Who doesn’t love an easy slow cooker recipe? Especially a recipe one that is budget-friendly and minimal ingredients. 😊 Poor Man’s Ground Beef Stew is a great “Crockpot dump”, and you can use any veggies you already have in your fridge. We put this recipe together based on our favorite ingredient mix including potatoes and carrots.
What you’ll need;
– 1 lb. ground beef
– 1.5 lbs (about 3) potatoes diced largely
– 3 carrots sliced
– 1 onion diced
– 1-2 garlic cloves minced
– 6 oz. can tomato paste
– 2 cups of water
– 1 tsp. salt
– ¼ tsp. pepper
– 1 tsp. onion powder
– 1 tsp. dried oregano
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER POOR MAN’S STEW?
- Step 1: Brown ground beef and drain. Set aside
- Step 2: Chop Potatoes, Onion, and Carrots.
- Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and oregano.
- Step 4: Add all ingredients to the crockpot. Mix well and cook on low for 7 hours. Remember, it’s like an oven, if you lift the cover your food will take longer to cook.
- Step 5: Serve and Enjoy!
Tip: We love to eat with fresh bread (great for dipping)! It also tastes wonderful topped with shredded cheddar cheese!
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, HERE ARE A FEW MORE I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE!
- THE ULTIMATE SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
- AMAZING SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND GRAVY
- SLOW COOKER CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
Poor Man’s Ground Beef Stew is a great “Crockpot dump”, and you can use any veggies you already have in your fridge
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Servings: 5
Calories: 297kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1.5 lbs (about 3) potatoes diced large
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 onion diced
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and drain. Set aside
- Chop Potatoes, Onion, and Carrots.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and oregano.
- Add all ingredients to crockpot then fill them with water or broth.. Mix well and cook on low for 7 hours. Remember, it’s like an oven, if you lift the cover your food will take longer to cook.
- Serve and Enjoy! Tip: We love to eat with fresh bread (great for dipping)! It also tastes wonderful topped with shredded cheddar cheese!
Notes
Our recipe makes about 5 servings. The nutritional value below is for 1/5 of the recipe. Nutritional values are approximate.
If you require a special diet, please use your own calculations
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 5
Servings Per Container 1/5
Amount Per Serving
Calories 297
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g
14%
Saturated Fat 3g
15%
Trans Fat g
Cholesterol 58mg
19%
Sodium 756mg
32%
Total Carbohydrate 30g
10%
Dietary Fiber 6g
24%
Sugars 6g
Protein 23g
46%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal
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I made this recipe today. I didn’t do the slow cooker version, but I did it on top of the stove. I cooked my ground beef and onions together, drained it once they both were done. I then added carrots and potatoes and sautéed them for about 10-15 minutes. I added the tomato paste and the dry ingredients to it and the two cups of water and in about 25 minutes it was done. It tasted amazing! Would be a great meal for winter time!
In my 42-year-old crockpot (wedding gift!) now. Smells heavenly. Used MSF faux beef crumbles and dehydrated onion flakes, added cup sliced celery, replaced water with 3 cups faux beef broth. My kind of recipe.
Making this right now. Sounds delicious 😋
Made this tasty recipe tonight. I’m always looking for recipes under 3-4 hundred calories. Still looking for recipes for bariatric patients. Very tasty, Barb
Made this for the first time today and it did not disappoint! My family loved it! This had flavor and comfort all in one! Will definitely make again!
Loved it. Did rotel & green chili to it. Made it pop a lil more served with an instant pot bread recipe too was really good. Thank you for sharing with us
How wonderful, David! So glad you decided to give it a try!
Tried this a few weeks ago and was a little bland
A little personal flare is needed, but that is the thing for most recipes.
Very delicious and easy to follow instructions. I cooked it on the stove both times and added an additional 4 cups of water. I also added a can of El Pato sauce for a little kick. Definitely recommend this recipe!
I’m glad to hear it was a hit!
Can this be made stovetop, like in a Dutch oven?
Yes. It can be done on the stovetop. Just be careful to cook it on low heat and give it a stir once in a while to make sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom
So delicious! Will be making again and again. Thanks for sharing!
Yay!! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
I ran out of carrots but added 2 cans of dark red kidney beans. I used beef broth instead of water and Italian seasoning instead of dried oregano. It was delicious. The tomato paste really made it special. I will definitely make this again!
Great idea Susan! So glad it was a hit!! 🙂
Could you do this with ground chicken instead of beef?
I made this dish years ago and called it the same thing….
Because ground beef was cheaper than stew beef. My family always wanted beef stew so I came up with a cheaper version, since we were on a limited budget, back in 1990’s.
Can you prep this the night before? This way I can just get up in the morning and put all in the crock pot for dinner tomorrow night ?
Yes, of course! Simply brown the beef and chop your veggies then place them into an air-tight container. When you are ready to cook add everything to the slow cooker
Instapot friendly directions?
Hi hun put everything in then put two cups of water or beef broth or more
Yes, 2 cups of beef broth.
Hi could this be could on high for half the time ?
Hi victoria, I would recommend sticking to the cooking time stated as cooking faster on a higher heat can make the ingredients very soft and possible mushy
Is a 4 qt slow cooker big enough?
Hi Gary, Yes this should be fine
I don’t understand what this means…….. In the first, we add all the ingredients, then fill them with water or broth. what is the “them”?
Yes, fill the ingredients with water or broth!
I thought I had purchased all ingredients for Poor Mans Stew, but I had forgotten the tomato paste. Is there a substitute that I can use? Thank You
Hi Linda, thank you for your message. Fresh tomatoes or a tomato tin should work great as a substitute,
Can this be frozen?
Yes can be frozen for up to 3 months, thanks kim,
Could you please post the nutritional information. My mother is diabetic and i need those in order to prepare proper meals for her. Per serving please.
Hi Cheri Ann,
I have added the nutritional information in the recipe card, I hope your mother will love the recipe, if you have any question feel free to ask, Thanks
I’m still not clear on when you add the 2 cups of water.
Hi Donna,
Firstly, we add all the ingredients, then fill them with water or broth…! Please let me know how it turns out. Thanks
I just put this in the crockpot so we would have lunch ready after church. I added a small bag of frozen peas, it already looks wonderful. Can’t wait till lunch!!
Hi janetta,
Sounds delicious! always a good addition, Thanks for coming back to let me know ❤️
When we would go camping I would make this stew but used canned mix veggies, a package of beef stew seasoning, onion & garlic. Simple but tasted delicious.
Hi Marry,
I’m so glad you will be able to tweak it to your liking. Thanks for the 5 stars, ☺️
I would love to make this, it looks and sounds amazing! How can I make this using my stove?
Hi Heather,
Sauté the ground beef in a skillet with added oil, stirring constantly. When the ground beef is fried from all sides, add onions and carrots to the skillet, cook until soft. Remove everything from the skillet, if necessary, wash it. Fry the potatoes in oil until golden brown, add ground beef with onions and carrots, mix. Add tomato paste, ½ cup of water, salt, spices, mix. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Aleksa,
One of my favorite recipes!!! I make this pretty much every other week, it’s so simple and full of flavor! I just make some jasmine rice with it and have leftovers for days:)
Hi Pauline,
So glad you love it too, That’s such a smart way to use them, I hope you enjoy it!
Do you fully cook the ground beef before putting it in the slow cooker or is it just truly a brown?
Hi Randi,
Perfect, ground beef should be browned until cooked. It will not be dry anyway since during the cooking process in a slow cooker it absorbs all juices.
Aleksa,
May I ask anyone how high is the pot suppose to be, I mean what’s the temperature suppose to be this guys not too bright should have all the directions right I can’t start my pot if I don’t have what temp , so can you help me out ?
Hi Barb,
The cooking temperature range is between 175°F to 215°F. The low and high setting will peak at 215ºF, however the low setting cycles on and off that temperature more frequently. Therefore, the high setting will cook the food in a shorter period than the low setting. In the warm setting, the Crock-Pot will be between 165 to 175ºF.
When do you put the water in?
Hi Michelle,
In the first, we add all the ingredients, then fill them with water or broth.
Instead of using water could you use beef stock?
Hi Donna,
Yes, beef broth can be used instead of water. So the taste will be richer. Just keep the same proportion. In addition, if your broth is salty, reduce the amount of salt in the main dish.
Aleksa,
I used Beefy Mushroom soup and went up to 3 cans of water instead of 2 cups. I also added a 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes for a little zip.
I made this last night on the stove. After I browned the ground beef, I made a broth of the tomato paste, seasonings and water. I did add beef stock to the water for a bit of extra flavor, and because I added this, I omitted the salt the recipe called for. I then added the broth and chopped veggies to the ground beef, put a lid on it and let it simmer on low for about 60 minutes because the carrot and potato chunks were pretty thick. It was so good and my husband and two teenage boys loved it. Very filling and great for a cool night. Served it with homemade bread.
Hi Melissa,
So so glad you enjoy it! This recipe always reminds me of my childhood. 😋
Doing mine on the stove… need it for dinner tonight and didn’t realize it was a slow cooker recipe!! Will cook on low with a cover!!
Can this be done on a high setting for a quicker cook time ?
Hi Kelly,
Yes, it can be cooked on high. The cooking time will be 3-4 hours. Do not forget that for the best results, the cooker should be 1/2 or 3/4 full, including liquid (sauce). Cook with the lid closed. After 3 hours, you can check the readiness of the dish.
I cooked mine on high for 3 hours then added frozen peas and cooked for 45 minutes. It’s fine. I even stir it half way through to make sure the veg cooks evenly.
I added more seasoning, cilantro and jalapeño. So yummy. In Mexico we call this picadollo (minus the carrots).
Hi Melissa,
Wonderful, I’m so happy you enjoyed these, thank you!
This looks great and I have all the ingredients. How long do you think this would take on the stove?
Jess
Hi Jess,
To cook this dish in a pan on the stove, replicate the first three steps from the recipe. Then add all the vegetables to the fried ground beef, pour in the sauce, mix, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes on low heat. After this time, take a couple of pieces per sample. Also, make sure that there is enough liquid in the pan. Add boiled water if necessary. Cook another 20-30 minutes under the lid until a more delicate texture.
Has anyone modified this for the Instant Pot? Just wondering how it worked out?
Hi Christina,
You can easily try this recipe in the instant pot. replicate the first three points from the recipe, then put all the ingredients in an instant pot bowl and fill with sauce. Close the lid and select the “stewing” mode. At the end of the cooking cycle, take a sample. If the softness and consistency of the dish do not suit you – repeat the mode.
How long should it be on stewing mode? Do you do natural release or quick release?
Hi Nadia,
You can set to “Meat / Stew” in the Normal setting (high pressure for 35 minutes) and NR for 10 minutes.
Aleksa,
Its delicious. I ended up adding some mixed veggies to it. Helped cut the tomatoey taste
Hi Erin,
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by 😋
Can’t wait to make poor man’s stew!o
Hi Donna,
We are so happy to hear that from u, I hope you will like it, please share ur experience with us Thanks 😋😋