Slow Cooker Smothered Beef

This easy slow cooker smothered beef needs just 5 ingredients!  It’s a simple, old-fashioned recipe that fills up the whole family without costing a lot. Great over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

This slow cooker 5-ingredient smothered beef is just like the meals many grandmothers from the Midwest made during the hard times of the Depression. It uses cheap beef stew meat, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a few things you probably already have in your kitchen. You just pour everything over the raw beef in the slow cooker and let it cook by itself. Soon it turns into soft, tasty meat sitting in a rich, creamy gravy. It’s an easy meal that fills your house with a wonderful smell and turns a small amount of beef into a big dinner for the whole family.

Spoon the smothered beef over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or plain white rice so nothing of the creamy gravy goes to waste. Simple sides like buttered peas, green beans, or a plain green salad go really well with this rich dish. If you have some, warm dinner rolls or slices of bread are perfect for wiping up any extra sauce. For a true old-fashioned Depression-style meal, try serving it with boiled potatoes and a pot of stewed or canned vegetables.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks
• 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1-ounce) packet onion soup mix
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Slow Cooker Smothered Beef: Directions

1. Place the raw beef stew meat into your slow cooker, spreading it out into one flat, even layer along the bottom.
2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, add the cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together until it looks mostly smooth. It’s okay if a few small lumps from the soup mix are still there.
3. Pour the soup mixture over the top of the beef in the slow cooker, trying to cover as much of the meat as you can. Use a spatula to scrape every last bit of the mixture out of the bowl.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3½ to 4 hours, until the beef feels very soft and falls apart easily when you poke it with a fork.
5. Once the beef is finished cooking, stir it together with the gravy so every piece of meat gets coated. Mix in any browned bits stuck to the sides of the slow cooker too. Taste the gravy, then add a little salt and black pepper if you think it needs more flavor.
6. Serve the smothered beef while it’s hot, spooned over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice. Add extra gravy on top for even more flavor.