Slow Cooker Sesame Ginger Beef

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef stew meat (Roughly 1.5- to 2-inch pieces; chuck roast cut into roughly 2-inch pieces also works.)
• 0.5 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce for a gluten-free version; check labels.)
• 0.333 cup packed brown sugar (Reduce to ¼ cup for a less-sweet sauce, as suggested by the author.)
• 0.25 cup beef broth (Check the label if preparing the gluten-free variation.)
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (Plus more for serving, if desired; the additional amount is unmeasured.)
• 4 garlic (Cloves, minced; 4 frozen garlic cubes may be used instead.)
• 1.5 tbsp fresh ginger (Freshly grated; about 5 ginger cubes may be used instead.)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (Add more, use less, or omit according to preference.)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (For the slurry.)
• 2 tbsp water (For the slurry.)
• cooked jasmine rice (For serving; amount not specified.)
• green onions (Sliced, for serving; amount not specified.)
• sesame seeds (For serving; amount not specified.)
• chili crisp or chili oil (Optional, for serving; amount not specified. Check the label for gluten if needed.)
• green vegetable (For serving; the author suggests lightly sautéed sugar snap peas or another green vegetable. Amount not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the stew meat in the slow cooker.

2. 2

   Add the soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, beef broth, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes over the meat. Give everything a quick stir if desired; the author notes it is also fine not to stir.

3. 3

   Cover and cook until the beef is fall-apart tender: 6–7 hours on low or 3–4 hours on high. Slow cookers vary, so begin checking at 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. The beef should be fork-tender but still hold its shape; if it is still chewy, continue cooking until tender, taking care not to overcook it until dry and stringy.

4. 4

   Carefully remove about ¼ to ⅓ cup of cooking liquid and put it in a bowl. Add the cornstarch and water, then whisk until smooth. The author also cautions against adding cornstarch directly to hot sauce because it can clump.

5. 5

   Pour the smooth slurry back into the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.

6. 6

   Cover and cook on high for another 20–30 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. It will thicken a little more as it sits.

7. 7

   Serve the beef over cooked jasmine rice with plenty of sauce spooned over the top. Finish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and chili crisp or chili oil if desired; a drizzle of toasted sesame oil is another suggested finish. Serve with lightly sautéed sugar snap peas or another green vegetable.

Notes

The post description gives different slow-cooker times (8–9 hours on low or 4–5 hours on high) than the linked recipe page, which specifies 6–7 hours on low or 3–4 hours on high and recommends checking early. The linked recipe page is used here as the detailed recipe source; slow-cooker timing varies. For a thicker sauce, the author suggests an additional small slurry made with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. The optional extra slurry is not included in the ingredient quantities above.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• slow cooker
• gluten-free option
• dairy-free
• beef
• comfort food