Slow cooker beef dinner. Season and brown beef, make sauce, combine in crockpot, cook 6-8 hours until tender. Serves 6 with minimal effort.
Ingredients
→ For the Meat
→ For the Sauce
→ Optional Add-ins
Steps
Pat beef chunks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper, tossing to coat evenly.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, quickly brown meat on all sides for extra flavor. This step can be skipped if you’re in a rush.
In a bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
Transfer meat to slow cooker. If using vegetables, scatter them around and on top of the meat. Pour sauce over everything, making sure all meat is coated.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until meat is fork-tender and melts in your mouth.
About 20 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Stir into slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens.
Spoon tender beef and rich sauce over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve hot.
Tips
- Recipe tastes even better the next day when flavors have had time to meld
- Can freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months for quick weeknight dinners
- For complete one-pot meal, add your favorite vegetables directly to the slow cooker
- Browning the meat adds flavor but can be skipped if you’re short on time
Required Tools
- Slow cooker or crockpot
- Large skillet (for browning)
- Mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
