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Sweet Potato Stew

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A delicious, hearty, and healthy sweet potato stew made in the crockpot (slow cooker). This stew is packed with sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, tomatoes, beef, and plenty of seasoning!

Pair this sweet potato stew alongside 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!
Overhead image of the sweet potato stew with a spoon in it

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, it’s also so simple to make. Besides a bit of chopping, it’s a “dump it all into the crockpot and forget about it” kind of meal! 

Process shot-- Image of the beef in being mixed with the flour

Sweet potato stew tips

  • Use fire-roasted tomatoes: fire roasted tomatoes have such a great flavor and add a lot to this sweet potato stew. (My favorite brand is Muir Glen or Cento Marzano)
  • Beef bouillon: there are so many different options for beef bouillon; here are the exact cubes (affiliate) I use for this stew. You’ll want the big ones to ensure there is enough flavor!
  • Use fire-roasted corn: again, great flavor here! If you don’t have access, 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.

Process shot-- Overhead image of all the ingredients that go in this sweet potato stew in the crockpot about to be mixed

How to pick a good sweet potato

  • Quick FYI: 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 a thick and fibrous skin. 
  • 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 sweet potato stew. This variety (known as “moist” varieties) are sweeter and have 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.
Process shot-- Image of the water being poured into the crockpot with the other ingredients

Instant pot

I recently tested this 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 crockpot, 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

I haven’t personally tested this recipe on the stovetop, but if you watch it a little closer and adjust the liquid (you’ll need more) it should work fine. Here’s a whole list of tips and tricks as you convert to cooking this sweet potato stew on the stovetop (or in the oven).
 
5 from 9 votes
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Crockpot Sweet Potato Stew
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 25 mins
 

A delicious, hearty, and healthy sweet potato stew made in the crockpot (slow cooker). This stew is packed with sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, tomatoes, beef, and plenty of seasoning!

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet potato stew
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 421 kcal
Author: Chelsea
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
  • 2 beef boullion cubes
  • 1 cup water
  • Optional: fresh flat leaf parsley
Instructions
  1. Grease a slow cooker with non-stick spray. I use a 6-quart crockpot.
  2. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into large chunks. Measure to get a heaping 3 cups and place in the prepared slow cooker.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Place the coated meat in the slow cooker on top of all the vegetables. You do not need to pre-cook the meat at all.

  6. 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.)

  7. Crumble in the boullion cubes and the water.

  8. Stir everything together and try to submerge the meat below the veggies to keep it as tender as possible. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or 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.

  9. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf.
  10. 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!

  11. If desired top with some fresh parsley and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Nutrition facts in sweet potato beef stew

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Comments

  2. Susan says

    Wow! I never would have thought about sweet potatoes in stew, but I love that idea! I adore stew and I can hardly wait to add corn (fire-roasted of course) and sweet potatoes next time! Thanks Chelsea.

    Reply

  3. Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix says

    Might this be my new favorite thing? I LOVE sweet potatoes AND corn in stews, though I don’t think I’ve ever had them together in the same pot. Can’t wait to try it this way… plus, dump it all in the crockpot and forget about it? It really doesn’t get any better than that 🙂 Pinned!

    Reply

  5. Laura says

    Has anyone tried this without the meat in it? This looks AMAZINGLY yummy, I just don’t do meat 🙁 just wondering if it changes anything

    Reply

  6. Antonia R. says

    Made it tonight. So yummy! It even appeased the picky 4 year old. But I have to ask, what bread is also in the picture? Recipe, perhaps?

    Reply

  7. Jennifer says

    I am SO EXCITED to try this recipe tomorrow! A few questions – can I sub the boullion cubes and water for beef broth? And how essential is the bay leaf (I’ve never used them) thanks!!!

    Reply

    • chelseamessyapron says

      Well I hope you love it! 🙂 Yes you absolutely can do boullion cubes instead of beef broth! And I love the flavor the bay leaf adds, but it will be okay without it 🙂 If you are looking to try them out they are just with spices in the store, enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

  8. Sarah Bright says

    I just put this is the crock pot for dinner! But, I am out of diced tomatoes. Would it be ok without or should I add in some tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes?

    Reply

  9. MamaLlama says

    5 stars
    I put this together this morning because we had an INCREDIBLY busy day ahead. When everybody got home, a fabulous hearty stew awaited. Great recipe! Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Sara says

    This looks great! I have never used bullion before. I have always used broth, but I would like to try to make this as you have instructed. Can you tell me if I need to dissolve the bullion in the water before adding it to the crock pot or if I just toss in the cubes and the water to let it dissolve during the slow cooking process? If I were to use beef broth instead of the two cubes and water, would I just use one cup (the same amount of water that is used)?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • chelseamessyapron says

      Hey Sara, thanks for the comments and questions! If you use the boullion just throw in the cubes and it will dissolve 🙂 And you’ll still want just 1 cup of broth, but you won’t have a very strong flavor with just 1 cup like the boullion cubes will bring so I would try to stick to those for this recipe.

      Reply

  11. Jroux says

    5 stars
    Hello, I made this stew for this week’s lunch and it turned out great. The sweet potato and corn adds much needed sweetness to this kind of stew, which I’ve made in the past and always turned out a bit too acidic. I threw in some red wine and leek rather than onion as I had some lying around. This recipe will be a keeper!

    Reply

  12. Brittany says

    Hi! I’m making this meal for my family this week (quite excited), but I was also wondering if this is a good freezer meal? I am hoping to put together a few meals for an expecting friend, and thought this might be a good one if it freezes well!

    Reply

  13. Abbey says

    I can’t wait to try this! One question though–I’m not a big red meat fan. Do you think this recipe would still work with ground turkey or chicken? Thanks!

    Reply

    • chelseamessyapron says

      Thank you Abbey! I’ve never tried a stew with either, but I’m sure they would work okay. I’d do chicken though and probably add some poultry seasoning to the chicken. Enjoy!

      Reply

  16. Tabitha says

    HI Cheslea, I went to the grocery store today to get all the ingredients to make it tomorrow but I have one question: is it two or three cups of sweet potatoes because on the recipe list it says two but then in the directions it says three ….

    Reply

  18. Brock says

    5 stars
    I wanted to try a new recipe and something I haven’t made in awhile. I made this recipe exactly as above except I used beef broth instead of bullion cubes (couldn’t find at store). It was delicious, and I also have picky eater that not only ate it but asked if there were leftovers a couple days later. I’m looking forward to making it again.

    Reply

  19. Angélica says

    5 stars
    If I could give this more than 4 stars, I would. It’s THAT good! I have made this a few times and it’s never enough for hubby and I to have as much left over as we’d like. Can the recipe be doubled?

    Reply

    • chelseamessyapron says

      So happy to hear that! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words! It definitely can be doubled, you’ll just need a very large crockpot (or two separate ones!)

      Reply

  20. June says

    This was so good! Just made it tonight, and I’m licking the bowl clean. I added an extra cup of sweet potato (so 4 total) and frozen peas for some extra veggies. I also served it with corn bread. I already pinned it and will definitely be making again.

    Reply

  21. Victoria says

    Do you prefer to use a regular yellow onion or sweet tellow onion ?
    & Yam (orange)
    or Sweet Potato (yellow) ?
    What did you use in your recipe ?

    Reply

  23. Jolene Cornford says

    Do you think this would work on a gas hob on low? I don’t have a slow cooker but really like the sound of this recipe.

    Reply

  25. Vanessa says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was delicious! I wanted to make something different than chili and this was the perfect dish!

    Reply

  26. Kim says

    Made this for my husband although he isn’t a fan of beef stew. He loved it!! Told me this is the only way I can make beef stew. Thank you for the great recipe!!

    Reply

  27. Carrol says

    In the process of making this gorgeous stew. In the directions you first say put the meat on top. Then you say to make sure the beef is covered. 1 cup of water isnt going to cover it?

    Reply

  28. Kristella says

    Tried this recipe out for the IP and it came out great! I reduced the bouillon cubes by 1 cube, but it turned out that I did miss that salt. Also increased chopped celery to two stalks and increased Worcestershire to 1 T. I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply

  29. Paula Hall says

    5 stars
    Delicious. I did the instapot version and chopped my celery with onion in a food processor as celery isn’t my favorite. I will be making this again! Thank you!

    Reply

  30. Breeta says

    This recipe looks so yummy!! I’m adding to our recipe line up for next week. We don’t do beef so I’m going to use chicken but I’m sure it will be AMAZING! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  31. Jasper says

    5 stars
    What a Great recipe. I made as a soup without the beef, on the stove top. So delicious. I didn’t thicken it and added a cup more water during the last 10 min since I wanted soup and not a stew. A keeper and look forward to making this again.

    Reply

    • Chelsea Lords says

      I’m not sure I understand your question, sorry! Slow cooker takes 7-9 hours and instant pot is 35 minutes with 10 minute release.

      Reply

  34. Kahla says

    5 stars
    Perfect meal for a chilly night. Everyone in my house are very picky when it comes to stews but this one had everyone getting seconds. I followed the recipe exactly as instructed & it turned out amazing!

    Reply

  36. Jenelle Bunton says

    Hi, Chelsea
    I have to limit sodium & want to use beef broth as an alternative to the bouillion cubes. How much would I need? I’m looking forward to making this!!! Thanks!

    Reply

  37. Ashlee says

    I’m gonna use beef stock instead of the water and bouillon, is 1 cup enough? It doesn’t seem like enough liquid for a stew…

    Reply

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