Poor Man’s Stew (Easy Hamburger Stew In The Slow Cooker!)

Poor man’s stew is a thick and hearty stew full of savory ground beef, tender potatoes and carrots, all in a flavorful tomato broth. This dish is budget-friendly, quick to throw together, and perfect to warm you up on a cold winter night.

 

Why We Love Poor Man’s Stew

• Simple Cozy Meal – This meal uses super simple ingredients to make an easy meal. It’s also a really budget-friendly dinner and is full of delicious flavor. We usually dip some crusty bread or add a salad for a complete meal.
• Great For Meal Prep – This recipe freezes really well in individual portions or as a large portion for dinner another day. Make hamburger stew to enjoy on busy nights where you don’t have time to cook much.
• Let The Slow Cooker Do The Work – I love slow cooker recipes where the machine does the work for me. Set my slow cooker to switch to warm when it’s done cooking if I am out of the house longer than 4-6 hours and dinner is ready for me when I get home. The entire family can enjoy an easy meal that fits in my budget a little easier, and it’s ready for us. This family favorite is both filling and nutritious.

Ingredients For Poor Man’s Stew

• ground beef browned and drained, I like to use lean ground beef. If I have a ground beef that is not as lean I will often drain it on paper towels after browning to keep the beef soup from becoming too oily.
• russet potatoes peeled and chopped, russet potatoes hold their shape well and help to thicken the soup.
• carrots peeled and chopped, you can also chop baby carrots. You’ll need about 15- 20 baby carrots chopped.
• onion chopped, or half of a medium onion, yellow onions or white onion works.
• garlic minced, if using fresh garlic you can use 3 cloves
• beef broth – beef stock can also be used. Chicken broth or vegetable broth can be used in a pinch, but the soup won’t taste as meaty as when using beef broth. If using a low sodium broth you may need to add a little more salt to taste at the end.
• tomato paste
• diced tomatoes in juice canned, include the tomato juice don’t strain. You can also use stewed tomatoes but I like to blend them up with a blender or food processor before adding them to give the soup a better texture. Tomato sauce could also be used in a pinch.
• sugar
• Italian seasoning – I really like the taste of thyme in this soup. Sometimes I’ll add one teaspoon of Italian seasoning and one teaspoon of thyme.
• garlic salt
• pepper – you can always add a little more pepper to taste at the table
• onion powder
• parsley optional garnish

How To Make This Poor Man’s Hamburger Stew Recipe

1. In a large skillet brown the ground beef until cooked all the way through. Drain any excess grease well from the beef. Place the cooked ground beef in the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. Chop potatoes, carrots and onions into chunks that are about an inch big, small enough to fit on a spoon.
3. Add chopped potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, beef broth, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes with the juice to the slow cooker. Add sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, black pepper, and onion powder in the slow cooker.

4. Stir everything in the slow cooker to combine, then cover the slow cooker.
5. Turn the slow cooker to low heat and cook for 6 hours. You can also cook on high heat for 4 hours. The potatoes will be fork-tender when finished. Scoop and enjoy!

Variation Ideas

Similar to normal stew, this recipe is pretty flexible and is a great way to use up leftovers or what is in your pantry and fridge.

Add More Vegetables – Corn, green beans or peas can be simmered in this stew easily, or swapped out for other vegetables in this delicious stew.

Swap The Meat – Another ground meat such as ground turkey, ground chicken or even ground pork can be swapped for ground beef. Drain any excess oil well from any meat used or the whole stew may become oily. Chicken could also be used.

Use Different Potato Types – Not all potatoes are created equal but yellow potatoes and white potatoes can both be swapped into this recipe. Red potatoes can be used but will hold their shape a little more than a russet will in the stew. I don’t recommend fingerling potatoes or the baby potatoes as they tend to taste best roasted.

Try Different Canned Tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with green chilis can both be swapped into this stew, and will give the whole dish more flavor. In a pinch, you can also use condensed tomato soup in place of the canned tomatoes.

Use Frozen Vegetables – The carrots and onions can both be added frozen straight to the slow cooker as long as they are already diced in place of fresh vegetables. Frozen diced potatoes can be used, but expect the bites of potato will be much smaller, but they will still be tasty.

Add Beans – Kidney beans, black beans or white beans can be added and can help stretch the meal to make it more filling when you have a tight budget, while still tasting like cozy comfort food. Strain and rinse any canned beans before adding them to the slow cooker.

Why Is This Called Poor Man’s Stew?

Stew is typically made from cuts of meat that need a longer cooking time to cook. Ground beef traditionally has been pretty budget-friendly and affordable and this recipe uses ground beef instead of traditional stew meat like this slow cooker Mississippi pot roast. This dish makes a simple, hearty meal that is easy and filling that the whole family will enjoy.

Is This Easy Hamburger Stew Recipe The Same As Classic Beef Stew?

Hamburger stew and beef stew have similar ingredients except for the meat. Ground beef is typically less expensive then a cut of beef. Make this stew with hamburger meat to stretch your budget.

Can I Make This Recipe On The Stovetop?

Yes, you can make this ground beef stew on the stovetop and it can be made all in one pot. It’s a pretty quick and easy meal on the stovetop too.

1. Brown the ground beef and then place in the bottom of a large pot. A large dutch oven works great, but any large pot will work.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot.
3. Bring the entire soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally can help ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
4. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender, then enjoy this one pot meal!

Can I Use Other Ground Meats Besides Ground Beef?

You can use other ground meats like ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the ground beef to make a chicken stew or a turkey stew. The dish may have a little less flavor if you use another ground meat. The beef broth will still give it a beef soup flavor.

If you choose to use ground pork it helps to drain the pork on paper towels after browning but before adding it to the stew so the pot doesn’t become too oily.

How Long Will Leftover Poor Man’s Hamburger Stew Last?

Poor man’s stew will typically last for about three days when stored in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftovers are just as delicious the next day.

Leftovers of this Poor Man’s Stew recipe can also be frozen. Expect the stew will last well for 2-3 months when stored in a freezer zip-top bag.

Reheat any leftovers easily in the microwave or on the stove top from the refrigerator or from frozen.