This easy Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix is super simple—just place six ingredients into the crockpot and cook! It’s a comfort food main dish that the whole family will love.
Crockpot Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix tastes like you’ve been cooking it all day. And you have, but it’s the crockpot that has done all the work!
Crockpot meals are lifesavers on busy evenings, so I often turn to them on Monday nights, especially. Crockpot Pork Chops and Crockpot Pot Roast with Gravy are favorites at our house, and this stew recipe has become another favorite.
You just need six ingredients for this recipe, and the best part is the easy preparation: dump everything into the crockpot and let it cook.
The recipe uses cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix to create a delicious sauce for the beef and mushrooms. It’s perfect for serving over rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles (just like my Beef Stroganoff with Cream of Mushroom Soup!).
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Secrets to the BEST beef stew with onion soup mix
There are not one, not two, but THREE secret ingredients in this recipe: onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and ginger ale.
The three combine to make a seriously flavorful sauce for the beef.
The ginger ale may seem like a surprising addition, but it adds the perfect amount of flavor without being sweet or tasting like ginger. It’s similar to adding red wine to a beef stew recipe—it adds acidity to complement the richness of the beef.
No one will ever guess that the stew contains ginger ale!
Beef stew ingredients
- I like using chuck roast for this recipe. You can also use beef labeled “beef stew meat” from your grocery store’s butcher counter.
- Sliced mushrooms complement the beef perfectly. You can substitute carrots if you prefer.
- You’ll need one packet of onion soup mix. I used a store brand, or you can use Lipton onion soup mix.
- Cream of mushroom soup and ginger ale create a flavorful, savory sauce for the stew.
- Salt dials up the flavor on all of the ingredients—don’t skip it!
How to make beef stew with onion soup mix in the crockpot
Start by cutting the beef into cubes, if necessary. If you purchase beef stew meat, you can skip this step. If you purchase chuck roast (like I did), slice the beef into one-inch cubes.
Next, whisk together the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, ginger ale, and salt in a crockpot.
Add the beef and mushrooms, and stir to combine.
Also, if you don’t like mushrooms, you can substitute 1 cup of baby carrots instead.
Cook for 3–4 hours on high, or 6–7 hours on low.
The stew is done when the meat shreds easily with a fork and is very tender.
Garnish the stew with chopped parsley, and serve. I like serving it over rice, but buttered noodles or mashed potatoes would be good, too.
Add fresh chopped parsley to the top, if you’d like!
Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix: Frequently Asked Questions
Instead of mushrooms, substitute 1 cup of baby carrots or whole carrots cut into 1-inch pieces. You can also substitute 1 can of sliced mushrooms in place of the fresh mushrooms.
You can add 1 pound of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, russet, or red potatoes. Cut them into 1–1.5 inch pieces before adding to the stew along with the meat.
Replace the ginger ale with an equal amount of red wine.
Make it ahead
This beef stew recipe can be easily made ahead and reheated. To do so, make the stew according to recipe instructions, and let it cool.
Place the stew in a covered dish in the refrigerator, where it’ll keep for up to four days.
To reheat, place the beef stew in the microwave or a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until heated through.
How to freeze beef stew
To freeze beef stew, place it in a freezer-safe container (such as a glass storage container, or a large freezer bag).
Freeze the stew for up to 2 months. Defrost the stew in the refrigerator overnight. Then, microwave it or warm it in a saucepan until heated through.
Serving suggestions
I like serving the Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix over rice or buttered noodles. You could also serve it with mashed potatoes, or even on its own.
If you’d like to add potatoes and/or carrots, add the following along with the beef and cook as directed:
- 1 lb of potatoes (russet, red, or Yukon Gold), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup of baby carrots or whole carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
I like serving a leafy green salad on the side to complement the richness of the stew. This Church Lady Salad is a favorite of mine—the poppyseed dressing is SO good!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
Beef Stew with Onion Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chuck roast or chuck steak (or use beef stew meat)
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 (1.9 oz) packet onion soup mix
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup ginger ale
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the chuck roast into 1 inch cubes.
- Place the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, ginger ale, and salt in a crockpot. Whisk to combine.
- Add the chuck roast and mushrooms to the crockpot. Stir to coat the beef and mushrooms with the liquid.
- Cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–7 hours.
- Serve over rice, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Brigitte says
This was so easy to make and tastes fantastic. I was worried about not browning the meat before cooking, but it turned out great. Reminds me of beef stroganoff. Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much! I also live in the Chicago area and feeling under the weather. I searched for an easy-to-make recipe with things I had on hand. So glad I found this!
I had to make a couple of changes because I didn’t want to go shopping and get others sick. The only changes were that I only had one pound of meat, only half a pound of mushrooms and substituted red wine for the ginger ale. I thickened the gravy by adding a cornstarch slurry. I had it over egg noodles with a side of broccoli and carrots. Absolutely delicious. Thanks again.
Kate Shungu says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your take on the recipe. Hope you start to feel better soon! <3
Wendell Smith says
how can I increase the amount of gravy in this recipe?
Kate Shungu says
You can add a cup or two of beef broth. 🙂