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Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew

Slow cooker hamburger stew combines flavors of a burger with the comfort of a stew. Ground beef, potatoes, tomatoes, mustard, relish…this comforting stew is hearty and flavorful. You can also make this easy ground beef recipe in the Instant Pot.

overhead shot of hamburger stew in a white bowl garnished with fresh parsley and a silver spoon

Ingredients for Hamburger Stew

  • Ground Beef
  • Potatoes
  • Onion
  • Bell Pepper
  • Celery
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Broth
  • Dry Mustard
  • Relish
  • Seasonings (salt & pepper)

collage of ingredients for hamburger stew

How To Make Hamburger Stew In The Slow Cooker

Making hamburger beef stew is very easy, especially when you use the slow cooker or pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

Slow Cooker

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes or until the ground beef is no longer pink. Crumble the ground meat as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Drain the grease.
  2. Add the ground meat mixture to the slow cooker along with all other ingredients. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hour or LOW 6-8.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Add the oil. When hot, add the ground meat, bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the ground meat as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Drain the fat from the Instant Pot. 
  2. Stir in all remaining ingredients.
  3. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure.
overhead shot of uncooked hamburger stew in the slow cooker

before

A Hearty Hamburger Inspired Stew

Hamburger stew is a hearty, comfort food recipe. I tried to encompass hamburger flavors without it being too overpowering. I also wanted this stew to be whole30 compatible. If you’re looking to lighten this hamburger stew up, omit the potatoes. If you do, this stew will be low-carb & keto friendly.

overhead shot of cooked hamburger stew in the slow cooker

after

WHAT TYPE OF POTATOES TO USE

I prefer to use chopped baby potatoes when I make this hamburger stew recipe. What you see in the pics chopped baby yellow potatoes. Waxy potatoes always work best for slow cooking because they hold their shape better than other forms of potatoes. Having said that, like most of my recipes, I encourage you to use the ingredients you have & like. Meaning, you can use your preferred potato whether it be a waxy potato like red or yellow, russet potato, sweet potato, etc. If you use non-waxy potatoes like russet or sweet potatoes, I suggest you cut them into larger chunks than you usually would. This will help them hold their shape during the cooking process and not turn mushy on you.

side shot of cooked hamburger stew in the slow cooker

Stew or Soup

This is a stew. A lot of people mislabel soups as stews and vice versa. I’m guilty of it, a lot of my stew recipes on this blog are actually soups. The main difference between the two is the amount of liquid used. In a stew, the food is barely covered with liquid which is why stews can be served on plates.  If you want to make this a hamburger beef soup, add an additional 6 cups of beef broth or a combination of broth & water (to reduce the sodium).

overhead shot of hamburger stew in a white bowl garnished with fresh parsley

Storing Leftover Beef Stew

If you have leftover hamburger stew, you can store or freeze it for later use. Store leftover stew in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze hamburger stew, let the stew cool completely. Once cooled, add the stew to an air tight container or freezer-friendly plastic bag. Store the stew in your freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat frozen stew, you have two options. You can either thaw the stew overnight  in the refrigerator OR add the stew directly to the slow cooker or Instant Pot & thaw on the warm setting!

side view shot of hamburger stew in a white bowl garnished with fresh parsley

FAQs & Tips

close up, overhead shot of hamburger stew in a white bowl garnished with fresh parsley

Stew Recipes

Fiesta Chicken Stew

Italian Fish Stew

Beef Bourguignon

Cranberry Beef Stew

Oxtail Stew

Print
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overhead shot of hamburger stew in a white bowl garnished with fresh parsley and a silver spoon

Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound potatoes, chopped or diced
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons relish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the ground beef and onion. Cook 5-7 minutes or until the ground beef is no longer pink. Crumble the ground meat as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Drain the grease and add the mixture to the slow cooker.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hour or LOW 6-8.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Add the oil. When hot, add the ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook 5-7 minutes, crumbling the ground beef as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Drain the fat from the Instant Pot.
  2. Stir in all remaining ingredients.
  3. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure.
  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 438
  • Sugar: 7.2 g
  • Sodium: 892.8 mg
  • Fat: 7.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
  • Fiber: 4.9 g
  • Protein: 52.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 135.6 mg

 

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on one of the product links, I might receive compensation. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/. 

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Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew
Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

dd

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

my 95yr old dad loved it.

Shannon Epstein

Thursday 22nd of June 2023

I am very happy to hear this. I'm SO glad he enjoyed it!!

Emma Meragon

Monday 3rd of October 2022

This looks SO appealing!!! Cant wait to fire up the slow cooker

Neil

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Cant wait to try this

John

Wednesday 3rd of July 2019

I keep coming back to this recipe over and over. It's amazing!

50+ Healthy Crockpot Recipe - aekerman news

Monday 1st of April 2019

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