Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew made with Thai Red Curry is a flavor explosion. Simple to make, this easy Thai Red Curry Beef simmers all day for melt-in-your-mouth tender beef with a hint of spice. Serve over rice or couscous for the ultimate cozy dinner.

Thai Red Curry Beef Stew on a bed of couscous in a blue bowl.


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Thai Red Curry Beef

Requests for slow cooker recipes are starting to pour in. I have a ton….I shared one. And with the holiday rush now behind us, I agree that we should be using the slow cooker more than ever. It ‘s nice to come home from a long day at work to a nice hot meal that’s not delivered by your favorite Door Dash delivery person.

I love my slow cooker, it’s a real workhorse in the kitchen these days. It’s reliable if the ingredients are prepped in the right way to build maximum flavor with which your stew will cook in.

Thai Red Curry Beef Stew in a blue bowl with a blue fork on a white background.

What is Thai Red Curry Beef?

This Thai Red Curry Beef recipe is adapted from the Williams Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking book. It’s slightly spicy so you can definitely trim back the heat a little bit by using less curry paste but I like my food spicy….so there you have it. It will intensify overnight so keep that in mind if you plan to take leftovers to work the next day.

Red curry is a popular dish from Thailand consisting of red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with meat added. In this case we used beef but any type of mea would work well such as chicken, pork, duck or shrimp, or vegetarian protein source like tofu.

Don’t be turned off by the prep work, the list of unsuccessful “Crock Pot” dinners I know of are those where everything is thrown into the pot without browning the meat or imparting some level of flavor first. It’s very rare a recipe exists where you throw and go with stellar results. The only one I really know of is this Slow Cooker Philly Chicken Cheesesteak.

Thai Red Curry Beef in a slow cooker

What Is Red Curry Paste?

Most curry recipes include a type of curry paste. This recipe uses Red Curry Paste.

The main ingredients in red curry paste include dried red chili peppers, garlic, shallots, galangal, shrimp paste, salt, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and lemongrass.

The difference between red curry and green curry is the color of the peppers used to make it. And red curry is substantially spicier than green curry with a more savory note to the flavor.

Thai red curry beef in a blue bowl

How To Make Beef Stew

The 10-15 minutes you need to get this Beef Stew recipe started are worth the effort. And you’ll only have one pan to clean and maybe a bowl. You will be rewarded with an amazing meal after a long day of listening to your coworker drone on about the Keto diet.

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or if you have a Crock Pot with an insert that’s safe for stovetop cooking, use that. This is the Slow Cooker I have and LOVE because of the removable insert.
  2. Add the beef and brown on all sides working in batches, if necessary.
  3. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute over med-high heat. 
  5. Add the curry paste and stir until it coats the onion and garlic, approximately 30 seconds.
  6. Deglaze the pan with the coconut milk, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  7. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and heat to boiling.
  8. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker and add the coconut milk mixture. 
  9. Cover and cook until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened, approximately 3 hours on the high setting or 6 hours on the low setting.

I like to serve this over pearled couscous, also know as, Israeli Couscous . You can serve it over rice or just eat it like a stew with a side of bread for dipping. It’s also amazing on top of a bowl of buttered noodles. 

If you want to make the sauce a little thicker, whisk together 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons coconut milk until smooth and then stir it into the sauce.

Overhead shot of thai red curry beef on a bed of couscous with a lime.

If you still need a new Slow Cooker and the other one is not your style, I also love this one by Crock Pot! It’s programmable and has a warming function that’s super handy. The price is right, too!

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

This easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew is one of my favorite dinners and the leftovers are even better the next day….as is with almost all beef stew recipes. Don’t you agree?

If you’re looking for even more easy Crock Pot and Slow Cooker recipes, be sure to check out this Slow Cooker French Dip….it’s soooo amazing. But we LOVE this Crock Pot Pork Loin Roast and this super easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf.

And don’t miss out on this Chicken Pot Pie Soup….it’s insanely easy to make, too.

French Dip sandwich close up shot of being dipped into au jus.

We’re always sharing our behind the scenes over on Instagram, as well as, fun and easy recipes! Be sure to give us a follow so you don’t miss a thing!

Overhead shot of thai red curry beef on a bed of couscous with a lime.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry Beef Stew

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Hearty and slightly spicy, this flavorful Thai Red Curry Beef Stew is super easy to make with the help of your slow cooker.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast , cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 vidalia onion, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minces
  • 1/2 cup Thai red curry paste
  • 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk, 13.5 ounces each
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, toss the beef with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper to coat evenly.
  • In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat and, in batches, saute the beef until browned on all sides. Approximately 5 minutes.
  • Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute over med-high heat.
  • Add the curry paste and stir until it coats the onion and garlic, approximately 30 seconds.
  • Deglaze the pan with the coconut milk, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and heat to boiling.
  • Transfer the beef to the slow cooker and add the coconut milk mixture.
  • Cover and cook until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened, approximately 3 hours on the high setting or 6 hours on the low setting.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Thai Red Beef Curry can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can also freeze your beef stew in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 561mg, Potassium: 544mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2347IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 4mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: thai