From curries and casseroles to ribs and stews, these slow cooker beef recipes will inspire you for a big batch cook or just for dinner tonight.
The best cuts for slow cooker beef recipes
The best cuts of beef for slow cooking are topside, oyster, blade, skirt, round, chuck and gravy beef. Long, slow cooking will tenderise even the toughest cut of beef.
Tough cuts are usually inexpensive, but cutting the meat off the bone yourself can save you more money, as you’re not paying for the convenience of pre-cut meat. Cutting up the meat yourself also gives you the opportunity to trim off visible fat and make the pieces a uniform size.
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30 beautiful slow cooker beef recipes
Scroll through our collection of slow cooker beef recipes to find your new favourites, and check out our tips for slow cooking success below – from browning the beef to how to freeze leftovers.
Slow cooker beef soup with chickpea & chorizo
Slow-cooker beef cheeks in pedro ximénez
Julie Goodwin’s 6-hour bolognese sauce
Slow-cooker massaman beef curry
Slow cooker beef stew
Slow cooker chilli con carne
Slow-cooker beef stroganoff
Slow-cooker cottage pie
Slow-cooked beef rib bourguignon
Slow cooker beef ragu
Coconut curried beef
Slow cooker corned beef
Beef casserole with cheesy herb dumplings
Beer and thyme beef cheeks
Slow-cooker beef, mushroom and red wine stew
Beef and vegetable soup
Five ingredient beef tacos
Slow-cooker beef korma
Slow cooker five ingredient cottage pie
Easy slow-cooker bolognese sauce
Texas-style brisket with corn & slaw
Slow-cooked Mexican beef chilli mole
Lasagne-style crock-pot
Coriander beef curry
Tuscan beef stew
Vietnamese beef brisket
Slow cooker shredded beef tacos
Slow-cooker beef rendang
Slow-cooker beer and thyme beef cheeks
Slow cooker beef ramen with shiitake mushrooms
Tips for slow cooking success
Brown the beef first
Although most slow cooking recipes are straightforward, it is best not to just throw all your ingredients in. Browning the meat first enhances the flavour and gives the meat a beautiful rich colour.
Do this in a heated, oiled large frying pan, adding the meat in batches, and turning it so that it browns evenly, as shown in the video below. Make sure there is a sufficient amount of oil in the pan so that the meat caramelises rather than scorches. Be sure to have the pan heated before adding the meat.
It is also important to maintain the heat during the browning process; if the pan is not hot enough, the meat will stew rather than brown.
If you’re pushed for time, brown the meat the night before. Once everything is browned, put it in an airtight container along with any juices and refrigerate until the next day.
Thicken the sauce
Coating beef in flour before browning will result in a sauce that is thick enough to make a light coating gravy. If the recipe does not suggest coating the meat, then it is a good idea to thicken the sauce using plain flour or cornflour.
Blend the flour or cornflour with butter or a cold liquid, such as water or some of the cooled juices from the cooker; this will help it to combine with the cooking juices when stirred into the pan at the end of the cooking time. Put the lid back on and leave the sauce to thicken while the cooker is on the highest setting – this will take 10–20 minutes.
Another trick to thicken the sauce is to blend some of the cooked vegetables until smooth and then stir them into the cooking juices.
How to freeze slow cooker beef recipes
Slow-cooked meals will freeze for up to 3 months. There is usually a large quantity of liquid so transfer the meat and vegetables to appropriate-sized freezer-friendly containers, then pour in enough of the liquid to cover the meat and/or vegetables. Leave a 2.5cm space between the food and the lid to allow for expansion, then seal the container. Label and date the container before placing it in the freezer.
If a recipe has a large quantity of mushrooms or potatoes, or a large piece of meat as an ingredient, we usually advise against freezing. However, if you don’t mind the food looking a bit sad after it’s thawed, almost anything will tolerate being frozen.
For tips on how to adapt your favourite recipes, check out our Test Kitchen guide to adapting recipes to suit your slow cooker. If you can’t get enough of slow cooking then you can also try our slow cooker chicken recipes.
