An easy slow cooker beef curry recipe made with tender chunks of diced beef! It's a fuss-free dump-and-go slow cooker recipe meaning only 5 minutes of prep and no browning is required!
Medium spiced, aromatic, and fragrant, this easy slow cooker curry with beef is perfect for your next curry night, served with homemade pilau rice and fluffy naan bread!
This crockpot beef curry is definitely one of the spicier curries I make, but the kids eat their portion with some plain yogurt, which tones down the spice a touch!
It's a delicious meal for busy weeknights as it requires such little effort!
👩🍳 Love slow cooker curries? Try my easy slow cooker chicken curry too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Delicious spicy beef curry (but you can make it milder if you prefer!).
- Tomato based curry sauce.
- Dump and go slow cooker recipe.
- Rich and warming.
- Freezer friendly.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Diced Beef - diced braising steak (sometimes labelled as stewing steak) is best for slow cooking.
- Onion, garlic and fresh ginger - chopped finely.
- Chopped Tomatoes - or use passata if you prefer a smoother curry sauce.
- Tomato Puree - for depth of flavour.
- Mango Chutney - add a lovely sweetness to the curry and helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Spices - I used a medium curry powder, ground cumin, chilli, garam masala, cadamom pods and paprika.
- Salt, Pepper and Sugar - for seasoning.
- Fresh Coriander (optional) - for garnish
🥄 Equipment
Which slow cooker? I use a Morphy Richards Sear and Stew 6.5 litre slow cooker, which means I can brown and slow cook in the same pot as the slow cooker pot is safe to use on the hob! The 6.5 litre capacity serves 6-8 main portions, so it’s ideal for families and those that like batch cooking. There is also a 3.5 litre version for smaller households
A mini chopper also comes in handy for speedy chopping of vegetables like onion and garlic! It’s also a great way of hiding vegetables for fussy kids.
🔪 How to make beef curry in slow cooker
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker basin.
Two: Place the diced beef on top.
Three: Mix together the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, mango chutney, spices, salt, pepper, and sugar in a jug.
Four: Pour the curry sauce into the slow cooker and give everything a good mix.
Five: Cook on high for 3.5 hours and then a further 30 minutes without the lid on to thicken up the sauce (or cook for 8 hours on a low setting).
💭 Expert tips
- For a less chunky, smooth curry sauce use passata instead of chopped tomatoes and use a food processor to chop the onion, garlic and ginger so it turns more into a paste.
- I don't brown the meat, but I'm going to level with you here. There is a slight flavour enhancement from browning the meat first due to the maillard reaction. If you have time, by all means brown the meat first...but I never have time, so I just don't bother!
- To thicken the sauce I leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking. You can also use thickening granules or a cornflour slurry.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve this easy beef curry with pilau rice or turmeric rice, naan bread, mango chutney, and pickles. I'll often make a milder creamier curry to serve alongside it for the kids (this mild chicken curry is very child-friendly!).
📖 Variations
- Make a mild slow cooker beef curry by leaving out the chilli powder and adding half a tin of coconut milk. You can also stir through some double cream at the end of cooking for a korma-style sauce.
- Like your curry hot? Use madras curry powder and extra chilli powder.
- Add vegetables to the beef curry! Cubed sweet potato and butternut squash work well in a slow cooker, or wilt in some baby spinach at the end of cooking.
- Add a tin of drained chickpeas to bulk it out.
🥡 Storage
Store: The cooked beef curry can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave until piping hot. Alternatively, put the curry in a saucepan and reheat it on the hob.
Freeze: Allow to cool then place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge.
❓ Frequently asked questions
No you don't need to. Browning the beef before slow cooking adds about a little more flavour but I don't usually bother due to time constraints.
Yes, you can swap the curry powder for curry paste. Use 200g of curry paste instead of the specified 4 tablespoons of curry powder.
Pilau rice, plain basmati rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, naan bread, chapatis, flatbreads, poppadoms, mango chutney, red onion, raita, and lime pickle all go nicely with beef curry.
4 hours on high or 7.5 - 8 hours on low.
😋 More slow cooker recipes you might like
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Pork & Apple Casserole
- Slow Cooker Roast Beef
- Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
- Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
- Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole
- Slow Cooker Diet Coke Chicken
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Beef Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Onions peeled and finely chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
- 1 kg Diced Beef braising steak
- 400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 4 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- 4 tablespoon Medium Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 3 Cardamom Pods bruised with the back of a knife
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker basin.2 Onions, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger
- Place the diced beef on top.1 kg Diced Beef
- Mix together the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, mango chutney, spices, salt, pepper, and sugar in a jug.400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 4 tablespoon Mango Chutney, 4 tablespoon Medium Curry Powder, 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, 1 teaspoon Paprika, 3 Cardamom Pods, ½ teaspoon Chilli Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- Pour the curry sauce into the slow cooker and give everything a good mix.
- Cook on high for 4 hours and then a further 30 minutes without the lid on to thicken up the sauce (or cook for 8 hours on a low setting).
Notes
- For a less chunky, smooth curry sauce use passata instead of chopped tomatoes and use a food processor to chop the onion, garlic and ginger so it turns more into a paste.
- I don't brown the meat, but I'm going to level with you here. There is a slight flavour enhancement from browning the meat first due to the maillard reaction. If you have time, by all means brown the meat in a frying pan first...but I never have time, so I just don't bother!
- To thicken the sauce I leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking. You can also use thickening granules or a cornflour slurry.
- Make a mild slow cooker beef curry by leaving out the chilli powder and adding half a tin of coconut milk. You can also stir through some double cream at the end of cooking for a korma style sauce.
- Like your curry hot? Use madras curry powder and extra chilli powder.
- Add vegetables to the beef curry! Cubed sweet potato and butternut squash work well in a slow cooker, or wilt in some baby spinach at the end of cooking.
- Add a tin of drained chickpeas to bulk it out.
Dana Sandonato
This is such a cozy recipe and such a nice way to enjoy beef in a new way—a way that isn't the same ol' stew!
Toni
I love how flavorful this is!! Can't wait to make it again!
Beth
I love all the rich, earthy flavors in this one. I REALLY love that I don't have to brown anything.
Soniya
Looks and sounds so delicious! Love one pot meals especially slow cooker.. can't wait to make it
Michele
Thank you so much! My family loved this recipe, and I loved how easy it was to make. We will be making this again and again.
Joanne Buchanan
This is such an excellent recipe. I make up 3 times the spice quantity which works out to be about 4 tablespoons of spice blend per cooking. The end flavor is so lovely and hearty, thank you from a cook based in New Zealand
Beth Sachs
So glad you enjoyed it!
Emma
This is currently in my slow cooker!
As some one said above, it’s different to the same old stew!
Can’t wait to have it tonight.
Beth Sachs
Enjoy!