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.
Has anyone made a vegan version of this? What can be substituted for the meat? Jackfruit, tofu, garbanzos, and in what quantities??
This looks so good! If you make this in an instant pot, would you brown the meat before putting everything in together?
You definitely can! There is more flavor whenever you brown the meat first, but it will still work without browning for a super simple meal!
Amazing! I could not get enough of this. I went back for thirds 😂.
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Hi! I love the recipe, it’s seriously, sooo good! Was wondering if you think it would survive being frozen first, without cooking and then thawing overnight, and cooking in the crockpot next day? Could I freeze everything but the sweet potatoes? Right now they’re the only think I’m hesitant will change consistency if frozen and thawed again. Thanks!
I haven’t personally tried this but I think it would do well! 🙂 Would love to hear the results!
This recipe is amazing! Threw it in the crockpot this morning For my hubby and 1.5 yr old bc I was going to be gone for dinner! They LOVED IT!! So did I when I finally got home to eat it!
Love love love the flavor of the sweet potato in it! 🥰
Yay! I am so happy to hear! Thanks so much Valerie! 🙂
I’d really love to try this as I have an abundance of sweet potatoes right now, however I’m trying to greatly reduce the amount of red meat I eat… what if I used chicken?
You can use extra sweet potatoes instead of the red meat! I think chicken would end up pretty dry for that length of cooking time
I’m not a stew fan but make it cuz my husband likes it. However I love sweet potatoes so had to try this. Its now one of my favorite dishes! I do add some brown sugar to make it a little sweet (who doesn’t like brown sugar on sweets?!) That definitely gives it a little extra pop of flavor.
So happy to hear that! 🙂
I would like to make this in the instapot, how long do you cook it on “meat/stew” setting? I only see the time for the manual setting.
Hmm I believe its 35 minutes
Good baseline recipe but you need to double the seasonings and garlic for it to taste like anything
Hello! Do I have to chop up the stew meat or is there any alternative if I’m on a hurry in the morning? TIA! Can’t wait to try!
Yes it needs to be chopped; you can chop it the night before though and throw it in in the morning 🙂