots, green beans, corn, and peas, or whichever frozen vegetables you enjoy.

Beef broth. Adds a richer beef flavor to this easy crockpot stew.

Potatoes. Yellow potatoes chopped into cubes. Makes the stew heartier.

Tomatoes. I used condensed tomato soup and canned diced tomatoes. It saves time and adds tasty chunks of tomato flavor to the soup.

Seasonings. Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

How to make hearty crockpot cowboy stew

For this recipe you will need ground beef. I had 93% lean and 7% fat ground beef but any will work. If the meat if frozen, you can easily thaw it by submerging the package in water for about an hour.

Or just leave ground beef on the counter for couple hours and it will defrost. Heat the skillet and add ground beef to it. Break down the meat and brown for about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to the crock pot.

Scrub yellow potatoes and add to the slow cooker. You can also use baby potatoes or red potatoes. Do not use russet potatoes because they will fall apart during cooking.

Add frozen vegetables. I used a mix of frozen peas, carrots and green beans. Its usually sold in all major grocery stores. Add canned diced tomatoes with the juice along with condensed tomato soup. Mine was "healthy" (you can see it on the picture) simply because they didn't have regular in the store. Please use tomato soup of your choice.

Add your seasoning like salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Close the lid and cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 4. Watch potatoes, this hearty cowboy crockpot stew is done when potatoes are soft.

Substitutions

• Ground beef. Use ground bison or ground turkey for a lighter stew.
• Potatoes. Use whichever potato you prefer. Waxier varieties such as Yukon golds, red potatoes, and yellow potatoes work best for crockpot recipes. They hold up better when cooked for long periods of time and don't fall apart as easily as Russets.
• Canned diced tomatoes. Use canned crushed tomatoes, or if you have fresh tomatoes, chop up 3 - 4 to add to the stew instead.
• Tomato soup. If you don't have condensed tomato soup use a can of tomato sauce and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Or use 1 - 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and ½ - 1 cup of water.
• Beef broth. Use chicken broth or water with 1 - 2 cubes of beef bullion for a strong beef flavor.

Variations

Use a pound of beef or bison stew meat chunks instead of ground meat.

Turn it into a soup by adding more broth or water.

Brown the ground beef with onions, minced garlic, bacon, or your favorite sausage to add more flavor to this crockpot recipe.

Feel free to add a can of pinto beans, red beans, or baked beans to add a smoky sweet flavor.

Cowboy stew is incredibly flavorful on its own, but if you like, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, chopped jalapenos, or ground paprika for a spicier and more savory dish.

Frequently asked questions

Leftovers

Store the stew in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you're not planning to eat it within that time, you can freeze it for up to three months. When reheating your leftover cowboy crockpot stew, make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

You can reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, depending on your preference.

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• Instant pot neck bones

Hope you will like this hearty crockpot cowboy stew recipe as much as we do. Please rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.