Crock Pot Dr Pepper Beef Stew
This Crock Pot Dr Pepper Beef Stew is hearty, flavorful, and slow-cooked to perfection with tender beef, veggies, and a thick and savory broth!
A FILLING AND EASY CROCK POT DINNER
Grab a can of Dr Pepper from the fridge and put it to work in this tender Crock Pot Dr Pepper Beef Stew! It’s a comforting dinner recipe that is stuffed with hearty veggies, tender beef (thanks to that soda and the magic of a slow cooker) and a rich savory flavor from the broth. You don’t really taste the soda, it just adds to the magic of the recipe tenderizing the beef and bringing that extra little background flavor!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The soda is a secret weapon. It tenderizes the beef as it cooks and it adds that “little something you can’t quite put your finger on” flavor. You don’t taste Dr Pepper specifically, but it brings a world of flavors to your stew that you can’t just make up any other way.
Beef Stew can be very filling, but it also goes great with your favorite side dishes. I like to serve it with some Mashed Potatoes. If you have an extra Slow Cooker, these Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are another great way to serve them. You can not go wrong serving this with some steamed vegetables or a big green salad. Serve with some Garlic Breadsticks or Dinner Rolls to soak up some stew.
It’s not required for this recipe but it can be done to get even more, deeper flavor. Sear the meat in a skillet with a little oil or butter.
Typically this happens when you over stir the stew. You only want to stir just enough to combine it altogether, then leave the stew alone. If you do it too much while it’s cooking, the potatoes will start to break down. Also, the stew meat will become tough the more you mess with it and constantly opening the lid. If you’d rather, you can use a Yukon Gold or baby red potato as they tend to hold their shape and consistency better when slow cooking.
To thicken the beef stew, remove the lid during the last 30–45 minutes of cooking, or you can mash a few extra potatoes into the stew broth at the end of the cooking time.
There are quite a few ways to change things up with this stew recipe. First thing you can try is to add some more veggies, like frozen peas and frozen green beans during the last hour of the cooking time. This will bring a pop of green color and another texture to the mix. Instead of just storing leftovers as usual, you can pop any leftovers into a baking dish and then add some puff pastry or a layer of leftover Mashed Potatoes and then it can be a simple Beef Pot Pie for the next night.
If you like spicy dishes, try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or a dash or two of hot sauce for a slight, mild kick of heat.
Leftover Dr Pepper Beef Stew can be transferred to an airtight container after it has cooled off. Once in a container, you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftover stew in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on the stove.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- stew beef– You can use chuck roast cut into chunks, or go for a leaner option and use sliced sirloin.
- onion– diced
- carrots– cut into chunks. When cutting any of your vegetables, try to cut them in similar size so they cook evenly.
- russet potatoes– you can peel them or leave unpeeled. If you are worried about texture, you can use a baby gold potato or red potato. They tend to hold their shape a bit better and are less likely to get mushy while cooking. Or swap them out altogether and use sweet potatoes instead.
- celery– sliced
- cloves garlic– minced
- low sodium beef broth– if you have a no sodium beef broth you prefer, you can use that and then taste test and add salt later if you deem necessary. If you need to try to change things up, try water with a bouillon cube or vegetable broth instead.
- tomato paste
- Dr Pepper– you can use diet Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola, root beer, or even a splash of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar if you don’t have Dr Pepper and still want to make a tender and flavor stew.
- low sodium brown gravy mix– I prefer to use the low sodium versions here because it’s really easy for this to get too salty too quick. I always suggest using the low sodium options when you can and then salt to your desired taste later.
- beefy onion soup mix– You can make a Homemade Onion Soup Mix if desired. I don’t add any salt to mine if you’d like to try try that recipe. You could even use Au jus mix in a pinch.
- frozen peas – this is optional if you don’t like peas. You could also use canned peas.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT DR PEPPER BEEF STEW:
To a 6-quart slow cooker add the stew beef, onion, carrots, potatoes and celery. To a mixing bowl whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, Dr. Pepper, brown gravy mixes and beefy onion soup mix. Pour the liquid mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours until the vegetables are soft and meat is tender. Note: do not keep opening the lid and messing with stew or trying to stir it. Just cover it and leave it alone or you are constantly releasing the steam and it will take longer to cook and the meat won’t be as tender.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
- Crock Pot Dr Pepper Chili
- Crock Pot Dr Pepper Shredded Beef
- Dr Pepper Sloppy Joes
- Crock Pot Chicken Stew
- Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Best Ever Beef Stew
- Creamy Chicken Stew
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Brunswick Stew
- Crock Pot Chicken Pierogi Stew
Crock Pot Dr Pepper Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds stew beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced diced
- 3 carrots, cut into chunks
- 3 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (can peel or leave unpeeled)
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 ounce low sodium or no sodium beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper (can use diet)
- 2 (0.87 ounce) packets low sodium brown gravy mix (0.87 ounce envelopes)
- 1 ounce packet beefy onion soup mix
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
Instructions
- To a 6-quart slow cooker add 2-3 pounds stew beef, 1 small yellow onion, diced, 3 carrots, cut into chunks, 3 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, 2 stalks of celery, sliced and 2 cloves garlic, minced.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 14.5 ounce low sodium or no sodium beef broth, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup Dr. Pepper, 2 (0.87 ounce) packets low sodium brown gravy mix and 1 ounce packet beefy onion soup mix. Whisk gently as the soda will get really fizzy as you stir.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours until the vegetables are soft and meat is tender (meat comes out best when cooked on low.)
- Note: do not keep opening the lid and messing with stew or try to stir it as it cooks. It is not necessary. Just cover it and leave it alone or you are constantly releasing the steam and it will take longer to cook and the meat may come out tough.
- If using peas, toss in during the last hour of cooking. Then enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Would it be okay if this cooked longer, maybe 8 hours? Thank you.
The beef, yes. But your potatoes & carrots might become mush :/
This came out perfect! I am definitely making this my permanent beef stew recipe. I made mine gluten free by using gluten free gravy mix. Also I had to use a regular onion soup mix that doesn’t contain gluten, but it still came out beautifully! It looks perfect and tastes just as good.
Meat came out tender and the vegetables were delicious! Hubby said to keep this one in the meal rotation!!
I see peas in the photo, but I don’t see them in the ingredients or directions as to when to add them to the recipe. Can you explain?
They are optional. You can add them in during the last hour of cooking – you could also use green beans if you prefer those 🙂