Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew
This Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew will make any cold, wintry day feel much, much cozier. Simple ingredients are left to mingle in the slow cooker, resulting in a rich and flavorful stew of tender beef and vegetables with barley. Watch the video!
I counted it out on the calendar.
Just a little more than 10 weeks until the first day of spring!
Besides that same day being the birthday of both my dad and our first born daughter (I LOVE that they share this day together!), I’m so looking forward to some warmer temps. This subzero cold spell here in the Midwest is getting mighty old!
Soon, my friends.
Soon we will see green grass and blue sunny skies and temps above 30°F.
I canNOT wait!
But in the meantime, to help us through this cold, we have stew.
Warm and comforting, and ladled from the slow cooker that does all of the hardest work for you, it just doesn’t get much better than this Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew. Enjoy this recipe that’s sure to warm you up!
Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew
It is so hard to resist chunks of beef roast that have been immersed in the slow cooker‘s magic. Ultra tender and infused with the flavors of their surroundings, the beef bites are my very favorite part of this beautiful slow cooker beef and barley stew.
For more slow cooker recipes, click here.
I don’t use barley a whole lot in my cooking, but always know how much Blake likes his Mom’s ground beef and barley soup. My recipe, which does away with the cans of creamed soups I found in my MIL’s recipe, is simple in its ingredient list, yet huge on flavor. HUGE!
I always find it amazing how much deliciousness comes out of the combination of beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, and a little Dijon mustard. And the flavors only intensify when set to mingle and slowly cook for the afternoon in the slow cooker.
If you like this stew, you might also want to check out my Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Soup, which incorporates a bit of delicious Southwestern flair!
This recipe for slow cooker beef and barley stew does involve some chopping, but all the fresh veggies are well worth the effort. The onion, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms add hearty goodness and incredible flavor.
And the veggies make the stew look so pretty, don’t you think? It’s always much more enjoyable to eat a dish that looks beautiful!
Once the chopping is done (which really doesn’t take that much time, I promise!), all that is required is patience…which I find ridiculously hard to summon up some days. The aroma of a slow simmering stew is one of the greatest sensory experiences ever. Especially when it’s accompanied by the outdoor’s dreary skies and temperatures in the single digits.
Beef and Barley Stew
Just trust me.
Make this stew.
It’ll make these cold, wintry days feel much, much cozier.
Like this Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup? Pin it!
Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew
Simple ingredients are left to mingle in the slow cooker, resulting in a rich and flavorful stew of tender beef and vegetables with barley.
Ingredients
- 1 T. olive oil
- 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1" cubes
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz. mushrooms, cut into thin slices
- 8 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/2" pieces
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium-large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6 c. low sodium beef broth
- 1 c. dry red wine
- 1/4 c. tomato paste
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 3/4 c. pearl barley
- 1 bay leaf
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef fairly generously with kosher salt and pepper. If you own this awesome slow cooker, where you can brown meat right in the slow cooker - add the oil to the slow cooker and then brown the beef right in the slow cooker, searing beef on all sides. Otherwise use a large skillet over medium-high heat to heat the oil and then brown the beef. Drain off fat. If using a skillet, transfer beef to slow cooker.
- Add mushrooms, carrots, garlic, potatoes, onion, beef broth, wine, tomato paste, mustard, and thyme, and stir well to incorporate. Then stir in barley and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Then turn heat to low and cook for 2 hours more. Serve hot, with fresh parsley sprinkled over the top. A good, crusty bread for dipping is always welcome.
Notes
from a farmgirl's dabbles
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 371
Here are a few more barley recipes you might like:
- Barley Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Parsley from Rachel Cooks
- Pear Almond Barley Salad from Wishes & Dishes
- Mushroom Barley from Food Network
This post was previously published February 2015. Photographs and some of the text were updated January 2018.
We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. See our disclosure policy for more info.
My husband and I LOVED this stew! I love stew in the winter; he’s not a fan but he goes with the flow for me once in awhile. I made it per the recipe; made no changes. He LOVED this and asked for it again! Yay!!
The only change to the recipe I made was subbing sweet potatoes for plain. I also halved the recipe because who wants 10 servings of something they dont care for if they only have to have five?
The broth at the end was very broth-y and not thick like a stew, so I took a cup of the broth out and mixed it into a roux to make it thicker and returned to the crock pot.
Husband liked it. I added a lot of salt. It was not very flavorful. Good starting point I think.
Thanks, Kari – I love the idea of sweet potatoes in this recipe! The amount of salt is going to vary with ingredients used (I tend to highly salt the beef in the beginning) and people’s own preference for salt – so I get that.
I made this last night and it’s so delightful!! I used sweet potatoes instead of carrots because im allergic to them, and used beef bone broth instead of regular broth. I used ground thyme instead of dried and it was soooo thymey in a bad way. So I added in 2 more cups of broth to mellow out the flavor a bit. Will definitely be adding this to my winter crockpot rotation!
Wonderful, I’m so glad you liked this! I’m sure that WAS “thymey” – but I’m glad you’ll make it again (with dried thyme!). :)
What kind or brand of wine, I know nothing about wine.
I used Merlot. Delish!!
Mmmmm…!!!
Hi Vicki – no need to use anything expensive, just something you enjoy drinking on its own. I usually use a cabernet, merlot, or zinfandel.
I use a Cabernet or Pinot noir
I followed the recipe exactly how it was, and it turned out absolutely fantastic!! Can’t wait to make this for my in-laws for Christmas, they’ll be so impressed! Thanks for an amazing, easy-to-follow recipe! I love it!!!
Can I prep this ahead of time as a freezer meal to throw in the crockpot at a later time?
Pingback: 100 Best Crockpot Soup Recipes – Forbyral
Pingback: Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew - Slowcookerrecipes.site
Pingback: 100+ Cheap Crockpot Meals for Large Families - Large Family Table
I don’t have any wine…is there any substitutions or just leave out
If you’re not a wine drinker and don’t have any on hand, buy either cooking wine, it comes in small bottles or you can buy tiny 4 pack wine in the liquor section and use it just for cooking.
Pingback: The Best Snowy Sunday... - Tula Mae Homestead
Pingback: Irish Beef Stew • Beef and Guinness Stew • a farmgirl's dabbles
Hey instant pot friends! This recipe works really well in the instant pot! Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, just make sure you deglaze the bottom of the pot after searing your meat. I have a 6qt model and was only able to fit about 4 cups of beef broth, but otherwise made it as written.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing!
I substituted very small whole fingerling potatoes and added a bunch of stemmed, chopped kale — both from my garden. I added the kale for the last 2 hours. This is a great recipe.
I like the addition of kale!!!
I was wondering if I could cook in a regular pot and what the times would be?
Wondering the same thing!
I did today!!! Lowest possible setting for several hours until the meat was tender. Delicious!
Yay!!!! :)
It’s just my mom & I at home these days. Do you think halving this recipe would be okay, and would the cooking times need to be adjusted?
This recipe is a winner!!
All the positive reviews are true. This stew is AWESOME!
Wonderful. So happy you agree! Thank you for your comment.
I had never tried this in the slow cooker before, this stew was so easy to make.
This is the best soup! Super easy to make, and so hearty and comforting. Love it!
This was a huge hit in my house!!
I love the barley in this stew!
Looks absolutely marvelous!
I adore adding barley to this delicious stew!
A big pot of comfort, this was delicious!
Perfect winter warm-up dinner recipe!
I love beef and barley soup so I had to try this stew recipe! It was SO good! Thank you!
Pingback: Broccoli Cheddar Soup • Loaded with Vegetables • a farmgirl's dabbles
Made this for the first time tonight, (after deciding on it last week) my husband invited his mother, his sister and his cousin for dinner … I was slightly scared as I’d never made this before. I didn’t need to worry, it was a massive hit! Seconds were had and left overs for dinner tomorrow night!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
YAAAYYYY!!! I love to hear this. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment. I hope you enjoy many more meals of this stew!
Had left overs tonight (froze it for a week) om nom nom!
I adore stew and this looks marvelous! So glad fall is almost here!!
Total comfort with this recipe. Thanks Liz!
Could this look any more delicious?!
Ohhhh, thank you so much!
Pingback: Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash {Hungary & Austria} • a farmgirl's dabbles
Pingback: Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Soup • a farmgirl's dabbles
I made a mistake and added to much beef it didn’t fit in the slow cooker so I put it in a large pot and have it on low , my worry is will it all over cook the veggies and the meat . Do you have a suggestion for me ?
I love slow cooker recipe! Preparing in the morning and everything will be ready for dinner. Thank you for sharing! Gonna try it!
Made this last week and hubby said it was the best thing tasting dish he’s ever had!! Thank you!!!
(I did make it in a regular pot on the stove and did saute all the veggies; worked out perfectly!)
Holy cats! This was soooo good! Made it tonight, thank you so much.
Yay!! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Hi Brenda, I’ve been a fan for several years now, however this is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried. It’s simmering in my crockpot right now and smells absolutely amazing! Although our temps aren’t “wintery” (high 60’s) during the day compared to Minnesota, I’m bundled up in a fleece jacket, scarf and my favorite warm socks. Looking forward to serving this to my husband and son tonight!
I am SO GLAD to hear this!! Thank you, Marina!
Making this today!! Question: Is there anything different I need to do if making it in a regular pot (not a slowcooker)? Like do I need to sauté the veggies before putting them in the pot? TIA!
Pingback: Cozy Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm | TidyMom®
Have you thought about adapting this for the instant pot?
Pingback: Winter Comfort Foods – Homenova Blog
Made it last night for company. Great recipe. I subbed frozen chanterelles and added an extra potato. Thickened nicely, great flavor. Your recipes never fail.
Thank you so much, Danae. What a lovely comment. I hope your holidays were awesome and that 2018 is off to a great start!
hey girl- this looks so yummy!
Tip…..My grandmother used to cut up Rutabaga instead of potato’s,they cooked and never got soggy,and retained the soup flavor and tasted just like potato’s…..not a Turnip…..a Rutabaga…..learned that when I was sent back o the market because I bought a Turnip……but in my defense……they look kinda the same.Had them many times in beef and barle6 slow cooked soup…..always tasted like real potato chunks….not smooshy potato chunks
Hi i can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow but I was wondering instead of potatoes if I can substitute butternut squash cubes. Do you think it will work? Will the flavor work?
Hi Leslie – I think that sounds delicious!
I made this today and we just ate dinner. It is absolutely fabulous…thank you so much. This is something I will make again for sure! Delicious!
I didn’t have beef stock, so used vegetable stock and still so good.
Awesome Fall dinner.
Yay!! Thanks for coming back to let me know, Carla. It’s going on our menu soon!
Pingback: 9 delicious meals you can prep this weekend and enjoy all through next week | Nifymag.com
There are no ingredients or directions?
Hello Melissa – Please try again – I was having some issues with my recipes. It should be fixed now. Thank you – and enjoy!
The ingredients and directions are missing? Is it just me?
Please try again – I was having some issues with my recipes. It should be fixed now. Thank you – and enjoy!
They are showing now and I made the recipe! I love it ! Thanks for an easy delicious recipe in the crockpot!!
Awesome to hear – thanks, Moe!
So excited to try! I got 2lbs of stew beef. Do you have to use skillet first to brown or can you just dump it all in slow cooker??
I just made this yesterday, and let me say this was absolutely amazing!
I did everything except the wine and parsley. Forgot to get fresh parsley when I was at the store last, and my mother-in-law who lives with us is a big ‘no alcohol in the house’ kind of person, so hence no wine.
Only other thing I did change was I added a few more spices to the meat when preparing it, and I added another potato and an extra half of an onion I had left over from previous nights dinner. We all love onion here, so the more the better!
This was a big hit in our household, everyone had seconds even! My 12 year old daughter could not stop explaining how good it was.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful, and not too difficult recipe! I will now search your site for other potential dinner ideas.
Awesome to hear – so glad you liked this!
Sooooo cozy!!! Plus, I love that this is made in the slow cooker… my fave kitchen tool! :)
I haven’t met a stew that I didn’t love. Your’s looks scrumptious!
This totally brings me back to my childhood, since my Momma always made this soup. It’s been WAY too long since I had it, and I need to try your version!
Hey Brenda! I have pork roasts available … do you think I could safely substitute them for the beef? Thanks!
Yes, of course. It will just be a very different flavored stew.
Fun stew! We’ve never tried barley, and this was a wonderful introduction. Made it during the day and brought it over to a cousins house for dinner. Everyone loved it. This will make an appearance at our annual camping trip, great stew to warm up with. Thank you for the recipe!
Excellent, family loved this dish. Added a bit more beef, barley and carrots, less potatoes – as I thought them to be somewhat redundant to the barley. When the first night’s sauce (gravy) was more watery than I was expecting, I reconsidered that omission – although a more starchy cultivar than Yukon Golds (very good tasting in any case) might have thickened things up more. I reversed my opinion on the day after – the leftovers, heated in the microwave, had a good thick gravy. A great way to endure what’s probably our last snowfall of the season. Adding thawed/warmed peas at the point you change from high to low heat would brighten up the color a bit as well.
Hi Mike – I’m so glad to hear your family liked this dish! And I LOVE your idea to add some peas in at the end!!
Making this tomorrow, one question…Do you cook the barley first? Sometime I pre-cook barley in dishes, as it tends to soak up a lot of liquid!
Hi Pat – no need to cook the barley first!
I am here in the UK and saw your recipe on a Facebook page I follow. I made you recipe today – except I used stout instead of red wine and cooked in the oven as we don’t have a slow cooker. I dusted the meat in seasoned flour before browning. It was delicious. I haven’t used barley in a stew before but I will again. Thank you.
Stout sounds beautiful in this stew!!
It’s 32c here , it’s wholesome cooking full of good stuff, doesn’t have to cold outside to enjoy this , long live the slow cooker
Pingback: A Warm and Cozy Winter Farmhouse - The Everyday Home
Pingback: 11 Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipes | Blended
Pingback: Favorite Recipes from 2015 {#farmgirlfaves} • a farmgirl's dabblesa farmgirl's dabbles
Can I leave on low all day instead of high then low?
I think that would work just fine. :)
Pingback: 10 Beef Stew Recipes To Keep You Warm All Winter Long
Can you cook this on low for 10 hours instead of 4 hours on high and 2 on low? I don’t have a crock pot that I can program like that. Thanks!
Hi Sarah – I’m guessing that would work just fine, but I haven’t tried it myself. I hope you like it!
Pingback: Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew
This is the next recipe going in my slow cooker! I think my whole family will love it, looks delicious!
Wonderful! We just enjoyed it again yesterday!
Your recipe is in my slow cooker right now. I’m planning to package it up and freeze it so we’ll have some yummy heat’n’eat meals while I’m recovering from eye surgery.
I hope you liked this stew, Deborah. Just a note – the soup may thicken up after being frozen. If that happens, just add a bit more beef broth when warming up the soup on the stovetop.
I’m wondering what I could use as a substitute for the wine. The recipe looks delicious but when I see wine I shy away. Can you recommend something different?
Hi Allison – I would just eliminate the wine and make the recipe without a substitute. If you don’t want to use wine because of the alcohol, I completely understand. But if you’re just leary to use wine, I encourage you to give it a try. It adds beautiful depth of flavor to a slow simmering soup. You can’t taste that it has wine once it has finished cooking. Please let me know how it goes – hope you like it!
I am prepping this tonight to put into the slow cooker tomorrow and I can hardly wait to eat it already when I get home from work tomorrow!
Wonderful! Hope you liked it!
I’d love the stew, but you should follow your link to the cooker. It got horrible reviews. I’ve had a smaller Cuisinart for several years, with a crockery pot, and I’ve loved it every time I used it, but I wouldn’t get one of those big ones that sear.
Amazing stew! I’ve tried a lot of different stew recipes and this one by far is the best. Super flavorful, love the barley addition. I used organic stew meat and cooked on high for 1 hour and then on low for about 5 hours and it was perfect. We were so anxious to dig in that I totally forgot the fresh parsley. This one is a keeper for sure! Thanks!!
Hi Laura – thank you for coming back to let me know you made this. I’m so happy you liked it! :)
Oh this is just the perfect thing to have waiting for you when you return from work on these freezing cold winter days! Looks delicious!
Pingback: 10 Slow Cooker Soups and Stews {#FarmgirlFaves} • a farmgirl's dabblesa farmgirl's dabbles
My neighbor went on the gaps diet and gave me a bunch of food she wanted out of her house. Many of those groceries have left me scratching my head trying to figure out what to do with it.
Cross the barley off the “what the heck am I supposed to do with this” list!
Excellent. Enjoy the soup!
It is such a cold night here, this sounds perfect!
This meal is perfect for us in Buffalo NY right now. It has been absolutely freezing outside and am looking for a good bowl of stew to heat my system. Looks nice and hearty!
Excellent! Stay warm!!
I just spent this weekend stockpiling a bunch of slow cooker recipes because I have one ten hour work day during the week! This made it to the list :)
Wonderful! Hope you like it!
The count down is ON!!! In the meantime, I’ll be hunkering down with soup. Stay warm Brenda!
My family would love this Brenda!! I don’t make stew often. The slow cooker is calling my name for this one!
Gotta make a pot of this for Eric. Total comfort food and it’s perfect for the weather we’ve been having.
Total comfort food! This looks perfect!
Dangit! We just had this for dinner last night (but not your recipe). I wish I would have looked on here first! Although I didn’t have any pearl barley and I really wanted some :(
I live in Colorado, and I am always so happy when it gets above 40 degrees! It feels so warm!
Hi Melissa – please let me know if you give this recipe a try. And here’s to spring and warmer temps!
Looks DELICIOUS! I just bought everything and will be making it tomorrow morning! One question: the picture shows mushrooms…but there aren’t any listed in the recipe. Did you just saute them and throw them in the pot with the beef? Thanks!
My apologies! I just updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know. I hope you like this stew!
Now this is my kind of dinner! Love this comfort food!!
This stew looks so cozy! It’s been unseasonably warm here in Utah, but I think I’m going to have to give this recipe a try while the evenings are still cozy.
This is such a cozy dish, Brenda! I’m sure it doesn’t compare to Minnesota, but we have been getting some snow in Colorado this week and this would be the perfect meal! :)
This stew looks delicious and I have a feeling this is destined to become a favorite!!!! I could use a big bowl of this after being outside for 10 minutes. Stay warm Brenda and here’s hoping the ground hog was seriously wrong!!!