Crock Pot Stew Meat and Mushrooms

April 26, 2023 by Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life 25 Comments

Our crock pot recipe for beef stew meat cooks all day to create tender meat and a great meal topped with freshly cooked mushrooms in a delicious wine sauce.

We love beef and mushrooms, so this Crock Pot Stew Meat and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce makes a perfect supper.

Tender bites of beef stew meat nestled among baby bella mushrooms and covered in a red wine sauce over top a plate of mashed potatoes with a fork in the background

Crock Pot Stew Meat Recipe

Cooked all day long in a red wine sauce stew meat becomes so tender and delicious. Served with quartered fresh mushrooms and this easy gravy over rice or potatoes this is one of the best slow cooker meals we make.

This dish tastes great served over rice or Mashed Potatoes and makes plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.

As adults we enjoy the red wine, but this stew meat is also wonderful cooked in cranberry juice. The kids prefer the sweeter flavor of juice.

The onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup make a meaty brown gravy that is sweetened a bit by the red wine. The brown gravy tops the dish off perfectly.

Close up spoon with bites of tender stew meat with quartered mushrooms held above a steaming crock pot with beef stew meat

Since the stew meat needs to cook on low and slow for a long period of time I quarter the mushrooms and keep them in good sized pieces. For quicker cooking meals like Steak Tips with Mushrooms I like to slice mushrooms.

Why This Recipe Works:

Less than 10 minutes of prep and the meat tenderizes all day as it cooks in the slow cooker.
Tender meat cooked in a mixture that tastes partly like a sauce and partly like a gravy can be served with any starch that you enjoy for a delicious meal the whole family will eat!
With lots of flavor this meal uses a cheaper cut of meat that helps keep us on track with our grocery budget.
Red wine substitutes easily for cranberry juice (our favorite), beef broth, chicken broth or even apple juice.
This recipe is very easy to double in hopes of having leftovers that reheat really well!

Ingredients Needed:

Beef stew meat – should be a deep red in color and is typically very lean so a longer cooking time is necessary. If much fat is visible trim before cooking.
Mushrooms – we have tested white mushrooms, baby bella mushrooms and a mixture and they all taste great. We were unable to distinguish the type of mushroom in each bite.
Red Wine – this flavor will be very distinguishable in the finished recipe, so if you don’t enjoy red wine switch it out for cranberry juice or broth.
Cream of Mushroom Soup – Can be substituted for cream of chicken or cheddar soup if you prefer, but this one compliments the fresh mushrooms wonderfully.
Onion Soup Mix – This packet adds more flavor, but you can add some wedges of fresh onions and your favorite seasonings in place of this packet.

Ingredients to make a crock pot stew meat recipe are a package of beef stew meat in a white styrofoam tray, bowl of quartered baby mushrooms, can of cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix and cup of wine or cranberry juice on a wooden counter top

Tender Stew Meat in the Crock Pot

Stew meat needs to cook on low and slow for a LONG time to be tender. This recipe tastes best when cooking for a minimum of 10 hours on low. Adding a few hours can help even more depending on the size and tenderness of the stew meat that you’re starting with.

When I want to eat this meal for lunch I’ll toss everything in the crock pot and turn to low before going to bed so it can cook and tenderize all night.

Our family raises beef cattle, so we are fortunate to have beef in the freezer most of the time. There are many different cuts of meat and many different options. We like steaks, roasts, and hamburger in that order, so that’s how we tell the butcher to prioritize breaking down the carcass. Stew meat are some of the smaller pieces that are leftover after cutting up the higher value pieces of beef.

Fork with delicious stew meat and mushrooms in a brown gravy over mashed potatoes with a crock pot in the background

We always get about 4 to 8 packs of stew meat. In this recipe, I used two one-pound packages that came from different processors and I noticed the size of the cubes was very different. So, I got out my kitchen shears to make all of the pieces the same size so that they would cook evenly.

When you purchase from the grocery store the pieces are likely to be more equal in size, but cutting may be necessary for more uniform cooking.

The red wine (or juice) and mushroom soup in this recipe ensure there is liquid to keep the beef moist and tender as it cooks.

How to Make Stew Meat and Wine Sauce in the Slow Cooker

Add a liner to crock pot or grease crock well
Mix onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, wine, stew meat and mushrooms well
Cook on low for 10 to 13 hours
Serve over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes

Tips for Making Crock Pot Stew Meat

Don’t decrease the cooking time – at least 10 hours on low is needed to make a tender meal
Larger halves or quarters of fresh mushrooms work better since this recipe cooks for so long
Ensure meat is defrosted before cooking or cook time will need to be increased
All cooking appliances and conditions are different, so you should test these times and guidelines first in your own appliance to determine what adjustments may be needed!

Other Stew Beef Recipes

Step By Step Instructions

Prepare a 5 to 7 quart crock pot with a liner or a generous layer of non-stick cooking spray.

Add stew meat to the crock pot.

Fresh, deep red stew meat layered in a black crock coated with non-stick cooking spray

In a medium mixing bowl stir wine, cream of mushroom soup and packet of onion soup mix together.

Onion soup mix poured into juice or red wine and cream mushroom soup in a white mixing bowl with a small white spatula

Then add quartered mushrooms and stir well.

I like to wash and quarter the mushrooms a couple days ahead while I’m doing meal prep for a few meals to save time and be more efficient in the kitchen.

Mixing bowl with quartered baby bella mushrooms stirred into cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix with cranberry juice in place of red wine with a spatula in a white mixing bowl on a wooden countertop

Pour this mixture over top of the stew meat and mix gently. Try to avoid getting gravy up high on the side of the crock pot.

Vigorous mixing isn’t necessary since the liquid will surround the beef as it all warms up and cooks.

Fresh quartered mushrooms coated in a cream of mushroom soup, red wine and onion soup mix mixture layered on top of stew meat.

Cover and cook on low for 10 to 13 hours until meat is tender. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Don’t decrease the cooking time – at least 10 hours on low is necessary to make a tender meal.
White mushrooms or baby bella both work fine and taste similar in this recipe.
Larger halves or quarters of fresh mushrooms work better since this recipe cooks for so long.
Ensure meat is defrosted before cooking or cook time will need to increase.
I’ve used a 5 quart and 7 quart slow cooker – both work great.
All cooking appliances and conditions are different, so you should test these times and guidelines first in your own appliance to determine what adjustments may be needed!

Long handled silver serving spoon dipping a generous serving of stew meat, mushrooms and sauce made from cream of mushroom soup out of a black crock pot

More Stew Beef Recipes From Friends:

More of our Family’s Favorite Meals with Meat:

We hope you enjoy these meals as much as we do!