Hamburger flavors in a stew! Not just any stew, a whole 30 compliant and paleo stew that cooks in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

PIN FOR LATER
Updated 2019 with Instant Pot instructions
After a few minor tweaks, this recipes was chosen to be included in my first cookbook, The Easy & Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook. The recipe here has been updated to match the recipe in the cookbook.
I love when a recipe comes together on the first try. I intended to make my Slow Cooker Hamburger Casserole but it’s been raining nonstop for a couple of days now (I’m not complaining, we need the rain) so I switched it up. Something about rain makes me want stew.
Another easy recipe. So easy. Chop the veggies, throw them in the slow cooker with the ground beef and seasonings. That’s it. You can use your preferred ground meat whether it be beef, pork, chicken or turkey but personally I think ground beef works best. Browning the meat is optional. If you don’t brown it, try to use a lean ground meat. I usually take the time to brown mine.
Print
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Hamburger Stew (Paleo,Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound potatoes, chopped
- 43 ounces (28 ounces plus 15 ounces) diced tomatoes in juices
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp oil (for IP)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
Optional step: Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain grease.
- Add ground meat to the slow cooker along with all other ingredients. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hour or LOW 6-8 or until potatoes are soft.
Instant Pot
- Turn on the IP and select Sauté. Once hot add oil to the pot.
- Add ground meat, bell pepper, onion, celery,and garlic and cook until meat is browned, 3-5 minutes. Crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain fat and remove from Instant Pot if needed.
- Stir in all remaining ingredients.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Quick release pressure.
If you’re looking for more of a soup rather than stew, all you need to do is add in 2 cups of low-sodium beef broth. Kind of looks like chili huh? If you want to call this hamburger chili so be it:-)
I used a 6-quart slow cooker /or Instant Pot.

PIN FOR LATER
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/.

Is it just me? Is something missing from recipe? Not a stew at all. Only juice is from tomatoes???? Taste good. But disappointed. Hamburger meat with tomatoes snd potatoes???
I keep coming back to this recipe over and over. It’s amazing!
★★★★★
I would highly recommend browning the beef before placing it in the slow cooker. My dinner is ruined because we can’t get over the gross mealy texture of the beef due to not browning it. Any ideas on salvaging it? It’s a watery, mealy mess 🙁
Try this recipe! It exceeded my husband and I’s expectations. So yummy! I did add a couple of tablespoons of pure maple syrup to sweeten it up just a bit, we like it sweet 🙂
Putting this meal into our regular rotation!
First let me say that I’m not a good cook — don’t have a feel for it. I made this today. Added 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. My crockpot is one of the older lower temperature ones; so I cooked it on high for four hours and it was held on warm for maybe another hour. Something was wrong with the flavor. Maybe the Worcestershire? Too much? Too long? Or something else?
So I’m still looking for a crockpot hamburger stew recipe.
I have a regularly recipe that I use for hamburger stew. I don’t usually use the dry mustard but it should work fine. I brown the beef in a pan, as it browns I add a little worsteshire sauce, oregano, and thyme, drain and put it in your slow cooker (reserve some of the fat.) Saute diced onion, bell pepper and garlic in the pan (I like a spicy pepper as well.) Drain it and put in the slow cooker. I deglaze the fry pan with some beef stock and add that to slow cooker with some carrots, a small can of tomato paste, some fresh diced tomatoes and enough water or broth to cover. Cook 3 to 4 hours on high. I also like a little hot pepper sauce and chili powder and/it cayenne powder.
Can I add some Worcestershire sauce to it? I use it on my burgers when I grill them, so maybe it’d be good…..
Absolutely!! Thank sounds fantastic.
Can you add carrots to it? Or corn?
Yes, absolutely. Corn won’t make it paleo or whole30 compliant but if you’re not worried about that, then add way!
i can hardly wait to sink my teeth into this stew. i found a recipe started in on it, and discovered it was stove top cooking and not slow cooker. i found this recipe and added more veggies. I forgot the potatoes just before i pushed the start button and there was just the right room for everything. it looks really good, thanks for sharing.
I added some Liquid Smoke for a little kick and it was pretty good 🙂
That sounds fantastic!! No joke, I literally just bought some more liquid smoke today. Definitely adding it in next time!
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe?
Thank you! Looking forward to making it soon
I cant wait to try this. Will it be good to freeze?
Yes, this is a great freezer meal!
Do you cook then freeze or can you freeze it raw
Freeze raw:-)
I don’t bother taking the time to brown grass-fed ground beef as it is very lean and leaves virtually no grease in the pan when I do brown it for other recipes. 🙂
I hear ya. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sometime I’ll add Beef Tallow to the pan when browning my grass-fed beef, especially stew meat.
Thanks! This turned out great and everyone loved it. I was a little short on tomatoes but added beef broth to make it more soup-y so it was fine. Very quick to put together too. This one will be added to the meal rotation for sure!
I’m SO glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Great minds think alike – I added broth last time I made it as well:-) xShannon
what is the measurement for the diced tomatoes?
It’s listed with the ingredients:-) 42.5 diced tomatoes (28 ounce plus 14.5 ounce can). Enjoy!