Who doesn’t love a slow cooker recipe — especially one that’s budget-friendly and uses minimal ingredients? This “Poor Man’s Ground Beef Stew” is a perfect crockpot dump meal: throw everything in, walk away, and go about your day. Use whatever veggies you have on hand — in our version, we stick with potatoes and carrots for comfort and simplicity.
🍲 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 lb ground beef (browned and drained)
- 1.5 lbs potatoes (about 3 potatoes, cut into large dice)
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 oz tomato paste (one small can)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Feel free to make adjustments or stretch the recipe with extras (see notes below).
👩🍳 How to Make It
Step 1: Brown the beef.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain off excess grease and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the vegetables.
Dice your potatoes, slice the carrots, dice the onion, and mince the garlic.
Step 3: Mix the seasoning.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and oregano.
Step 4: Combine everything in the slow cooker.
Add the browned beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic to the crockpot. Pour the seasoned tomato mixture on top and give everything a good stir so it’s evenly coated.
Step 5: Cook low and slow.
Cover and cook on LOW for about 7 hours. Resist peeking—every time you lift the lid, you lose heat, and the cooking time may extend.
Step 6: Serve & enjoy.
Toward the end, you can taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, ideally with crusty bread for dipping or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar on top.
💡 Tips & Variations
- Stretch the stew further. Add in extra vegetables like green beans, peas, or even a can of beans to bulk it up.
- Use broth instead of plain water. If you have beef or vegetable broth, it adds more depth of flavor.
- Thicken it up. If it’s a bit thin, mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with cold water, then stir it into the stew and let it cook another 15–30 minutes uncovered.
- Swap the meat. Ground turkey or chicken work in a pinch.
- Cut uniformly. Keep the vegetable pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Reheat carefully. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Rewarm gently, adding a splash of water or broth if needed.
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