This Slow Cooker Beef will be become your favourite Sunday Roast - incredibly tender slow cooked beef in a rich gravy. 10/10 for flavour and almost zero effort! This recipe is gluten free and slimming friendly.
1.4kg(3 pounds) beef joint such as brisket or topside
Salt and pepper to season
60ml(¼ cup) red or white wine(or stock) to deglaze pan
2onions, roughly chopped
4carrots, halved (add more if you like)
6potatoes, peeled and halved (optional)
3tbspbalsamic vinegar
3tbspsoy sauce(or Tamari for GF version)
1tbspWorcestershire sauce
2tbspconcentrated tomato paste
3garlic cloves, minced
1/2tspsalt
480ml(2 cups) hot beef stock (low sodium beefbroth)
2Bay leaves
1tbspcornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 1 tbsp cold water
Salt and pepper to season
2tbspflat leaf parsley, chopped to garnish
Instructions
Take the beef joint out of the fridge for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season well with salt and pepper.
Spray a large pan or casserole dish with olive oil spray and sear the beef on all sides until nicely coloured. This can take up to 10-15 minutes but adds so much flavour so don’t skip!
Set the beef aside and deglaze the pan with white wine (or red wine or beef stock), scraping any browned bits into the stock with the back of a wooden spoon.
Add the onions and carrots and stir until they get a bit of colour and and almost all of the liquid is gone.
Add beef stock (broth), soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, minced garlic, salt and bay leaves to your slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Add the beef and then the vegetables, pushing them down into the liquid. Check the levels of the stock, it should come up halfway up the side of your joint. Top with extra hot beef stock if necessary.
Cover the slow cooker and cook your beef joint for 5-8 hours on LOW or 3-6 hours on HIGH. A large topside joint requires around 5-6 hours on LOW setting or 3 on HIGH whereas a brisket can happily cook for up to 8 on LOW and 6 on HIGH. If you can, flip the beef joint over about halfway through the cooking.
Check the beef using a digital thermometer (this is best for a Topside joint which requires less coooking time – Medium rare - 55°C (131°F) | Medium - 60°C ( 140°F) | Medium well - 65°C (149°F) | Well done - 70°C+ (158°F).
Remove the joint from the crockpot and rest for half an hour, loosely covered with foil.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the slow cooker. Strain all the liquid into a saucepan discarding any solids.
Stir in the cornflour slurry and bring the gravy to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced. Taste and season if needed.
Slice the beef against the grain and arrange on a platter with the vegetables. Drizzle with some of the gravy and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Serve the roast allowing everyone to pour extra gravy on top - SO YUMMY!
Video
Notes
Is this recipe Slimming Friendly?This slow cooker beef roast is totally slimming friendly! Simply remove any fat from the meat before (or after) cooking. If you are storing leftovers you can skim any fat easily as it will solidify.Make sure to fill your plate with some extra vegetables like steamed broccoli, green beans or steamed spinach.There's 9 Weight Watchers SmartPoints and under 400 calories per serving.TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SLOW COOKER BEEF RECIPE
Remove the meat from the fridge and pat the topside of beef dry as much as possible. Season really well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Brown the beef before cooking. This triggers the Maillard reaction which adds tons of flavour to your pot roast. If you are really short of time you can 'dump and go' skipping this step but for the best flavour sear the meat first.
Deglaze the pan - pour wine or stock into the hot pan after you have set the beef aside. Use the back of the spoon to scrape any browned bits into the stock.
If your beef is a little tough, even after cooking for 8 hours, slice then add back in the pot for another hour.
If you haven't time to prep the meat in the morning, do the prep work the night before. Add all the ingredients in your slow cooker and allow to cool then store in the fridge overnight (in the slow cooker if fridge space allows, otherwise in a suitable container). The next day turn your cooker on and forget about it for at least 8-9 hours. The roast might take longer to cook if cooked straight from the fridge.
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Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World or Weight Watchers. Those plans are often updated in line with latest nutritional guidance and may change so for accurate information it is best to join as a member.
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Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.