Get ready for a flavour-packed dinner with this Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry - it's ridiculously easy, with no browning required! Mildly spiced and perfect for the whole family, this dish will become a weeknight favourite, especially when you're short on time!
Beef Massaman Curry is one of my husband's go-to orders when we eat out at a Thai restaurant. I love to recreate takeaway recipes at home ( have you checked out my Five Guys Style Burger or my Chinese Crispy Shredded Chicken?) so this was next on my list.
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I decided to see if I could recreate it in the slow cooker, so that with a little bit of prep in the morning we could have a hearty, family meal ready when everyone was home later in the day. Another great idea to do this with is with this slow-cooked pulled beef brisket.
My kids aren't great with spice, so this Massaman curry is ideal because although it is PACKED with flavour, it isn't actually that spicy. Of course, you can always sprinkle over some sliced red chillies if you want to heat things up a bit!
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🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make this beef massaman curry in the slow cooker. To find out how to make it allergy-friendly, simply scroll down to the section below this one.
- Diced Beef - The best cuts are braising steak or stewing steak, which can be bought pre-diced for ease. Although a cheaper cut of meat, because we are cooking it low and slow the beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Potatoes - I used Maris piper potatoes, which are a good all-rounder potato.
- Massaman Curry Paste - To make this a quick dish to prepare, I have used a shop-bought curry paste. I picked mine up at Sainsbury's, however, most major supermarkets do their own version or you can buy it on Amazon. Here is a recipe if you want to make your own paste.
- Onion
- Fish Sauce - Don't be put off by the smell of this! It gives such a rich, delicious Unami flavour and is an essential ingredient in Thai cooking.
- Brown Sugar - Helps to balance out the flavour.
- Coconut Milk - Use full-fat coconut milk in a tin as it is thicker than the low-fat version. You can also use 100g of creamed coconut and mix it with 400ml of boiling water to make your own.
- Lime Juice - This is used to boost all the different flavours and bring a fresh zing to the curry.
- Flour - The beef is coated in the flour before adding to the slow cooker to help thicken up the curry sauce.
- Beef Stock - Added to the coconut milk to make up the sauce - you can leave this out if you prefer a thicker sauce.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥜 How Can I Make This Dish Allergy Friendly?
✔️ Make It Fish/Crustacean Free: Traditionally massaman curry paste contains shrimp paste (crustaceans). I have found a vegan version from Ocado which would be suitable if you have a fish allergy. You will also need to use a vegan " fish sauce", which you can pick up on Ocado too, but note that this does contain soya.
✔️ Make It Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour to coat the beef and check the ingredients of the stock cube to ensure it is gluten-free.
✏️ How to Make Slow Cooker Massaman Curry
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Coat the diced beef in the flour and set aside. I love using a zip lock bag for this - just toss the beef in with the flour, give it a good shake, and it's perfectly coated.
There's hardly any mess to clean up. So much easier than using bowls or plates!
Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix the curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk, made-up stock, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice to make the sauce.
Step 3: Finely dice the onion and peel the potatoes, chopping them into chunks about the same size as the beef so they cook evenly.
Pop them straight into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step 4: Once the onions and potatoes are in place, pour the sauce all over them.
Step 5: Place your flour-coated beef on top of the vegetables and sauce. No need to stir - just let the slow cooker do its thing!
The beef will soak up all the lovely flavours as it cooks.
Step 6: Cook on low for 8 hours. When it's done, give it a good stir to mix everything together before serving.
Step 7: Dish up the curry with some fluffy steamed rice, a grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of fresh coriander. Enjoy!
🤔 Can I Use A Different Type Of Meat?
Absolutely! While beef is traditional for Massaman curry, you can easily swap it for chicken, lamb, or even pork. Just adjust the cooking time depending on the meat - chicken will typically take around 5-6 hours on low.
💡 Lauren's Tips
- ✔️ Prep the night before: If you're short on time in the morning, prep everything the night before. Store the prepped ingredients in the fridge, then just toss them into the slow cooker in the morning and switch it on.
- ✔️ Evenly: Chop the potatoes into chunks roughly the same size as the beef so everything cooks evenly.
- ✔️ Seasoning: Both the stock and fish sauce have a high salt content, so you will not need to add any more salt to the dish to season it. A grind of black pepper is delicious just before serving.
- ✔️ Add Spice: Traditionally, although full of flavour, massaman is a mild spiced curry. Sprinkle over sliced red chilli before serving if you prefer some heat.
- ✔️ Don't skip the lime juice: The fresh lime juice adds a lovely zing to balance out the richness of the coconut milk and spices. It's a small step that makes a big difference in flavour!
🥡 Storage / Reheating / Freezing
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat, either place in the microwave or reheat in a saucepan for a few minutes until piping hot.
To freeze, let the curry cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.
💬 Recipe FAQs
No need! One of the best things about this recipe is that you skip the browning step. Just coat the beef in flour and pop it straight into the slow cooker - less hassle and fewer dishes!
Yes, you can cook this curry on high for around 4-5 hours if you're short on time. However, cooking on low for 8 hours will give you more tender beef and a better flavour overall.
If the sauce is too thin at the end of cooking, you can remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to let it reduce. Alternatively, you can stir in a cornflour (cornstarch) slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) to thicken it up quickly.
We love to serve it with white fluffy rice, but you can also serve it with flatbreads like gluten- free naan, or even try some stir-fried greens.
⚡ More Asian Inspired Recipes
Looking for more like this? Try these:
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry
Equipment
- Ziplock Bag optional
Ingredients
- 600 g ( 1.3lb ) diced beef
- 450 g ( 1lb) Maris piper potatoes approx 4
- 5 tablespoon massaman curry paste
- 400 ml ( 1¾ cups ) coconut milk
- 100 ml ( ½ cup ) beef stock
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 lime juice of
- 2 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Coat the diced beef in the flour and set aside. I like to put it in a zip lock bag and toss until it's combined - far less messy!
- In a medium bowl whisk together the curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk, made-up stock and lime juice to make the sauce.
- Dice the onion finely and peel & chop the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the beef. Place at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Pour over the sauce.
- Add the floured beef to the top of the slow cooker, no need to stir in!
- Cook on low for 8 hours, stir before serving.
- Serve with a fresh coriander garnish, a grind of black pepper and fluffy steamed rice.
Notes
- Prep the night before: If you're short on time in the morning, prep everything the night before. Store the prepped ingredients in the fridge, then just toss them into the slow cooker in the morning and switch it on.
- Chop Evenly: Chop the potatoes into chunks roughly the same size as the beef so everything cooks evenly.
- Seasoning: Both the stock and fish sauce have a high salt content, so you will not need to add any more salt to the dish to season it. A grind of black pepper is delicious just before serving.
- Add Spice: Traditionally, although full of flavour, massaman is a mild spiced curry. Sprinkle over sliced red chilli before serving if you prefer some heat.
- Don't skip the lime juice: The fresh lime juice adds a lovely zing to balance out the richness of the coconut milk and spices. It's a small step that makes a big difference in flavour!
A says
Such an easy recipe to prepare in advance, my children love this one.