Sweet Potato Stew: 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:
- Crockpot Cowboy Casserole with Italian sausage
- Shredded Beef Enchiladas with the best seasoning blend
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili with green enchilada sauce
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos easy taco-spiced chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Stew with carrots and peas
Sweet Potato Stew
Equipment
- 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 petite-cut 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.
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.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this stew June! ๐
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?
So happy to hear that! ๐ Thank you for your kind words! It definitely can be doubled, you’ll just need a very large crockpot (or two separate ones!)
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.
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for the comment and review Brock ๐
Just wondering if you used yams (orange and very sweet) or actual sweet potatoes which are pale yellow in color and less sweet
You can use either one ๐
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 ….
Hi Tabitha! Sorry for the confusion; it is supposed to read 3 cups (or 2 potatoes)! Enjoy ๐
I accidentally added 1.5 cups of water.. will it still turn out ok?
It will be fine ๐ A little less thick, but should taste fine. Be sure to adjust salt and pepper as needed at the end (you might want a little extra)
Having the grandkids over for a visit tึ mark your wedding?
Has anyone tried putting this into the oven instead of the crockpot?
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!
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!
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!
I have done this as a freezer meal and its awesome! ๐ Thanks for the comment Brittany!
Hi! When youโve done this as a make ahead freezer meal how do you do it with the boullion cubes? Do you just throw everything in the freezer bag, or add at cook time? Also, can you omit the flour (gf here and not sure about freezing with the flour anyway. Thanks!! Just curious how you froze and then cooked it!
I throw it all together in freezer bag! You can crumble up the cubes if you’d like. I would keep the flour in for a thicker soup!
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!
I’m so thrilled this was a hit! Thanks so much for the review Jroux! ๐