Time: 120 min.
Servings: 3-4
Difficulty: 1 of 5
What could be simpler than beef cooked in a slow cooker? Probably nothing. This seemingly simple dish will delight everyone with its extraordinary taste and aroma. It is prepared in a slow cooker quite quickly, but it turns out unusually tasty, soft and juicy.
Boiled beef cooked in a slow cooker is a low-calorie and nutritious meat that can be used to decorate any dish.
Since you can easily cook beef in a slow cooker, many housewives use this recipe - fast, easy and very inexpensive.
This meat is especially suitable for people who do not like fatty foods. But how to cook beef without fat? In fact, everything is very simple: during the stewing process, the meat melts all the fat and it goes into the broth. And the carcass itself turns out juicy, since the meat fibers will become soft and will be easily absorbed by the body.
This method of preparing boiled beef is good because you can get the required amount of protein in one meal, since due to stewing its share in the meat will increase significantly.
How to cook beef in a slow cooker - useful tips and secrets
Beef meat is quite finicky to prepare; in particular, it requires a long stew to become soft and tender. Therefore, conventional methods, such as frying in a frying pan, baking and simmering in a Dutch oven, sometimes do not work effectively enough. But in a slow cooker, beef turns out really excellent.
In addition, cooking beef in a slow cooker does not distract from your usual activities. There is no need to regularly look under the lid to make sure that the meat dish is not burnt and is sufficiently cooked. However, even at the preparatory stage, it is important to know a few secrets that will help you end up with a tasty and healthy meal.
Firstly, you need to carefully select your meat product. Beef is considered a lean meat, containing slightly more calories than chicken. Unfortunately, out of ignorance, you can buy beef, which even after a long (3-4 hours) stewing will remain as tough as rubber. Culinary experts recommend giving preference to tenderloin, upper thigh, pieces taken from the belly and shoulder blade.
In order to obtain a particularly tender product, the beef must be thoroughly pounded before cooking. It's even better to marinate the meat for several hours. Any lemon-based marinade is suitable for this. This ingredient perfectly breaks down beef fiber and improves its taste.
Particular attention should be paid to spices. First of all, they allow you to dramatically change the taste of the finished dish, secondly, just like lemon, they contribute to softening, and thirdly, they increase appetite and stimulate digestion.
Turmeric, bay leaf, curry, black pepper, red paprika, coriander, and mustard work best with beef. But you should be more careful with salt, especially if you want to cook unusually healthy dietary beef using a multicooker.
A few secrets for cooking beef and veal
- To prevent the meat from turning out hard and “rubbery”, you need to choose it correctly. The best option for preparing stew is the shoulder, upper thigh or belly meat. Do not salt the meat in advance. It will release juice, but the end result will be too dry.
- Lightly pound the beef. Then it will be much softer and more tender.
- Marinate the beef pieces before cooking. You can use mustard or lemon as a marinade. Pear or kiwi provide good fermentation of the product.
Beef in a slow cooker - step-by-step recipe with photos
The first recipe suggests cooking beef in the classic way using a minimum of ingredients. It is recommended to simmer the meat for about 2-3 hours, depending on its initial softness.
- 1 kg beef;
- 1 large onion;
- 2–3 bay leaves;
- salt;
- oil for frying.
Preparation:
- Cut a piece of beef meat across the grain into small, slightly oblong slices. Pour a little vegetable oil into the bowl, set the “frying” or “baking” mode and add the meat.
2. Fry it, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, in the meantime, cut the onion, peeled from the outer skin, into half rings and place it in the multicooker.
3. As soon as the onion turns golden and a characteristic crust appears on the pieces of beef, pour in a little broth or warm water, throw in the bay leaf and add salt.
4. Set the program for about 2–2.5 hours and do other things.
5. Beef stewed with onions can be served with any side dish.
General process guidelines
Meat cooked in a slow cooker will meet all requirements only if the technical processing features are observed. It is not enough to select the appropriate mode on the device, load the product into it and start the device. First, the ingredient must be selected and prepared. Regardless of what you plan to cook - dietary beef or fatty pork, you need to remember the following points:
- For cooking, it is better to select pieces of clean meat without tendons, films and pieces of fat. All these elements spoil the broth, which is then absorbed by the fibers.
- The meat should be pink and fresh. An old and stale ingredient, even with an unusually long cooking time in a slow cooker, will never reach the desired texture.
- Contrary to popular belief, frozen meat pulp can be boiled. Only first the component must be completely defrosted in the refrigerator. You should not use cold (and even more so hot) water for this purpose; the fibers will swell too much.
- Each type of meat has its own auxiliary component, and sometimes more than one. A big mistake would be to use the usual onions and carrots when working with all types of product.
- Before cooking the meat in a slow cooker, you can lightly fry it in a dry frying pan using high heat. In this case, the final product will be as juicy and tender as possible.
Following these simple recommendations will allow you to cook not only a very tasty meat dish, but also make it healthy and nutritious, despite the simplicity of the approach.
Beef in a slow cooker Redmond, Polaris
A multicooker of any model is an ideal type of kitchen appliance for stewing. During the process of continuous simmering, beef retains all its beneficial and taste properties.
- 500 g beef pulp;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 onion;
- salt pepper;
- 2–3 tbsp. sunflower oil.
Preparation:
- Quickly wash a piece of tenderloin in running water, dry it with a towel and cut into miniature slices.
- Pour oil into the bottom of the multicooker bowl, heat it, setting the “frying” mode. Stir fry the beef for 7-10 minutes.
- Add about a glass of warm broth or plain water to the meat, add a little salt and pepper. Add any spices if desired. Switch the equipment to the “quenching” program for 1.5 hours.
- Grate the carrots on a coarse grater and chop the onion randomly. Add vegetables to meat and extend the program for another 30 minutes.
- Another simple recipe is offered in the video.
Beef stew
To make beef stew in a slow cooker, you will need the following products:
- First you need to prepare all the products. The meat should be washed and cut into small pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into strips. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. Peel the bell peppers and cut into small cubes. Cut the tomatoes into cubes. Peel and chop the garlic.
- First you need to fry the meat. To do this, set the multicooker to the “Baking” mode. Place butter in the bottom of the bowl. When the butter is melted, place the meat in a bowl and fry it until a crust forms. Then add the remaining vegetables to the meat - onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots. Fry everything for 5-10 minutes.
- Pour a little water into the fried meat and vegetables so that it slightly covers them. Add salt, pepper, spices to the dish. Select the “Stew” mode in the multicooker and set the time for 1.5 hours. Close the lid and leave the meat to simmer.
Serve the dish hot, complementing it with your favorite side dish, such as rice or noodles.
Beef with potatoes in a slow cooker
Potatoes with beef cooked in a slow cooker are a universal dish that is perfect for especially busy housewives. With a little effort you can feed the whole family.
- 500 g boneless beef;
- 500 g potatoes;
- 1 large onion;
- 1–2 bay leaves;
- 1 tsp paprika;
- a pinch of dried garlic, black pepper and Provençal herbs;
- 1 tsp without a hill of salt;
- 1 tsp sunflower oils.
Preparation:
- Cut the beef randomly, the main thing is that the pieces are not very large.
- Having set the multicooker to the “frying” mode, drop the oil into the bowl, and as soon as it is heated, add the meat. Wait a couple of minutes for it to brown and stir. Fry for another 3-5 minutes.
- Place onion half rings on top of the meat, without stirring the ingredients, turn the mode to “stew” for 30–35 minutes. You can add just a little water, but even without this the meat will release enough of its own juices, in which it will cook.
- Once the process is complete, add the diced potatoes. There is no need to salt, pepper or even stir. Extend the program for another half hour.
- Now is the time to add salt and spicy ingredients to the dish. By the way, dried garlic can be replaced with fresh garlic.
- All that remains is to mix everything well, simmer under the lid for another five minutes and serve, as they say, piping hot.
Beef stew in a slow cooker - cooking basics
- Beef meat has a specific aroma, so it is necessary to use aromatic spices during cooking or add them to the marinade. Beef also goes well with greens.
- Most often, beef pulp is used for stewing. Preparation of the product should begin with rinsing in cold water, then the film is cut. After which you should remove excess moisture with paper towels.
- The meat is prepared in pieces. It must be cut across the grain, so the juice will remain inside the product. Usually the beef is cut into strips or cubes. But you can also cut a piece into bars or plates. It all depends on the recipe and other ingredients.
- To saturate the taste of the dish and give the product an appetizing crust, the meat is pre-fried in a slow cooker using the “Frying” mode. If your equipment does not provide such a function, then use the “Baking” option.
- Beef should be fried in a small amount of oil. After this, the multicooker switches to the “Stew” mode. Vegetables with spices are added to the meat and stewed until cooked.
- Vegetables that contain a lot of moisture are also used to make the beef juicy. For example, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Additionally, you can add cream or sour cream to the sauce.
Beef in a slow cooker with gravy - photo recipe
Beef can be cooked in completely different ways, but modern housewives increasingly prefer cooking in a slow cooker. Moreover, the process, described in detail in the recipe with photos, is really simple and unpretentious.
- 500 g clean boneless beef;
- 1 tbsp. red wine;
- 1 large onion and carrot each;
- 4 garlic cloves;
- 2 tbsp. thick tomato;
- 500 ml water;
- 100 g pitted prunes;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- a pinch of black pepper, sweet paprika, cinnamon, dry parsley.
Preparation:
- Cut the washed and dried beef tenderloin into oblong slices and fry in a modest amount of oil in the “frying” mode.
2. Cut the onion into large quarter rings, and the carrot into thin strips. Place vegetables in the slow cooker and continue to fry while stirring for about 8-10 minutes.
3. Pour red wine into the dish and, without closing the lid, wait until it evaporates thoroughly.
4. Then add tomato paste, water and spices. Stir one last time and simmer for at least an hour in the appropriate mode.
5. Now throw the prunes into the dish and simmer for about another hour without closing the lid. This trick will help evaporate excess liquid and make the gravy thick and especially tasty.
Beef goulash with sour cream in a slow cooker
Sometimes the meat may not be completely soft when cooked. But if you cook goulash in a slow cooker, the dish always comes out juicy, tender and surprisingly tasty. Beef in this recipe can be successfully replaced with pork, chicken, and lamb.
Ingredients:
- Beef - 500 g;
- Bell pepper - 2 pcs.;
- Carrots - 1 pc.;
- Bulb;
- Tomato paste - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- Sour cream - 3 tbsp. spoons;
- Flour - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- Vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. spoons;
- Salt, spices;
- Greenery.
Cooking method:
- We wash the beef and cut it into pieces.
- Pour oil into the multicooker, turn on the “Fry” mode, and add the meat. Fry the beef on all sides. It will cook for 30 minutes.
- Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut carrots, peppers into strips, and onions into cubes. Add everything to the meat.
- Let's prepare the sauce. To do this, mix sour cream, water, pasta and flour. Mix everything thoroughly using a whisk. Pour this mixture over the meat.
- Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode. We will cook for 1.5 hours.
- Finely chop the greens. Add to almost finished goulash.
- Serve goulash with buckwheat or any other cereal, mashed potatoes.
Interesting from the network
You can cook beef in different ways. But it turns out especially tender and juicy when stewed. According to this recipe, the meat is cooked in its own juices. And herbs and spices will give the dish an amazing aroma. When cooking beef on the stove, keep the heat very low, and as the liquid boils away, add water, table wine or broth.
Ingredients:
- Beef (fillet, pulp, tenderloin) - 1 kg;
- Fresh tomatoes - 6 pcs.;
- Garlic - 2 cloves;
- Onion - 2 pcs.;
- Black pepper, salt;
- Provençal herbs - 1 teaspoon.
Cooking method:
- Cut the beef into small pieces, the onion into small cubes.
- Cut the tomatoes into cubes, chop the garlic.
- Place the meat and vegetables into the multicooker bowl. Add herbs, spices, salt. Mix everything thoroughly.
- Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode. We will cook for 2 hours (for a Panasonic multicooker).
- Serve the finished beef with herbs and vegetable salad.
Cooked in a slow cooker according to this recipe, it has a sweet and sour taste. Coriander gives the meat a spicy note. An excellent dish for a holiday table.
Ingredients:
- Prunes - 200 g;
- Beef - 1 kg;
- Greenery;
- Onions - 3 pcs.;
- Black pepper, salt, coriander.
Cooking method:
- We wash the prunes, fill them with water, and leave them for a while.
- We wash the meat and cut it into small pieces.
- Cut the onion into half rings and place in a separate container.
- Add prunes, coriander, pepper, and salt to the onion. Stir, lightly press the prunes.
- Mix meat with onions and prunes. Leave to marinate for 10-12 hours.
- Place the marinated beef in a multicooker bowl. Set the mode to “Stew” and cook for 2 hours.
- You can serve vegetable salad or mashed potatoes as a side dish. Decorate the meat with herbs.
An amazing dish that can be prepared without much time. Beef should be chosen young and lean. Beef according to this recipe is an exquisite dish and a good option for a holiday table.
Ingredients:
- Beef - 750 g;
- Potatoes - 500 g;
- Carrots - 1 pc.;
- Celery stalk - 0.5 pcs.;
- Garlic - 3 cloves;
- Red wine - 150 ml;
- Water - 0.5 l;
- Onion - 1 pc.;
- A bunch of parsley;
- Spices for meat, salt;
- Champignons - 350 g.
Cooking method:
- We wash the meat and cut it into pieces.
- Pour oil into the multicooker bowl and turn on the “Fry” mode. Fry the beef for 7 minutes.
- Mix wine with water and pour into meat. The liquid should completely cover the beef. Set the mode to “Stew”, it will cook for 20 minutes.
- Cut carrots into strips, onions into half rings, potatoes and celery into medium-sized cubes.
- Finely chop the garlic and parsley.
- Add vegetables and herbs to the meat. Turn on the “Stew” mode and cook for another 15 minutes.
- After the end of the mode, add salt and spices and mix. Set the “Cooking” mode and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Cut the champignons into slices and add to the meat and vegetables. Set the “Stew” mode and cook for another 10 minutes.
Now you know how to cook beef in a slow cooker according to a recipe with a photo. Bon appetit!
Beef dishes cooked in a slow cooker turn out healthy and tender, and have a pleasant taste. To ensure that the meat always turns out tasty, follow these recommendations:
- When preparing beef stew, you can use natural tomato juice instead of fresh tomatoes.
- Choose young meat: old and stringy meat is not suitable for cooking in a slow cooker - the dish will turn out tough.
- Boiled vegetables with butter, stewed cabbage, mashed potatoes, cereals and salads with fresh vegetables are excellent as a side dish for stewed beef.
- Before frying, the beef must be thoroughly dried with a towel or napkins.
- To prevent the beef from becoming tough, you can rub the meat with dry mustard 2-3 hours before cooking.
- You can make a side dish in a slow cooker while cooking beef stew or goulash. For example, steam vegetables. To do this, place a steaming container in the multicooker bowl and place potatoes, green beans, carrots or broccoli on it.
Beef is not very suitable for frying, but it is ideal for stewing.
This method of cooking will make even the toughest and driest meat tender, juicy, and tasty.
Beef with prunes in a slow cooker
Prunes are the secret ingredient that makes beef stewed in a slow cooker unique. Its piquant and slightly sour taste is truly unforgettable.
- 0.7 kg of meat;
- 2 onions;
- 150 g prunes;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 0.5 liters of water or broth;
- 3 tbsp. flour;
- spices to choose from (bay leaf, thyme, coriander);
- salt pepper.
Preparation:
- Cut the meat into thick slices, beat well, and then cut into oblong pieces.
- Lightly grease the multi-cooker bowl with oil and set the appliance to “baking” or “frying” mode. Throw in the onion half rings and fry until they turn golden.
- Next, add the meat, but do not close the lid. If you do this, the beef will release its juices and immediately begin to stew, bypassing the frying process.
- After 8-10 minutes, add flour and mix well. Now it’s the turn of garlic, salt, prunes and selected spices passed through a press.
- Pour in warm water, wait until it boils and switch the equipment to “quenching” mode. Now safely close the lid and simmer the dish for an average of an hour and a half.
Beef with onions and carrots
For meat with carrots and onions take:
Recipe
Step 1
The meat is washed under running water, dried with a paper towel and cut as small as possible.
Oils are poured into the multi-bowl, setting the arch mode. The meat is fried for ten minutes. Add a glass of heated broth or water, lightly salt and pepper.
Add spices if desired. Having set the stewing mode for an hour and a half, leave the meat to cook.
Step 2
At this time, grate the carrots coarsely and cut the onions. Vegetables are mixed with meat, and the mode is set for another half hour.
Beef Stroganoff with beef in a slow cooker - a very tasty recipe
Beef Stroganoff or simply beef Stroganoff skillfully combines Russian and French culinary traditions. The dish is distinguished by its spicy taste and the presence of delicious gravy.
- 0.5 kg of the best beef;
- a little lemon juice;
- 2 large splinters;
- 50 g butter;
- 3 tbsp. olive;
- 200 g sour cream;
- bay leaf, salt, pepper.
Preparation:
- Cut a piece of beef into relatively thin layers. Beat each one well, then cut into long (about 5–6 cm) strips. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to lightly marinate the meat and make it even more tender.
- Turn on the multicooker in the “baking” mode. Pour in the olive oil; once it's hot enough, throw in a generous pat of butter.
- Place onion sliced into half rings in an even layer on the bottom, close the lid and leave for a few (3-5) minutes.
- Dip strips of marinated meat in flour and place on a bed of onions. No need to stir! Without closing the lid, leave the ingredients in their original position for 15 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, add sour cream, stir and simmer in the desired mode for about 15 minutes.
- Turn off the multicooker, throw a couple of bay leaves into the bowl and let the dish rest for about 10 minutes.
Beef with vegetables in a slow cooker
How to cook vegetables with beef if these products require completely different cooking times? Following the recipe given, you will get a dish that is ideal in all respects - soft meat and dense vegetables.
- 500 g beef;
- 2 onions;
- a couple of carrots;
- 400 g cauliflower;
- 3–4 tomatoes;
- 2 sweet peppers;
- taste with salt, pepper and other spices.
Preparation:
- Cut the meat into arbitrary, but not very large, cubes. Place it in the slow cooker. Add onion half rings and add water until it covers the ingredients by about 2/3. Don't add salt!
- Set the stewing program for an average of 2 hours, depending on the initial quality of the meat product. Don't forget to stir a couple of times during the process.
- Now cut the vegetables listed in the recipe (you can have others besides potatoes) into approximately equal pieces and place them in the bowl with the meat.
- There is no need to interfere with them. In this case, they will be cooked as if they were steamed. Naturally, for the next 25–30 minutes you need to set the appropriate mode (steaming).
- At the very end, add salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve after another five minutes.
Beef stew in a slow cooker - the secrets of experienced chefs
- To obtain softness from the meat, it should first be marinated in mustard, soy sauce or mayonnaise. You can also simply use spices as a marinade. The beef is left in a cool place for 2-3 hours.
- The taste of a dish is affected not only by the quality of the product, but also by the age of the animal. If the meat is not young, then it should be beaten with a kitchen hammer.
- If you pre-marinate the meat, you will need less time to stew. Also correctly calculate the amount of spices, since they are also in the marinade. It is necessary to salt the beef only before braising, because the marinade will dry out the moisture from the pieces.
- To extinguish, add water to the multicooker container. For a richer dish, replace it with vegetable or mushroom broth. Do not use vinegar as it will toughen the meat.
- There is a simple secret to cooking flavorful and tender beef. While simmering, add wine or beer. Don't worry about the dish tasting alcoholic; the spirits will evaporate as the sauce simmers.
- When using beef stew with cereal or other dry side dish, pour more liquid into the bowl, then pour the prepared sauce over the dish.
Stewing beef in a slow cooker is very simple. But to prepare a delicious dish with soft and aromatic meat, stick to the recipe and take into account the cooking technology of each ingredient. Bon appetit!