This Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew is a cozy and budget friendly beef dinner made with ground beef, potatoes, and hearty veg that are simmered together in a flavorful broth. It’s the perfect set-it-and-forget-it stew for busy weeknights when you still want to serve up something warm, hearty, and homemade.

A ladle of poor mans stew being scoop from a slow cooker.

This hamburger stew is a cold-weather favorite here on the ranch—it’s cozy, filling, and full of flavor.

What I love most is that it stretches just one pound of ground beef into a big ol’ pot of stew that serves at least 8 hearty portions. That means it feeds the whole crew and still leaves enough for my cowboy hubby’s lunch the next day.

It’s the kind of meal that warms you right to the bone after a long day out in the cold—simple, satisfying, and easy on the budget. Now that’s what I call a win-win!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Overhead labeled ingredient shot of slow cooker poor mans stew.

ground beef - one pound of 80/20
yukon gold potatoes - any potatoes will do!
yellow onion
garlic - minced fresh or powdered
celery & carrots
green beans - fresh, frozen, or canned
tomato paste - tomato sauce can be substituted in a pinch
diced tomatoes - this can be left out but my family enjoys the flavor and texture
broth - beef or chicken

How to Make Poor Man’s Stew

Brown ground beef until almost cooked through.

Add diced onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Stir and cook until garlic is fragrant, around 2 minutes.

Browned ground beef and onions with a dollop of tomato paste in a pan on the stove top.

Transfer beef mixture to the slow cooker.

Add the diced vegetables and can of stewed tomatoes.

Over head shot of diced potatoes, stewed tomatoes, green beans, carrots in a black slow cooker.

Add broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

Uncooked poor man’s stew in a slow cooker.

Stir.

over head shot of Slow Cooker poor man’s stew in a black slow cooker with the lid off.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Black Slow Cooker on a wooden counter top.

Serve with butter rolls and enjoy!

Be sure to try my Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe recipes on your next busy weeknight!

Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew

Alexis

An easy slow cooker stew made with one pound of ground beef and hearty vegetables, all simmered in a flavorful tomato broth.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Calories 297 kcal

Equipment

1 Slow Cooker

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
½ yellow onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
3 celery stalks diced
3 carrots diced
3 potatoes ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
15 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 handful green beans diced
4 cups broth beef or chicken
3 dashes wrocestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Brown beef over medium high heat, breaking it up with a spatula into medium chunks. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add diced onion, minced garlic, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer meat mixture to slow cooker.
Add diced carrots, celery, potatoes, green beans, and stewed tomatoes to the slow cooker.
Add broth, 3 dashes of worcestershire, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve with buttered rolls and enjoy!

Notes

This stew freezes great, simply cool and pour into a large ziplock or freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Feel free to leave out any vegetables your family doesn't like. Some other veggies I’ve added to this soup are zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, and kale.

Keyword ground beef, slow cooker stew