The Best Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes You'll Ever Make (2024)

Have a beef roast or some ground beef in the fridge that needs to be used? Make a delicious slow cooker beef recipe for dinner tonight! We've got irresistible recipes for slow cooker beef stew, slow cooker beef and broccoli, and even slow cooker beef tacos. So whether you're in the mood for a hearty meat and potatoes dinner or a homemade twist on your favorite takeout dish, there's slow cooker meat dish here for you.

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Burgundy Beef Stew

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This slow cooker beef stew features the flavors of a traditional beef bourguignon, but with less hands-on time. Tender beef and veggies are simmered in a red wine-beef broth mixture and served over egg noodles. We added a sprinkling of crisp-cooked bacon as the topping for a bit of a salty (and irresistible!) crunch.

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Beef and Broccoli

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If you're prone to ordering takeout on busy weeknights, this slow cooker beef and broccoli is about to be your new go-to dinner. Boneless beef chuck roast is seasoned with Asian-style flavors (soy sauce, garlic, and ginger). There's a hint of orange and cayenne for a zesty-hot finish. Serve on hot cooked rice or noodles and you've got one delicious meal.

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BBQ Beef Roast with Corn and Pepper Couscous

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Turn a chuck roast into a hearty slow cooker BBQ beef recipe. Chili powder and cumin, add warm spice to the tender beef while Worcestershire sauce adds savory, yet tangy notes to the finished dish. The spicy corn and pepper couscous is the perfect base for soaking up the delicious barbecue flavors.

Easy and Irresistible Slow Cooker BBQ Recipes

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Beef and Carrot Ragu

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Looking for a delicious, yet easy supper? Try this mouthwatering pasta sauce. Beef, carrots, and tomatoes simmer all day to create the most delicious homemade ragu you've ever tasted. Use red wine in the recipe to give your sauce more depth in flavor. While your slow cooker beef simmers away, try your hand at homemade pasta to serve with it.

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Slow-Cooked Beef Pozole

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Pozole is a thick soup stew made popular in Mexican cuisine featuring hominy and meat. Our interpretation stars flank steak for a slow cooker beef stew that will have you coming back for another bowl asap. The toppings are also key here, so pile on cilantro, queso fresco, and extra chile peppers to make all the flavors pop.

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Slow Cooker Meatball Sandwiches

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Yes, you can make delicious sandwiches with the help of your slow cooker. Warm-up after a cool day with homemade meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices before getting simmered in a spicy tomato sauce. Make your slow cooker meat dish top-notch by adding a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and serving on hoagie buns.

Try Our Other Favorite Slow Cooker Sandwich Recipes

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Moroccan-Style Beef Short Ribs

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One of the easiest ways to braise meat is by searing it in a skillet for color before a long simmer in your slow cooker. For these slow cooker short ribs, we've given them Moroccan-inspired flavor thanks to a spice blend of ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and thyme. The beef gets super tender in the slow cooker with broth, tomatoes, and fresh veggies. Serve atop couscous for a complete comforting meal.

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Country Italian Beef

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For a twist on classic beef stew, look no further than this slow cooker Italian beef recipe. Fennel, parsnips, and fresh rosemary all come to the party here. Cut your boneless beef chuck roast into similar size 2-inch pieces to ensure even cooking.

Buy It: Wüsthof Classic 6-Inch Chef's Knife ($135, Crate & Barrel)

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Gluten Free Pho-Flavor Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps

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Turn the flavors of your favorite Vietnamese soup into a wrap with this delicious slow cooker beef recipe. The beef takes on the tangy, yet spicy flavor of pho with the addition of fish sauce, rice vinegar, and Chinese five-spice powder. Serve on lettuce wraps for a healthy lunch or appetizer that only has 4 grams of carbs per serving.

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Espresso-Braised Beef

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That's right, espresso isn't just for lattes anymore. This slow-simmered meat-and-potatoes supper uses instant espresso powder, wine, brown sugar, and tomato paste to pack your boneless chuck roast with flavor. Seriously, your mouth will water just seeing (and smelling) this divine slow cooker beef stew.

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Slow-Cooked Minestrone

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Here's a slow cooker beef and noodles recipe too good to pass up. The beef in this take on the classic tomato-based soup is accompanied by beans, carrots, and yellow squash. Top your bowl with grated Parmesan cheese before diving in to give it a salty, nutty bite.

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German-Style Beef Roast

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Red wine, chopped dill pickles (yes, pickles!), and tangy mustard set this succulent slow cooker beef pot roast apart from the rest. The veggies and cooking liquid turn into the most flavorful gravy. Serve it all on spaetzle (a type of egg noodle) to keep the traditional German theme going.

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Polenta with Ground Beef Ragout

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A nice long simmer allows the flavors from beef, carrots, and red wine to meld together for the ultimate pasta sauce. Instead of noodles, we're going for a base of creamy polenta, a type of cornmeal porridge that is excellent for sopping up the delicious homemade sauce.

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Slow Cooker Taco Meat Loaf

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Meat loaf can be accomplished in the slow cooker, too. Instead of bread crumbs, we use crushed tortilla chips to help bind the ground beef mixture together. For some taco flair, the meat is seasoned with cumin, garlic, and paprika.

Test Kitchen Tip: Line your slow cooker with strips of foil for easy removal of your meat loaf.

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Peppery Italian Beef Sandwiches

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Here's another slow cooker Italian beef recipe to pin for later. Dry Italian seasoning mix is the secret shortcut ingredient to adding a lot of flavor to these juicy slow cooker sandwiches. Simply shred the meat and top your bread with the peppery beef. Don't forget the cheese!

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Beef and Red Bean Chili

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This slow cooker beef chili utilizes a chuck roast rather than the traditional ground beef. You'll love the smoky, slightly spicy flavor here thanks to the addition of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Top your bowl with cilantro and red pepper for extra color and flavor.

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Orange-Spiced Corned Beef with Dried Fruit

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You don't have to wait for St. Patrick's Day to make this slow cooker corned beef recipe. Mixed dried fruit, cranberries, orange juice, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg give traditional corned beef a run for its money here. With only 15 minutes of prep time, it's a showy slow cooker meat dish worthy of making the regular dinner menu rotation.

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Cranberry-Chipotle Beef

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Looking for a slow-cooked beef roast that serves just two? Try this fiery, slightly sweet chipotle-seasoned chuck roast. It's also a great way to use that canned cranberry sauce sitting in your pantry. Serve with an easy side of rice or grains and you'll have a romantic dinner for two ready to go.

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Easy Kale, Beef and White Bean Stew

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Turn boneless top sirloin into this delicious slow cooker beef stew when the weather turns chilly. The addition of leafy kale provides an extra boost of vitamins C and K. Use low- or no-sodium canned beans to keep the salt levels low and adjust to your taste preference.

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Oaxaca's Beef Barbacoa

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Barbacoa is a staple Mexican dish and an excellent slow cooker beef recipe. A beef brisket gets nice and tender with a seasoning blend of oregano, ancho chile pepper, cumin, and garlic. For the heat, we've got some minced jalapeños thrown in the mix as well. Short on time? Use the pressure cooker directions instead.

The Best Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes You'll Ever Make (2024)

FAQs

What is the best beef for a slow cooker? ›

Here are the very best beef cuts to keep on hand to slow cook:
  • Chuck steak.
  • Round steak.
  • Blade steak.
  • Topside.
  • Silverside.
  • Skirt steak.
  • Shin (gravy) beef.
  • Sausages.

Does beef get more tender the longer you cook it in a slow cooker? ›

Collagen makes meat tough when cooked quickly, but when slow-cooked, it breaks down into gelatin, giving you that juicy, tender mouthfeel. Fattier — and cheaper — cuts of beef can also be good for slow cooking, because the fat helps to ensure the beef won't dry out while adding extra flavour.

What is the most tender beef roast for slow cooker? ›

Chuck roast is one of the more popular slow-cooker options because of how tender and flavorful it becomes after several hours of cooking on low.

What can I put in my slow cooker to make meat more tender? ›

Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a slow cooker. Cut steak into 6 equal pieces; place on top of vegetables. Whisk together condensed soup, water, and onion soup mix in a medium bowl until well combined; pour over steak. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Why is my beef tough in slow cooker? ›

Meat that is over-cooked, even if it's submerged in liquid, will eventually dry-out, and get tough, and different cuts of meat cook differently. There are a few reasons for that. Not having enough liquid in the pot can do it. A poor cut of meat can result in toughness as well.

Should liquid cover meat in slow cooker? ›

When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Why is my beef still tough after 4 hours in the slow cooker? ›

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

Why are my potatoes still hard in the crockpot? ›

Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.

How do you cook beef so it stays tender? ›

Cook It Slowly

This is certainly true when it comes to notoriously tough cuts of meat like beef brisket and pork shoulder. Cooking these cuts of meat slowly, either by braising, stewing or grill roasting, is the best way to get these tasty cuts of meat meltingly tender.

Which beef roast falls apart when cooked? ›

A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.

Why is my roast still tough after 6 hours? ›

So if you cut the pot roast into chunks and stew it, or if you cook the roast in beef stock (flipping halfway through), and you cook it long enough, it will eventually fall apart. If your pot roast is still tough after cooking for 6 hours in a crock pot, it's possible that it simply needs more time to cook.

What kind of roast is best for slow cooker? ›

There are many different cuts that can be used for crockpot roast from bottom round, to rump roast, to shoulder roast to chuck roast, but for the best crockpot pot roast, use the boneless chuck roast.

How do restaurants get their meat so tender? ›

There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.

How do you make meat super tender? ›

The long cooking time and moist heat help to break down the tough fibers in the meat, making it tender. Slow cooking: Similar to braising, slow cooking involves cooking the meat in a small amount of liquid in a slow cooker or oven. The low, steady heat helps to break down the tough fibers and make the meat tender.

What is the best cut of beef for pulled beef? ›

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling. This is the stuff we need to make delicious juicy pulled beef.

What is a good substitute for brisket in a slow cooker? ›

A chuck roast comes from the shoulder area of the cow, and it has a lot of connective tissue and fatty things. This makes it ideal for slow cooking methods like braising, which is how brisket is typically prepared.

What is a good substitute for chuck beef? ›

Several cuts work well as pot roasts, particularly the 7-bone pot roast, arm roast, blade roast, chuck eye, cross rib roast, shoulder roast, top blade pot roast, under blade pot roast, bottom round roast, eye round roast, and rump roast.

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