Crock Pot Poor Man’s Stew Recipe

Crock Pot Poor Man’s Stew is made with ground beef and other simple ingredients. This makes a delicious and budget friendly stew recipe.

Crock Pot Poor Man’s Stew Recipe:

Hearty, delicious and budget friendly this Crock Pot Stew is easy to make. This stew is loaded with fresh vegetables and ground beef which makes it economical stew. All the ingredients are added to the slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal.

This is the perfect comfort meal that can be served to your family or when you are feeding a crowd. The combination of the easy ingredients makes this meal so delicious and flavorful.

This Poor Man’s Stew is filling and delicious and always a family favorite. This is the perfect stew to use your leftover ground beef. Add your favorite garlic bread or a side salad to complete the meal. See more crock pot beef stew recipes.

What is Poor Man’s Stew?

Poor Man’s Stew is a name that is given because you use ground hamburger meat. Normal stew is usually made with expensive cut of beef such as roast. That is why this recipe is known as Poor Man’s Stew.

Making this stew would ground beef cuts the cost of the stew almost in half. Plus using fresh ingredients with simple seasoning helps keeps this a budget friendly stew.

This stew can be made year round. We make it during the cold winter night as well as during the summer. It comforting, hearty and flavorful with the tomato based broth.

It is a great way to stretch your food budget. But delicious enough to serve it for a crowd or meal prep for the week.

Ingredients: 

• Ground Beef (browned and drained) 
• Russet Potatoes (peeled and diced into large pieces) 
• Carrots (peeled and cut into ½ thick slices) 
• Onion (diced) 
• Diced Tomatoes (14 oz can) 
• Beef Broth 
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Italian Seasoning 
• Onion Powder 
• Minced Garlic 

How to Make Poor Man’s Stew in Slow Cooker: 

• Step 1 – Add beef and vegetables to slow cooker – Add the ground beef, potatoes, carrots and onions to a crock pot. 

• Step 3 – Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. – In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the ingredients. Which includes diced tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, onion powder and minced garlic.  

• Step 4 – Combine in the slow cooker – Add the mixed ingredients to the slow cooker.

• Step 5 – Slow Cook Ingredients – Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. You can also cook on high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are tender. 

• Step 7 – Serve and enjoy – Serve warm and enjoy.

Crockpot Poor Man’s Stew Tips:

• Ground Beef – We recommend using 80%-85% ground beef for beef stew recipes. This keep sit from drying out while preparing but it does not have a greasy taste.
• Potatoes – Before adding potatoes to the slow cooker wash, peel and dice in about the same size of pieces.
• Broth – We used beef broth in this recipe, but to cut cost you can simple use 2 cups of water.
• Organic Ingredients – You can definitely use high end meat for this recipe such as stew meat. Use organic vegetables if you prefer but this stew is delicious and flavor just as it is written.
• Prepare Ground Beef – You can easily prepare the ground beef ahead of time. Cooking the beef and onions in a skillet the night before saves time. We recommend cooking it before adding to the slow cooker.
• Prepare Vegetables – This is the perfect recipe to add in leftover chopped vegetables. You can also prepare the vegetables ahead of time to save time on cooking day.
• Cooking Options – We love making this stew in the slow cooker. But you can easily make it in the Instant Pot or Dutch oven.

Recipe Variations:

• Broth – You can use chicken broth instead of beef broth in this recipe if you prefer. 
• Potatoes – We used russet potatoes in this recipe, but you can also use red potatoes or yellow gold potatoes.
• Diced Tomatoes – There are many variety of diced tomatoes that you can use. They have Italian flavored diced tomatoes that can cut down on adding in additional seasoning. Tomato soup can also be added.
• Frozen Peas – For a hint of sweetness add in a bag of frozen peas. It adds flavor and is a great way to sneak in vegetables.
• Other Vegetables – Green beans and corn would also be a delicious addition to this recipe.
• Change the seasoning – We used simple seasoning for this recipe. Instead of minced garlic, you can also use garlic powder.
• Ground Meat – You can also use ground turkey instead of ground beef for this recipe. You can also use half ground turkey and ground beef.
• Add more flavor – Add in taco seasoning or Worcestershire sauce to add more flavor to this recipe. A dash of hot sauce is always a crowd favorite.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew:

Since this hamburger stew is heart and full of protein and vegetables you can easily serve as it. But we love to add a side of one these easy recipes to complete it.

• Cornbread – Make this delicious cornbread recipe for a quick and easy side.
• Breadsticks – These garlic cheese sticks are the perfect bread for dipping to getting the last drop.
• Side Salad – You can also make a bowl of a green salad for a delicious side.

Can Poor Man’s Stew be prepared ahead of time?

Yes, this is the perfect stew to brown your ground beef or use leftover meat. Clean and chop your vegetables prior to cooking day. This saves time and makes it easily to add everything to the slow cooker on cooking day.

If you peel and cut your potatoes the day before, place them in a bowl of water. Then place in the refrigerator. This keeps the potatoes from turning brown.

Can I Freeze Ground Beef Stew?

Yes, this is the perfect stew to freeze. Brown your ground beef and cut and prepare your vegetables. Add all the ingredients to a freezer ziplock bag or freezer container and freeze.

It will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook your place the frozen ingredients in the slow cooker to cook.

How to Store Hamburger Stew Leftovers:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. We love to store in individual container for a quick lunch the next day.

Print Recipe for Crock Pot Poor Man’s Stew:

More Easy Stew Recipes:

• Crock Pot Ground Beef Stew Recipe
• Slow Cooker Green Chili Stew Recipe
• Crock Pot Sweet Potato Stew Recipe
• Irish Beef Stew Recipe
• Slow Cooker Ratatouille