This slow cooker beef curry packs in all your favorite veggies, soft and juicy chunks of beef in a savory, delicious curry sauce, making it the ultimate comfort food. There are very few recipes that are able to deliver this beautiful depth of flavor in such little prep time, and this curry totally nails it.
It’s hearty, wholesome, and perfect for a stick-to-your-ribs kind of a weeknight meal.
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On days when I’m craving for some comfort food, I choose from my favorites of chicken and rice casserole or my chicken casserole with cream of mushroom soup. And on days when I just want a little bit extra, I whip up some bacon ranch mac and cheese.
This slow cooked beef curry, however, has now found its way into the top spots, and is quickly becoming my comfort food on days when I have some beef chunks, waiting to be put to use.
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Beef Curry Recipe
- Meal prep friendly: This curry also stays great in the fridge and the freezer, which makes it a great make-ahead and meal-prep friendly dish.
- No-mess cooking: You’ll just need a skillet and your trusty slow cooker to make this! It’s actually a great recipe to make when you don’t want to do too many dishes later.
- Family friendly: This curry beef recipe is perfect for when you need an effortless weeknight dinner for the entire family. It’s got protein and veggies, and hits all the right spots when it comes to the flavor.
- Easy and delish: It’s incredibly easy to make and super delicious. Plus, you can adjust the seasonings and spices to make it suit your taste buds.
Ingredients
- Beef: I used lean stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes. They cook super quick and have the perfect fall-apart texture once they’re done, which is exactly what we want.
- Vegetables: I used potatoes, onions, celery, and some carrots. The potatoes make it heartier while the aromatics make it taste better!
- Tomato paste: Lends the curry more depth of flavor.
- Beef broth: Thins out the curry a bit, while still adding a ton of flavor.
- Brown sugar: Just a bit, to balance the flavors of the spices and to add that slightly sweet, caramel-like flavor to the sauce.
- Seasonings: I used garlic powder, onion powder, crushed black pepper, and some curry powder. I also added a couple of bay leaves and some fresh ginger root to add an extra depth of flavor to the curry sauce.
- Flour: Used to make the roux which thickens the curry.
- Sauces: To add an extra punch of flavor, I also added a dash of soy sauce, some vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce into the mix.
- Oil: To saute the beef in. Feel free to use any kind of oil you have.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter to make the roux. You can swap this for some olive oil to make it dairy-free.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Spice it up: To add some extra heat to the curry, add some red pepper flakes or cayenne into it along with the other ingredients.
- Gluten-free: To make the curry gluten-free, use arrowroot powder or cornflour instead of all purpose flour to thicken it and make sure the seasonings and sauces you’re using are gluten-free too.
- Make it creamy: Lend a touch of rich and creamy deliciousness to the slow cooker curry by adding a couple of spoonfuls of heavy cream (or coconut milk) into the mix towards the end of cooking.
- Vegetables: Add more veggies such as cauliflower, cabbage, peas, green beans, corn, broccoli or sweet potato instead.
How to Make Beef Curry in the Slow Cooker
Ready to make this curry beef stew? Get all your ingredients ready and chop up your veggies too!
Step 1: Brown the beef. Saute the beef in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring to flip it over, until it is browned on all the sides. Then add the pepper, tomato paste, and onion powder and mix well.
Step 2: Prep the curry. Add the veggies, browned beef, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, bay leaves and salt to the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cover and cook. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Step 4: Prep the roux. In a small saucepan on low heat, whisk the butter, flour, water and beef broth together until it becomes a smooth paste and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Add the roux. Add this mixture to the beef and veggies in your slow cooker and gently mix it all together.
Step 6: Final cook. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the curry has thickened. Take it off heat, remove the bay leaves and serve!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Allow the curry to cool down completely and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat the curry in the microwave until it has warmed up, or just transfer it to a pan or a pot and reheat it over medium heat.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the curry if you’re making it in a big batch. Transfer it to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. Before you reheat it, make sure you allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your slow cooker curry beef with some steamed rice or bread to mop up that delicious sauce. I love serving it with my coconut ginger rice and some air fryer flatbread or air fried dinner rolls.
You don’t really need a side dish to go with it, but if you really want to, you can keep it simple and whip up some broiled asparagus or slow cooker corn on the cob.
Expert Tips
- Stovetop method: If you don’t want to use your slow cooker, you can make this curry in a pot over your stove top too. Just make sure you cook the curry until the beef is nice and tender, and all the veggies have cooked well too.
- Browning matters: Browning the beef is an important step in building that beautiful flavor. If you’re short of time and just want to keep it simple, you can skip it, but I would still highly recommend it.
- Thinning out the consistency: If the curry is too thick, add a bit of water or stock into the mix and letting it simmer for a few minutes over medium heat.
Video
More Delicious Beef Recipes
Do you like slow cooked beef? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Slow Cooker Beef Curry
Ingredients
Browning the Beef
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds beef stew meat cut in 1 inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
Slow Cooker
- 1 medium onion chopped, sweet red or purple
- 2-3 large white potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1-2 large carrots cut into 1 inch chunks or baby carrots cut in half
- 2 celery ribs sliced
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 tblsp brown sugar packed
- 2-3 teaspoons curry powder mild or spicy
- ⅛ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ cup soy sauce
- 1-2 inches ginger root minced or grated
- 2-3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced 3-4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water beef broth or liquid from stew
Optional for Serving
- rice or egg noodles
- biscuits or naan bread
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- chopped fresh cilantro or coriander
Instructions
- Heat skillet with oil, over medium to medium-high heat, until shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances.
- Add beef and stir until beef is browned on all sides. Add pepper, onion powder and tomato paste. Stir until blended. Add to slow cooker.
- Add onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, beef broth, ginger root, garlic, bay leaves, salt and vinegar.
- Stir until combined and coated.
- Cover and cook on low until beef is tender, 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.
- In bowl whisk together flour, butter, and water, beef broth or stew liquid until smooth and creamy.
- Add into slow cooker and gently combine. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Discard bay leaves and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve on its own, or omit potatoes and serve over rice or egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Stovetop method: If you don’t want to use your slow cooker, you can make this curry in a pot over your stove top too. Just make sure you cook the curry until the beef is nice and tender, and all the veggies have cooked well too.
- Browning matters: Browning the beef is an important step in building that beautiful flavor. If you’re short of time and just want to keep it simple, you can skip it, but I would still highly recommend it.
- Thinning out the consistency: If the curry is too thick, add a bit of water or stock into the mix and letting it simmer for a few minutes over medium heat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2016. It's been updated with new content, images, and an updated recipe.
Colleen says
Excellent. The curry flavour is a welcome change from the usual stew recipes.
Karin and Ken says
I could not agree more! Thank you for noticing! All the best. Karin
Beck says
Absolutely loved it Looks way better than pictures Thanks for sharing
Karin and Ken says
We do need better pictures! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You made my day! All the best. Karin
David Caroz says
Whenever I have tried to cook a curry in a slow cooker, the taste and heat of the curry gets lost.
How do you prevent this from happening in this recipe?
Karin and Ken says
I find the difference is the amount, type of curry and brand you are using. I have some brands that I will not buy at all anymore. I am familiar with some brands that will not work at all in the slow cooker. We had this issue come up a few years ago and I was told "to spend a little more on the curry and you will have a little better results". She winked, smiled and put 2 brands on the counter for me to chose from. The statement turned out to be true, in my opinion. I am always looking to save money but there are some things I buy and I just won't look at the price! This is one of those things. Experiment. I may be able to make further suggestions if you would be comfortable letting me know what part of the world you are in! All the best. Karin