Sweet Potato Stew is hearty, delicious, and slow-cooked to perfection! Sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, tomatoes, beef, and perfect seasoning!
The Easiest Sweet Potato Stew
Sweet potatoes are my favorite veggie! They’re super versatile—baked, roasted, or in burrito bowls are just a few ways I love them.
I combined my go-to cold-weather recipe (stew) with sweet potatoes, and that’s how this sweet potato stew was born.
It’s full of flavor, hearty, and so easy to make. Just chop a few things, dump everything into the crockpot, and let it cook!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Sweet Potato Stew:
- Beef chuck roast: Or use pre-cut stew meat for less prep.
- Flour: Helps thicken the stew nicely.
- Sweet potatoes: Peel and cut into consistent 1-inch chunks for even cooking.
- Celery: Adds crunch and flavor.
- Onion: Yellow onions work best for a mild, sweet taste.
- Carrots: Petite-cut carrots are ready to go! Just dump them in!
- Corn: Use frozen corn, no need to thaw.
- Diced tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes add more flavor.
- Bay leaf: Adds depth of flavor.
- Garlic: Minced garlic offers a strong, fresh flavor.
- Paprika: Adds a hint of smokiness.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds umami and depth.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley brightens up the stew.
- Beef bouillon powder: Boosts the rich beef flavor of the stew.
How To Make Sweet Potato Stew
1. Prep the slow cooker: Spray CrockPot with cooking spray.
2. Coat the beef: Toss beef with flour, seasoned salt, and pepper.
3. Add ingredients: Add beef and remaining ingredients, stir to combine.
4. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 5-7 hours.
5. Finish and serve: Remove bay leaf, mash some sweet potatoes, and garnish with parsley.
How to Pick a Good Sweet Potato
- Stick with orange or red-skinned sweet potatoes (like Red Garnet or Jewel) for a sweeter, creamier texture.
- Choose firm potatoes without growths or discolorations; avoid soft or wet ones.
- For freshness tips, check out this article.
What To Serve with Sweet Potato Stew:
- Rice or Quinoa – Serve the stew over rice or quinoa for a heartier meal.
- Crusty No-Knead Bread – Perfect for dipping into the stew. Or serve with dinner rolls.
- Garden Salad – A light green salad with a tangy dressing to balance the richness.
Storage
How to Store Sweet Potato Stew:
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over low heat or in the microwave until heated through.
More Easy CrockPot Recipes:
Sweet Potato Stew
Equipment
- 6-quart Crock-Pot 6-quart
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound beef chuck roast cut into 1/2-inch chunks (or pre-cut stew meat for super quick prep)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chopped sweet potatoes see note 1
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 (8-ounce) bag baby carrots
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley see note 2
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Lightly coat the Crock-Pot with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, toss the beef with flour, seasoned salt, and pepper until well coated.
- Place the beef in the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together. Make sure the meat is submerged under the vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low for 7–9 hours or on high for 5–7 hours, until the sweet potatoes and beef are very tender. For best results, cook on low.
- Before serving, remove bay leaf. Stir everything together and gently mash some of the sweet potatoes to thicken the stew.
- Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would this work with frozen sweet potato chunks?
Never tried frozen sweet potatoes before so I’m not sure. Are they cut to similar sizes as the recipe calls for?
Probably slightly smaller, but close in size
Then I bet it would be okay!
Just to update to share with everyone else- I went ahead and made it with the frozen sweet potatoes, and it worked just fine! 🙂 great recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Chelsea,
Wondering if this would work in an Instant Pot?
Check out note 2! 🙂
We switched around a couple of ingredients (chicken, chicken bullion etc) and used chicken. Came out great.
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Rodney!
Hi, I am new to crock pot use, but am excited to try this recipe. However, I’m confused. Several websites, including Martha Stewart’s, say: “Another slow cooker mistake is failing to sear meat before adding it to the pot.” You don’t recommend that in this recipe. If I choose to do that, I assume just a quick sear is called for, correct? Secondly, I have a 5-quart crockpot…not the 6-quart that you use in this recipe. How should I adjust the ingredients? THANK YOU!!
You can sear if you’d like. I don’t with this recipe just because it’s intended to be super easy! If you sear I would do it in batches for no more than 5 minutes per batch! 5-quart should fit it all okay!
Can you do this in a Dutch oven
I haven’t tested it in a dutch oven but I’m sure it would be delicious. If you want a stove top stew I highly recommend this one: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/chicken-stew/.
Hi Chelsea!
Love your name- I am also a “Chelsea”, spelled the same 😉
Can I use a cup of beef broth instead of the boullion powder and water? Do you think it’d turn out the same? My daughter has celiac so we have to be careful about ingredients. Thanks!
Chelsea S.
Hey Chelsea, I haven’t tested that but I would imagine it would work well as a swap. Let me know if you give it a try! Enjoy!
Hi! I may be too late but I also have Celiac! Beef broth should work great or if you’re wanting a GF brand of bouillon to use, I use Herb Ox brand- it’s labeled gluten free!