Last Updated on 22 January 2024 by cooksimply
This is one of my favourite recipes from my dad [to be fair there are quite a few, but I asked him to make this regularly]. What I love about his cooking is that more often than not, he just throws in ingredients to hand – so that the dish is never quite the same each time he makes it. I have made different versions of this Chinese beef curry to try and get it as close to the taste and flavour of my dad’s as possible. And, over this time, I’ve tweaked the ingredients, taken out some, and added extra. And I think I’ve finally nailed it.
How to make this slow cooker beef curry
The beauty of slow cooking is that you can throw all the ingredients into the pot and then leave it for several hours. And this beef curry in a slow cooker is so simple. The result after 8 hours of cooking is a really tasty, comforting dish – with melt-in-your-mouth beef and tender vegetables, with a spicy and tasty curry sauce. There’s no need for coconut milk or any tomatoes – just a few simple ingredients.
What ingredients are needed?
Not many – and lots of them you probably already have in your fridge and store cupboard. Here’s a quick overview of these Chinese beef curry ingredients.
-
stewing beef
-
carrots
-
potatoes
-
celery
-
garlic
-
soy sauce
-
curry powder
-
beef stock
-
pepper
-
sugar
-
cornflour
-
frozen peas
How long to cook this beef in a slow cooker
It depends on the strength and model of your slow cooker/ crockpot but I find that the meat is perfectly cooked around 7-8 hours on a low setting. If I am busy, I usually add the cornflour mix and peas around 30-40 minutes before serving. If you think your curry might be overcooked and the potatoes and vegetables are breaking down too much – keep the warm setting on your slow cooker so that it doesn’t cook any further.
Can you add other vegetables?
Yes, go for it – don’t like peas but prefer sweetcorn, use that instead. Mushrooms stirred through at the end would make a nice addition. You could even add peppers, onion, cauliflower or broccoli. If you don’t want too many carbohydrates then you can remove the potatoes (although they do make a lovely addition). Or you could use sliced-up baby potatoes or even sweet potatoes. Make this Chinese beef curry recipe your own.
Is it spicy?
Depending on who I cook this for, I tend to use medium or mild curry powder. However, if you’re a spice and chilli fiend, then use hot curry powder or even throw in sliced red or green chillies.
What if I don’t have beef?
This slow cooker curry also works really well with lamb – particularly lamb neck. You could also use chicken breast or chicken thighs – but I think red meat works better. If you’d prefer a Chinese chicken curry check this recipe out.
Can this be frozen?
If you have any leftovers, this beef curry can be put into a suitable container and frozen for up to three months. Make sure to defrost before reheating. You could also keep it in the fridge for up to three days and reheating on full power.
What to serve with it
This slow cooker beef curry can be served alongside plain boiled rice, or with bread – including naan or flatbreads. It’s pretty substantial and filling on its own with the potatoes – but I always like to have something to soak up all of that delicious curry sauce.
Other slow cooker recipes you might like
Slow cooker chicken chow mein
Slow cooker beef and chorizo
Slow cooker Chinese chicken curry
Slow cooker Thai massaman curry
Slow cooker ham joint in coke
Slow cooker bolognese
Slow cooker beef curry [Chinese style]
Ingredients
- 600 g diced beef or stewing beef
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 tablespoons curry powder I use medium strength
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon white pepper or to your preference
- 1 beef stock pot or cube
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks chopped
- 2-3 potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes
- 1 handful frozen peas
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Instructions
- Get your slow cooker pot, and add the carrots, celery, potatoes, and beef.
- Then add the garlic, curry powder, sugar and pepper.
- Mix 200mls of boiling water with the beef stock pot or cube.
- And finally add the soy sauce and beef stock to the slow cooker.
- Give all the ingredients a good stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Around half an hour before serving, mix up 2 tablespoons of cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.
- Pour this into the curry and give it a good stir.
- Then add a handful of frozen peas.
- Once the curry has thickened, serve the curry with plain boiled rice.
Nutrition
Did you make this Chinese beef curry?
If you made this recipe for slow cooker curry, please leave me some star ratings and a comment below or tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. You can find other recipe ideas here.
