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This Slow Cooker Beef Curry is mixed up in just 5 minutes. A tasty ‘fakeaway’ it also happens to be light and healthy.
Oh hi new favourite Friday night dish! This fakeaway is the perfect throw in a slow cooker in the morning and come home to delicious smells by dinner time.
This Slow Cooker Beef Curry doesn’t use any cream or coconut milk so it’s also is lighter and lower in fat than your usual takeaway.
You have LOVED my Slow Cooker Chicken Curry recipe as it’s so simple to prepare, I decided it was about time to update my beef curry version to make it as easy as possible.
This recipe also freezes well, and you can adjust the spice level to suit all of the family.
You’ll love this Slow Cooker Beef Curry because:
✅ It’s packed with vegetables and a tasty sauce.✅ Hardly any preparation, no need to brown the beef.✅ Freezes brilliantly, cook once, eat twice!
FAQs about the Slow Cooker Beef Curry recipe:
What is the best cut of beef for the Slow Cooker Beef Curry?
I use ‘Braising Steak’, which is the name supermarkets and butchers use for a few different cuts of beef that need slow cooking.
These include chuck, skirt, leg and flank.
It’s also sometimes labelled as Stewing Steak. Any of these cuts that need to be cooked slowly are fine for this recipe.
Do I really not need to brown the beef before cooking in the slow cooker?
If you want to get scientific, the reason we brown meat before slow cooking, is because it causes a Maillard reaction. The process of frying, heating it very hot until it browns, changes the flavour compounds in the meat, basically adding a depth of flavour.
Does it add something to most slow cooked dishes? Yes. Is it vital in this dish, which is packed with other flavour? No.
If you want to brown the meat, it will add another level of delicious flavour BUT I feel that sometimes we need a super quick preparation dinner and it’s worth sacrificing maybe 10% of extra flavour?
I don’t have any curry paste, can I use curry powder?
Yes, depending on your curry powder and your taste, you’ll need to use 3 – 4 tbsp of curry powder instead of the paste.
I would say, I think the paste does work better than powder in this recipe though as unlike in a Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, beef does need a really robust flavour to complement it.
What can you serve with Beef Curry?
You can serve all of the usual curry accompaniments with this Beef Curry.
Rice, poppadums, yoghurt with some mint mixed through and a salad of tomatoes and cucumber works really well.
My easy flatbreads would be soooo amazing dunked in!
Fancy some other easy Slow Cooker recipes ?
- Super Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Curry – This is one of the most loved recipes on this site, over 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews!
- Slow Cooker ‘Roast’ Gammon Ham – Such an easy and yummy Sunday roast joint.
- Slow Cooker ‘Roast’ Beef Joint – Another super simple and delicious roast joint, complete with gravy.
Hope you enjoy this recipe. I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this recipe. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below!
Also, if you fancy showing me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations and try and share as many of them as I can.
This post was originally published on March 28, 2018 and updated on February 9, 2021.
Slow Cooker Beef Curry
Ingredients
For the Slow Cook:
- 1 kg (4.25 cups) Braising steak
- 200 g (0.75 cups) Curry spice paste
- 2 Onions, Peeled and chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Peeled and chopped
- 1 Inch piece Fresh ginger, Peeled and chopped finely
- 2 tbsp Ground cumin
- 400 g (2.5 cups) Tin of tomatoes
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 Beef stock cube, undiluted, crumbled
To Serve:
- 100 g (3.0 cups) Spinach leaves
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 4 tbsp Mango chutney
Instructions
- Put all of the slow cooking ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.
- Add the spinach leaves, remaining Garam masala and mango chutney before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on February 9, 2021 and updated later to make improvements.
Excellent recipe and so easy. I used the Patak mild spice paste (squeezy tube) and put frozen spinach in straight from the freezer, about an hour before the end. Husband added some cubed preboiled potato as well. Perfection.
Do you use mild or spicy curry paste? Looking forward to trying this this week
Have got this cooking just now. Followed the recipe exactly using a mild tikka paste. Just tested the sauce and my mouth is burning. Is it really 2 tablespoons of ground cumin or should it be teaspoons?
I really hope there is some way to salvage this before this evening or it will be a complete waste of money.
I’m cooking this for my elderly mother for her to have this tonight and for her to have the rest frozen for future meals.
Any suggestions please.
My God did this curry today and it passed all expectations, added some creamed coconut to make it more creamy, served with mushroom rice and roast potatoes and garlic bread on the side , the whole family loved it, take my advice and make it. BEAUTIFUL
Can you recommend a substitute for garam masala that’s not too spicy please?
Hi! So ive bought everything to try this tonight and my curry paste is only 135g!! Didnt realise until i poured it in now! Will it still be ok? Didn’t realise i needed the whole tube + more for the recipe.
Smells amazing already though!
Might add curry powder to it? Xxx
Hi Sarah.
This looks incredible and really want to make it this week. Only trouble is I leave the house about half 7 and not usually home till after half 4. I got one of those timer plug things but then realised as my slow cooker needs to be programmed on the front, it’s not one of the dial ones, so it wouldn’t work 🤔 Would it be ok if I put it on to cook for a bit longer and then keeps warm until we get home do you think? Or would it be ruined from the extra cooking and sitting? Thank you! J
Another great meal and full of flavours
Sorry if this a repeat question but if time is no issue would you always cook on low rather than high?
Hands down best ever curry. Whenever my husband sees me buy beef from butcher he cries out “Yippeeee Beef Curry”. Thank you, Sarah. 👏🏻👏🏻