Slow cooker Thai curry beef takes the pressure off your dinner prep! Simmer all day, and come home to fall-apart-tender beef simmering in creamy coconut milk curry.
My love for Thai food knows no bounds! On rotation: spicy Instant Pot Thai curry, zucchini noodle pad thai, Thai coconut curry soup, and this slow cooker Thai curry beef! I think you can see a trend here: curry is and always will be my obsession when it comes to Thai food.
The best thing about cooking beef in the slow cooker is that it cooks for so long that the tough collagen fibres break down, turning tough cuts of beef into melt-in-your-mouth tender.
This slow cooker Thai curry beef is no exception: not only is the beef insanely tender, but it absorbs delicious coconut curry flavor as it cooks.
Reasons you'll ♡ this slow cooker Thai curry beef
- the beef gets so tender while cooking
- it's simple to prepare and can work for meal prep
- Thai curry is complex and flavorful with contrasting sweet, savory, sour and spicy flavors
Best cuts of beef for this recipe
The long cook time of this recipe makes it a great opportunity to use cheap, tough cuts of beef. I have used stewing beef for the photos, as it is already cut up and this saved on prep time. You could also purchase an outside round or brisket roast and cut them up yourself.
While prepping to cook this Thai beef curry, you will want to trim off as much fat as possible to avoid a fatty coconut curry sauce.
Thai curry components
Thai curry is known for its complex flavor combinations that produce salty, sweet, sour, spicy and umami flavors all in one bite! Despite this, the ingredients list is surprisingly short:
- Thai curry paste- is a blend of Thai ingredients that makes the base of our curry: chili, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shallot and kaffir lime leaves are just a few of the common ingredients in Thai curry paste. This recipe works great with both red and green curry paste. There are a ton of brand options out there, but my two favorites are Cock Brand and Thai Kitchen
- Fish sauce- gives a punch of umami and slightly salty flavor. There really is no great alternative to fish sauce, though some people say soy sauce can do an OK job if you have a fish allergy.
- Brown sugar- brings balance to the salty flavors in the sauce. I like a sweeter curry, so if you don't, reduce the brown sugar a touch.
- Lime juice- is what brings the sour notes to the sauce, and is added just at the end of cooking, before you serve it
Thai curry paste and fish sauce should be easy to find in the international foods aisle of your grocery store.
Adding the vegetables
While the beef enjoys a nice long cook time, it's important not to overcook the bell peppers. I recommend having them sliced and ready to throw in during the last 1-2 hours of cooking. That way they retain some structure and texture.
Feel free to swap the bell peppers for your favorite vegetables:
- frozen broccoli (during the last 2 hours of cook time)
- bean sprouts can be added when serving
- spinach can be stirred in 5 minutes before serving
- chopped zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli can be added during the last 1-2 hours of cook time
- frozen peas can be added during the last 5 minutes of cook time
More slow cooker dinners
- Slow Cooker Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Honey Lime Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew
- 7 No Sautee Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Thai Curry Beef
Ingredients
Curry
- 27 oz coconut milk (full fat; 2 cans; 800 mL total)
- 6 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup Thai curry paste (red or green)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 lbs stewing beef
1-2 hours before serving
- 8 cups frozen broccoli (or bell peppers, or your favorite vegetable)
To serve
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- rice
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
Curry:
- Stir together the coconut milk, fish sauce, thai curry paste and brown sugar. Add the stewing beef and toss to coat
- Cook on low for 6 hours
- 2 hours before serving, stir in the frozen broccoli and put the lid back on quickly. Don't stir it in, just leave it on top.
- Continue cooking for another 2 hours.
- Stir in the lime juice and serve.
Nutrition
Mary
Hi Denise,
Can you use your instant pot on slow cooker setting for this recipe? If so what setting would you use? The recipe looks delicious, i don’t have a slow cooker so am trying to get this to work in my instant pot.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
Mary
Denise Bustard
Hi Mary! Unfortunately I have no experience with the slow cooker setting in the Instant Pot, and from what I've heard, it doesn't cook the same as a regular slow cooker. Here's a great article to check out: https://mealplanaddict.com/2019/05/how-to-use-your-instant-pot-as-a-slow-cooker/
Pete
I tried this today - I didn't like it I'm afraid. The beef and coconut milk don't go well together. A simple 'quick cooked' green curry is much better in every way IMO. Also.. there is far too much sugar in this recipe!
Denise
Hi Pete, sorry to hear you didn't like it! I actually really like coconut milk and beef together. And we definitely prefer our Thai curries a bit on the sweeter side at my house. Thanks for your feedback!
Amy
Hi, I'm new here... Will definitely try this recipe, as I love all kinds of curry. The link goes to a red curry paste, but recipe says green curry - does it matter which curry I use, red or green?
Denise
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for catching that! You could easily make it with either type of curry paste, although I actually used the green curry paste. I will change the links right away 🙂 Hope you enjoy the curry!
Carroll
The link to the specific brand of green curry paste is not working for me, could you please let me know the brand name? Thanks, Carroll
Denise
Hi Carroll, sorry about that! The brand is Cock Brand, here's the link again to the Amazon site (not affiliate, just so you know what it looks like!) Hope you enjoy the curry!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
This sounds great! We looooove Thai food too! I am so jealous you have Ning to teach you her ways! That's really awesome!
Denise
Thanks, Jess! I watched and took notes, but she's so fast and she always tastes it and then sneaks something in before I can write it down. But I did learn lots from her 🙂
Danielle
I love slow cooker recipes that take 8-10 hours! You can just pop them in the crockpot before work and dinner is done, so easy! I love all of the flavors in this dish too and the lime roasted peanuts sound like the perfect crunchy addition.
Denise
I am loving the 8-10 hour slow cooker recipes, it means less work after work, and also less dish-washing! Thanks, Danielle!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
This is such an inspiring recipe to me! I love love love thai curry, and am making it almost every week. I've been thinking about a slow cooker version, but wasn't sure how the veggies would hold up since the crunchy veggies are my favorite part. So smart to add the bell peppers at the end! Can't wait to make this : )
Denise
I am SUCH a Thai curry addict, but it feels like too much work at the end of the day sometimes! I was also going to add beansprouts but Safeway was out...they would be a super easy addition for crunch!
Leah | So, How's It Taste?
You had me at creamy Thai coconut curry sauce! Plus I'm dying to try those peanuts. This one sounds like a winner!
Denise
Thanks, Leah! The peanuts are seriously addictive....