Crockpot Garlic Butter Beef Bites & Potatoes is a cozy, hands-off meat-and-potatoes dinner that comes out of the slow cooker tasting like you stood over the stove all afternoon. Tender beef chunks and baby potatoes simmer low and slow with garlic, butter, and simple seasonings until the meat is fall-apart soft and the potatoes are infused with rich, garlicky flavor.
It’s hearty, comforting, and perfect for days when you want a satisfying meal waiting for you without a lot of prep or cleanup.
This is the kind of recipe that quickly becomes a family favorite because it hits that classic “steak and potatoes” craving with almost no effort. You add everything to the crockpot, let it do the work, then spoon the buttery beef and potatoes into bowls and drizzle over the garlicky cooking juices.
Add a green salad or some steamed veggies on the side and you’ve got a complete, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that works just as well for weeknights as it does for lazy Sundays.
Equipment
- 4–6 quart slow cooker (crockpot)
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Spoon or spatula for stirring
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat or chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1½ pounds baby Yukon gold or red potatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1–2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1–2 teaspoons seasoned salt or steak seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- ¼–½ cup beef broth (optional, for extra sauce)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make Crockpot Garlic Butter Beef Bites & Potatoes, start by prepping the meat and potatoes so they can cook evenly. Cut the beef into bite-size cubes if it isn’t already, trimming away any large, hard pieces of fat so you’re left mostly with tender meat.
Rinse and dry the baby potatoes, then halve or quarter them depending on their size—you want the pieces small and uniform enough that they become tender in the same amount of time as the beef. Spraying the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray or lightly greasing it helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easier later.
Place the beef stew meat in one half of the slow cooker and the potatoes in the other half, keeping them somewhat separated at first instead of tossing everything together right away. Sprinkle the onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt or steak seasoning, and black pepper evenly over both the beef and the potatoes.
Use a spoon or your hands to gently toss each side so that all the beef pieces are coated in seasoning and all the potatoes are lightly covered as well. Scatter the minced fresh garlic over the top, spreading it as evenly as you can across both the meat and the potatoes so that garlicky flavor makes its way into everything as it cooks.
Dot the top of the beef and potatoes with the butter, spacing the pieces across the surface so that as the butter melts, it drips down and bathes everything underneath. If you want a bit more sauciness for drizzling over the finished dish, pour ¼ to ½ cup of beef broth around the edges of the crockpot; this will mix with the melted butter and juices from the meat to form a simple, flavorful garlic butter jus.
Once everything is arranged, put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for about 6–8 hours, or on high for around 4 hours, depending on your schedule and how your particular crockpot runs.
During cooking, try to resist lifting the lid too often, since that releases heat and can slow down the process. About halfway through, you can carefully give the beef and potatoes a gentle stir if you like, just to make sure everything is getting a turn in the buttery juices, but it’s not strictly necessary.
As the hours pass, the beef will break down and become very tender while the potatoes soften and soak up the seasoned garlic butter. You’ll know it’s done when the beef is easy to pull apart with a fork and the potatoes are soft enough to pierce effortlessly with the tip of a knife or fork.
Once the beef and potatoes are fully cooked, remove the lid and give everything a good but gentle stir to combine the two halves and coat all of the pieces in the garlic butter sauce at the bottom of the crock.
Taste a piece of beef and a potato and adjust the seasoning if needed with an extra pinch of salt, pepper, or a little more garlic powder if you want a stronger garlic punch. If the mixture looks a bit dry for your liking, you can melt in another tablespoon or two of butter or stir in a splash more warm broth to create a bit more sauce.
When you’re happy with the flavor and texture, switch the slow cooker to the “keep warm” setting until you’re ready to serve. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top if you’d like some color and a touch of freshness.
Spoon the beef and potatoes into shallow bowls or onto plates, making sure to ladle some of the garlicky butter juices over each serving so nothing goes to waste. The beef bites should be tender and rich, and the potatoes should be creamy inside with a buttery, garlicky coating on the outside.
Tips & Variations
Choosing the right cut of beef makes a big difference in a slow-cooked dish like this. Beef stew meat is convenient and budget-friendly, but it can be a mix of cuts; chuck roast that you cut into chunks yourself is a great option because it has enough marbling to become very tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow.
If you use a leaner cut, you may want to keep the cooking time on the shorter side to avoid the meat drying out. No matter what you choose, cutting the beef into uniform pieces helps it cook evenly.
The potatoes are also flexible. Baby Yukon golds are ideal because they hold their shape, have a creamy interior, and don’t require peeling, but red potatoes or small russets (peeled and chunked) will work as well.
Just keep the size of the pieces consistent so they become tender at roughly the same time as the beef. If you prefer your potatoes with extra color or crispiness, you can finish them under the broiler for a few minutes on a sheet pan after cooking, spooning some of the garlic butter over them before they go under the heat.
You can easily dial the flavor profile up or down depending on your taste. Seasoned salt or steak seasoning adds built-in layers of flavor—things like paprika, herbs, and a bit of sugar—without you having to measure a lot of individual spices.
If you want to customize, you can add dried thyme, rosemary, or parsley along with the garlic for a more herb-forward profile, or a pinch of smoked paprika for a subtle smoky note. For a stronger garlic presence, increase the number of fresh garlic cloves or add a bit more garlic powder; just keep in mind that dried garlic is more intense and can become bitter if used extremely heavily.
This base recipe is also easy to round out into more of a one-pot meal. During the last hour of cooking, you can tuck in some baby carrots or green beans on top of the potatoes so they steam in the garlicky juices and soften.
If your slow cooker is roomy, you can even add halved mushrooms at the beginning; they’ll shrink as they cook and soak up the buttery broth. Just be aware that adding lots of extra vegetables can introduce more moisture, so if you do that, you may want to slightly reduce the amount of added broth to keep the sauce from becoming too thin.
For a bit of extra richness and shine, you can stir a splash of Worcestershire sauce into the crock at the beginning, which adds a deeper savory note that complements both the beef and the garlic butter. If you like a little bit of heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce at the end can give a gentle kick without turning the dish spicy.
And if you’re cooking for a crowd, this recipe doubles easily as long as your slow cooker has the capacity; simply keep the layering the same and extend the cooking time slightly if needed until the beef is tender.
Serving & Storage
Crockpot Garlic Butter Beef Bites & Potatoes is hearty enough to serve on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with simple sides.
A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or steamed green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus adds freshness and color to balance the richness of the butter and beef. Warm dinner rolls, crusty bread, or garlic bread are excellent for soaking up the garlicky juices at the bottom of the bowl.
You can also spoon the beef and potatoes over a bed of mashed potatoes or rice if you want to stretch the meal even further and make it extra comforting.
Leftovers keep very well and make for an easy reheat meal. Let the beef and potatoes cool down to room temperature, then transfer them, along with any remaining sauce, to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to three or four days.
To reheat, you can warm them gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of beef broth or water to loosen the sauce, or microwave individual portions in short bursts, stirring in between until everything is heated through. If you find the mixture has thickened or dried a bit in the fridge, adding a small knob of butter or a little broth while reheating helps restore its original saucy, glossy texture.
If you’d like to freeze some for future meals, cool the cooked beef and potatoes completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers or bags, including a bit of the cooking juices in each portion. Freeze for up to two months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently, again adding a splash of broth or water if needed. The potatoes may be slightly softer after freezing and reheating, but the flavors deepen and the overall dish remains just as satisfying.
