This easy-to-make and flavor-packed dish is a wonderful twist on the classic beef stew. Super easy to throw together this Slow-Cooker Mexican Beef Stew is a great tasting dish! Freeze it and will get better each time you heat it up Serve it with corn bread and topped with cheese for wonderful dinner that the whole family will love.
Slow-Cooker Mexican Beef Stew Recipe
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At a glance
- Serves: 6
- Time: a few minutes to put together, then a long, slow day in the slow cooker (about 9½ hours start to finish on the recipe card)
- You’ll need: beef stew meat, black beans, chili powder, diced tomatoes, frozen small whole onions, Mexican-style corn with red and green peppers, and taco seasoning mix
Get the full recipe, with amounts and the method, from Betty Crocker: Slow-Cooker Mexican Beef Stew
Thanks to Betty Crocker (the recipe first ran on Tablespoon, which has since closed) for this amazing recipe and featured image!
Why it works
Almost everything comes out of a can or the freezer, so the shopping is easy and the prep is a few minutes of opening and pouring. The taco seasoning and chili powder do the work a long list of spices would do in a from-scratch chili, and the beans and corn stretch the beef so it feeds six. It is a good pick for a busy weekday: load the slow cooker in the morning and dinner is waiting in the evening.
Tips
- How to tell it is ready: the beef should pull apart easily with a fork. If the cubes still feel firm, give it more time; stew meat gets tender with time, not with more heat.
- Not sure your slow cooker is big enough? A recipe that serves 6 wants a full-size cooker, not a small one. Our guide to what size slow cooker you need explains the sizes.
- Toppings: shredded cheese, a spoon of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips all suit it. Out of sour cream? See our list of sour cream substitutes.
- Freezing: stews like this freeze well in portions, which is why the flavor seems to improve with each reheat. Check our guide to foods you should never freeze before you pack the toppings in with it.
- Serve with: cornbread, rice or warm tortillas.
