Delicious, hearty, and healthy Sweet Potato Stew made in the slow cooker is packed with sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, tomatoes, beef and plenty of seasoning!
Pair Sweet Potato Stew with a simple salad such as this winter fruit salad or this Italian salad. Homemade dinner rolls or crusty bread rolls also make for a great side!
Sweet Potato Stew
Sweet potatoes are hands down my favorite veggie. They’re extremely versatile — baked sweet potatoes, stuffed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato burrito bowls are a few of the many ways we enjoy them.
So, I decided to combine one of my favorite cold-weather recipes (stew) with my favorite veggie and that is how this sweet potato stew came to be.
Not only is it packed with flavor and hearty texture, but it’s also easy to prepare. Besides a bit of chopping, it’s a “dump it all into the crockpot and forget about it” kind of meal!
Sweet Potato Stew tips
- Choose fire-roasted tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes have such a great flavor and add a lot to this stew. (My favorite brands are Muir Glen® and Cento Marzano®.)
- Beef bouillon: There are so many different options for beef bouillon; here are the exact cubes I use for this stew. Choose the big ones to ensure there is enough flavor!
- Use fire-roasted corn: Again, great flavor here! If you don’t have fresh, use frozen corn instead (no need to thaw).
- Pick good sweet potatoes: More on this below. Also, check out this roasted sweet potatoes post to see how I like to cut sweet potatoes.
How to pick a good sweet potato
- I recommend skipping tan or purple-skinned sweet potatoes (known as the “dry” varieties) and sticking with orange or red-skinned sweet potatoes for this stew. This variety (known as “moist” varieties) is sweeter and has a creamier texture. My favorite sweet potatoes are either Red Garnet or Jewel.
- When picking a sweet potato at the grocery store, look for firm potatoes without growths or discolorations on their skins; avoid soft or wet potatoes.
- For questions on freshness/how long a sweet potato lasts, check out this article.
Quick Tip
Red and orange sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams at the grocery store which is actually inaccurate. True yams are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes with thick and fibrous skin.
Instant pot techniques
I recently tested Sweet Potato Stew in the Instant Pot® and it worked well! The sweet potatoes did end up a bit mushier than when cooked in the slow cooker, but flavors were delicious. Add everything to the Instant Pot and cook it on the “meat/stew” setting. Allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. If you don’t have the “meat/stew” setting, cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Stovetop cooking
I haven’t personally tested this recipe on the stovetop, but if you watch it a little closer and add more liquid as needed, it should work fine. Here’s a whole list of tips and tricks as you convert to cooking Sweet Potato Stew on the stovetop (or in the oven).
More delicious soup recipes
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Potato Soup
- Beef and Barley Soup slow cooker
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup reader favorite
- Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup
Sweet Potato Stew
Delicious, hearty, and healthy Sweet Potato Stew is packed with sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, tomatoes, beef, and plenty of seasoning!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (~2 potatoes) medium-sized sweet potatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 small yellow onion
- 8 ounce bag mini carrots
- 1 can (15 ounces) corn I use fire-roasted (or use frozen sweet corn or cut it off the cob!)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes I use fire-roasted
- 1 pound beef chuck roast cut into cut into 1/2-inch chunks (can use pre-cut stew meat for super quick prep)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon each seasoned salt and pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 cup water
- Optional: fresh flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Coat the inside of a slow cooker with non-stick spray. I use a 6-quart pot.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into large chunks. Measure to get a heaping 3 cups and place in the prepared slow cooker.
- Add in the chopped celery, chopped onion, the bag of carrots, drained can of corn (I buy corn that is fire-roasted and it adds so much flavor! It’s right by regular canned corn in the grocery store) and undrained can of diced tomatoes.
- Toss together the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. Toss the cut meat (cut in 1 inch cubes if not pre-cut) in the flour mixture until well coated.
- Place the coated meat in the slow cooker on top of all the vegetables. You do not need to pre-cook the meat.
- Add in the bay leaf, minced garlic, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh parsley. (I coarsely chop parsley and pack it in a tablespoon to get that measurement.)
- Crumble in the bouillon cubes and the water.
- Stir everything together and submerge the meat below the veggies to keep it as tender as possible. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, high for 5-7 hours or until the sweet potatoes and vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through and tender. All slow cookers cook at different temperatures. Mine takes about 8 hours on low and I don't typically cook stews on high because I find them to be more flavorful (meat more tender) after slow cooking all day! If you are home, occasionally stir the stew throughout the day.
- When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf.
- Stir the ingredients together and slightly mash the tender sweet potatoes in the crockpot. This gives it a chunkier and thicker stew consistency and it’s delicious!
- If desired, top with some fresh parsley.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 1188mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 33223IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the most delicious stew I have ever made!!!!!
YAY! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Ruth! 🙂
This was easy and delicious. I made it just as the recipe suggested and it
Turned out perfect. Someone suggested adding red wine. I didn’t have any but might try it the next time…I think it would add a level of richness that would complement the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and carrots.
Love it! I am so thrilled you enjoyed this Sweet Potato Stew! Thanks for your comment Michelle! 🙂
I am making this tomorrow wanted to see if I really do need to coat the meat with flour before cooking? Thanks
That’s how we make it! Otherwise the stew doesn’t thicken up too well
Can you make this in advance
Sure! If it thickens too much for your liking, add a splash of chicken broth to thin
Can i pressure cook instead of crock pot? If so, how long ?
I make this recipe so many times in the fall and winter! It is perfection every time and my fiancé who is a chef loves it. I’m thinking of trying it out with a different protein next time just to mix things up! Thank you so much for this cozy recipe!
What a compliment! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much! 🙂
This looks fantastic! We have a freezer full of lamb. Do you have any experience with this as a substitute? Either way I’m definitely going to try it. The video is so we’ll done, clear and concise. Thank you!