Slow Cooker Thai Curry Beef

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.

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