Tender beef, slowly cooked in a rich, creamy Thai red curry sauce, with just the perfect amount of heat (I’ve got some recommendations for different heat levels too).
This beef Thai curry comes together easily with the slow cooker doing most of the work. A lovely warming curry for a cold evening.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I LOVE a good curry, especially on colder nights like these. I just find them so warming and comforting, especially when they have just a hint of heat to them.
I especially love curry recipes where the slow cooker does all the work! This way I can do a little prep in the morning, then go about my day and I have a delicious meal all ready to serve once I’m done. Not only does the slow cooker do most of the work for me, it also makes the beef SO juicy and tender. 😋
📋 Ingredients
Curry Paste – Red curry paste can be very strong in flavour and heat level depending on the variety you buy. Here are the ones I use most often:
- Mae Ploy and Thai Taste (<–affiliate links) are both relatively hot but nicely authentic in flavour.
- If I want a milder red Thai curry that the kids will enjoy, I use Waitrose own brand of Thai red curry paste. It’s still got a good flavour, but is actually quite mild.
Braising Beef – I use fairly inexpensive braising/casserole or stewing/chuck steak. It’s a tougher cut of meat that becomes wonderfully tender with longer, slower cooking times.
Coconut Milk – I use full-fat coconut milk as it adds a nice subtle creamy sweetness. If you don’t want to use coconut milk replace it with an extra 160ml (2/3 cup) beef stock plus 120ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream.
Thai Basil – This is a Southeast Asian type of basil that has a flavour profile that’s quite different to Italian basil. Thai basil is more peppery with hints of mint and aniseed and is more spicy than sweet. You can usually find it in larger supermarkets with the other fresh herbs.
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Season and sear the beef. I sear it right in the slow cooker on the searing function , but you can do the frying stages in a pan and transfer to the slow cooker if your slow cooker doesn’t have a searing function.
- Add the onion and cook until softened.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients (apart from the green beans and lime juice), and stir together until it’s all heated through.
- Cook in the slow cooker for 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
- When there’s 30 minutes left on your cooking time, add in the green beans and lime juice and stir together before cooking for the remaining time.
- At this point, you can stir in a cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce but this step is optional.
- Serve over rice with your favourite toppings.
Pro Tip
You can adjust the spice level based on the type of red curry paste you use. See notes in the recipe card for more info.
Those green beans add a nice little crunch, and the beef is so tender and flavourful.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
🍲 More fantastic slow cooked curries
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make it in the same way, but instead of cooking in the slow cooker, add to to a casserole pan with a lid and cook in the oven at 160C/325F for 3-4 hours, until the beef is very tender. Add the green beans and lime juice for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Check every hour or so to ensure the sauce isn’t running dry. Top up with a splash of boiling water if it’s starting to look dry.
Yes, this recipe can be made ahead, then cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan, over a medium heat, stirring occasionally (be careful not to break up the beef too much), until piping hot throughout.
Yes, make the recipe, then cool, cover and freeze.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat, as per the make-ahead instructions above.
Swap the red Thai curry paste for your favourite curry paste. Jalfrezi, Madras, Balti and Tikka curry paste all work well.
Add in extra vegetables. Mushrooms, courgette (zucchini) and baby new potatoes can all go in when you add everything to the slow cooker. Broccoli and bamboo shoots can be added in for the last 30 minutes of cooking, and baby spinach can be stirred in right at the end.
Don’t want to use coconut milk? replace the 400ml (14 floz) coconut milk with an extra 160ml (2/3 cup) beef stock plus 120ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream.
Want a change from beef? Swap it out for lamb (I use diced lamb shoulder steaks or neck).
I make it in a big batch, then usually freeze half for later.
However, if you want to halve this recipe to serve 4 people, it’s better to do it in a smaller slow cooker. You can halve all of the ingredients, but the cook-time will still be the same.
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If your slow-cooker has a searing function, turn the searing function to high. If it doesn’t, you can do the frying stage in a large frying pan and transfer to the slow cooker later.
Heat the oil using the searing function (or heat on a high heat in the frying pan).
2 tbsp oil
Add the beef and sprinkle the salt and pepper on top. Stir together and sear until lightly browned (about 6-8 minutes). If you find lots of liquid coming off your beef, you can spoon it off and add an extra drizzle of oil (we want the beef to fry, not boil).
1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) braising beef, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
Add in the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened.
1 large onion
Add in the garlic, ginger, lemongrass paste, Thai curry paste, stock, sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk and Thai basil. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
4 cloves garlic, 2 tsp minced ginger, 2 tsp lemongrass paste, 90 g (6 tbsp) red Thai curry paste*, 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) strong beef stock, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce, 400 ml (14 oz) tin full fat coconut milk, 15 fresh Thai basil leaves
If you were using a frying pan, transfer the contents to your slow cooker now. Place your slow cooker lid on and cook on the slow cooker programme for 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, add in the green beans, and lime juice. Stir together, place the lid on and cook for 30 minutes more.
200 g (7 oz) fine green beans, sliced in half, 1 tbsp lime juice
If you want to thicken the sauce a little, slowly pour in the cornstarch and water mixture whilst stirring – until the sauce is thick enough.
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
Serve over rice and add a couple (or all) of your favourite toppings. I like coriander (cilantro), Thai basil, Thai chillies, toasted peanuts and lime slices.
Sticky rice, chopped coriander (cilantro), Thai basil leaves, finely chopped fresh Thai chillies, chopped toasted peanuts, slices of lime
Curry Paste
Red curry paste can be very strong in flavour and heat level depending on the variety you buy. Here are the ones I use most often:- Mae Ploy and Thai Taste (<–affiliate links) are both relatively hot but nicely authentic in flavour.
- If I want a milder red Thai curry that the kids will enjoy, I use Waitrose own brand of Thai red curry paste. It’s still got a good flavour, but is actually quite mild.
Can I cook it in the oven?
Yes, make it in the same way, but instead of cooking in the slow cooker, add to to a casserole pan with a lid and cook in the oven at 160C/325F for 3-4 hours, until the beef is very tender. Add the green beans and lime juice for the last 20 minutes of cooking.Check every hour or so to ensure the sauce isn’t running dry. Top up with a splash of boiling water if it’s starting to look dry.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, this recipe can be made ahead, then cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan, over a medium heat, stirring occasionally (be careful not to break up the beef too much), until piping hot throughout.Can I freeze it?
Yes, make the recipe, then cool, cover and freeze.Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat, as per the make-ahead instructions above.
Ingredient swaps
- Swap the red Thai curry paste for your favourite curry paste. Jalfrezi, Madras, Balti and Tikka curry paste all work well.
- Add in extra vegetables. Mushrooms, courgette (zucchini) and baby new potatoes can all go in when you add everything to the slow cooker. Broccoli and bamboo shoots can be added in for the last 30 minutes of cooking, and baby spinach can be stirred in right at the end.
- Don’t want to use coconut milk? replace the 400ml (14 floz) coconut milk with an extra 160ml (2/3 cup) beef stock plus 120ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream.
- Braising beef gets deliciously tender in the slow cooker, which is why I like to use it for big-batch recipes like these, if you can’t get your hands on it however, you can swap it for Stewing Steak.
Slow Cooker
I cook this recipe in a large (5.6 litre/6-quart) slow cooker that has a searing function (so I don’t have to brown things in a separate pan). This is the slow cooker (<– affiliate link) I have, but I think they’ve stopped selling it now.Morphy Richards also do a good ‘Sear and Stew’ slow cooker with a searing function and Cuisinart do a Sauté slow cooker.
How to scale down this recipe
I make it in a big batch, then usually freeze half for later. However, if you want to halve this recipe to serve 4 people, it’s better to do it in a smaller slow cooker. You can halve all of the ingredients, but the cook-time will still be the same. Nutritional information is per serving, based on this recipe serving 8 people.Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1986IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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