Ground Beef Stew (Poor Man’s Stew)
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Ground Beef Stew is an easy-to-make, budget-friendly meal loaded with potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. It’s flavorful and filling, perfect for weeknights or when you don’t have time for a trip to the store. Make poor man’s stew on the stovetop or in the crockpot!
Ground Beef Stew
As soon as I feel a cool breeze in the air, I’m ready to break out all my favorite soup and stew recipes!
While old fashioned beef stew is always at the top of my list, it can sometimes put a dent in my grocery budget — especially if I haven’t been stocking up on sales.
Then, I learned you could make beef stew with ground beef, and I knew it was a game changer!
Ground beef is so much cheaper by the pound and easy to keep on hand. Toss in some broth, veggies, and seasonings, and you’ve got a hearty meal packed with comforting flavors.
The best part? This recipe is so easy to customize with what you have on hand.
Use it to clean out the fridge and the vegetable bin, use up a garden harvest, or stretch your budget for several days’ worth of meals.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground Beef – Choose a lean blend and be sure to drain any excess grease before moving on with the recipe. Ground turkey or ground chicken are good substitutes.
- Potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes hold up really well and help to thicken the broth, making them my top choice for this ground beef stew recipe.
That said, feel free to use whatever kind of potato you have on hand. - Carrots – If you don’t feel like peeling these, give them a good scrub before chopping. And if you’re out, swap in celery or bell peppers instead.
- Onion – Any yellow or white onion will taste great, but I wouldn’t recommend a red onion. Shallots would work, though!
- Diced Tomatoes – Use regular or fire-roasted diced tomatoes with the juices.
You can also use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce in a pinch, though the texture will be different. - Beef Stock – This is where most of your flavor comes from, so don’t try to substitute water if you can help it. Chicken or vegetable broth can be used instead.
- Worcestershire Sauce – A delicious flavor booster, especially in beef dishes. Soy sauce or tamari can be used instead, especially for a gluten-free recipe.
- Beef Stew Seasoning – Find this in a packet with the taco seasoning and gravy mixes.
Or, make your own blend with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. I like to toss a Bay Leaf in the pot too, but it’s not required.
Tips and Tricks to Make Beef Stew with Ground Beef
- Always brown the meat first.
This is important not only for food safety, but it creates the best texture and keeps the meat nice and juicy too.
Depending on your pot, you may notice browned bits stuck to the bottom.
These should loosen up as the stew simmers, but you can also add a splash of broth to help scrape these up before adding in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cut vegetables to a similar size.
This ensures they cook evenly! If you don’t like your potatoes too soft, cut these a bit bigger instead.
- Include extra veggies or beans to bulk it up.
Simmer frozen green beans or peas with the other veggies, or chop up mushrooms and sauté them with the ground beef.
Beans are an easy way to add extra protein, and you could even replace some of the ground beef with them to make the meal more affordable.
Choose from kidney beans, black beans, and white beans!
Note: If you add extras to the pot in addition to the listed ingredients, you’ll need to add more beef stock as well.
- Adjust the consistency and thickness.
If you find that the stew is too thin for your liking, all you need to do is mash some of the potatoes right in the bowl!
Or, mix together equal parts cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then mix that into the pot and simmer for a few more minutes.
And if it’s too thick, add extra broth or water a few splashes at a time until it looks just right.
Prep Ahead
- Peel and chop vegetables
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Dutch Oven – I love this set and use it all the time. It is perfect for roasts, and I especially love it for my one-pot meals.
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
- Wood Turner – My most used spoon or spatula in my kitchen! It’s amazing for sautéing vegetables and browning meat.
- Ladle – A must for dishing up beef stew with ground beef!
Serving Suggestions
You don’t need much to make ground beef stew a hearty meal! I usually add a quick salad and a crusty loaf or cornbread on the side.
This stew is also delicious with shredded cheese or sour cream on top, and it makes the whole bowl a bit creamy when stirred together.
Storing and Reheating Poor Man’s Stew
Allow leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat ground beef stew gently on the stovetop or warm individual portions in the microwave. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight first.
Ground Beef Stew Recipe FAQ
Sure, but you’ll only need to brown the outside of the meat before adding the rest of the ingredients. It will finish cooking alongside the veggies.
If you cook it all the way through, the meat will end up tough by the time your stew is done.
It gets this name mainly because it’s made with ground beef instead of sirloin steak or another more expensive cut of meat.
This ground beef stew recipe is also made with common, hearty vegetables that are either affordable to buy or easy to grow at home.
All in all, it’s a budget-friendly meal that is filling and nutritious!
Yes. Brown the ground beef in a skillet first, then drain and transfer it to your crockpot. Add all of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Or, use leftover slow cooker ground beef! You can toss it right in from the freezer without having to dirty a skillet.
Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. This is a great option when you need a “set it and forget it” meal!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Ground Beef Stew (Poor Man’s Stew)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cups medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2 potatoes)
- 3 cups carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2-3 carrots)
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 ounce packet beef stew seasoning mix
- 1 Bay leaf
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon or spatula. Drain any excess grease.
- Add in chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, and diced tomatoes.
- Pour in beef stock, worcestershire sauce, beef stew seasoning mix, and bay leaf and gently stir to combine.
- Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 25-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. The cook time may vary depending on how large the vegetable pieces are.
- Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published December 2024
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