Name: Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry - Printable Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3.5 litre Slow Cooker; 700 g Diced Beef; 2-3 tbsp Plain Flour; 320 g Potatoes, (Diced); 1 Onion , (Finely Chopped); 200 g Massaman Curry Paste; 400 ml Chicken Stock; 500 ml Coconut Cream; 2 tbsp Fish Sauce; Juice of 1/2 a Lemon; 1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar; Cooked Rice, (To Serve, Optional); Chopped Coriander, (To Serve, Optional)

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Love beef massaman curry? Me too! Originating in Thailand, this incredible recipe is CRAZY delicious, with fall apart beef, packed full of flavour and is basically a dish that you absolutely need in your life! And guess what? I’ve made it super simple for you to recreate using just your slow cooker. You don’t even have to brown the beef first. (Just like my slow cooker mongolian beef recipe.) I LOVE slow cooker recipes like that!

I personally don’t eat beef that often. It’s just not a favourite of mine and the Mr’s. That being said – we both ate a few bites of this beef massaman curry, looked at each other and said, “Oh my life, this is delicious!”

The beef just fell apart and the flavour was incredible! I can also tell you that my house smelt AMAZING when I walked in after a long day at work. I couldn’t have asked any more from this hearty and delicious midweek meal.

The Mr even went in for seconds. (He never does that, EVER!) It’s honestly one of the tastiest things to ever emerge from my slow cooker. SO much flavour!! Speaking of, if you love seriously tasty Asian recipes, you have to check out my easy slow cooker chicken teriyaki recipe too. It’s just as amazing!

Back to the beef massaman curry though. This really is a great recipe to get you into Thai flavours without the serious heat that Thai dishes normally have. (I’ve been to Thailand – trust me, they love their heat!)

It can also be quite cheap for a beef dish. I used the lower priced pre-diced beef cuts and it still melted in my mouth. I believe that ‘low and slow’ cooking can turn even the cheapest cuts of meat into a delicious meal that everyone can enjoy.

You can also now buy pre-made curry pastes which will save you loads of pennies not having to buy 20 different spices/herbs for your cupboard!

Never made a slow cooker beef massaman curry before? I’ve got some tips that I think may just help you out…

Beef Massaman Curry Recipe Tips

I highly recommend using coconut cream over coconut milk. The flavour is much richer and, no surprises, much creamier! It really does make a difference. If you need to use coconut milk however, only use 400ml as it’s much more runny.
Make sure your potatoes and beef are cut to approximately the same size. This just ensures even cooking throughout the whole batch.
When making the beef massaman curry sauce, I like to use a whisk to mix it. This guarantees even distribution of all the flavours and no lumpy bits.
Panicking that the sauce looks a bit pale? Don’t! It will become much darker during the cooking. It gets WAY more appetising I promise!
With the added potatoes, this curry is almost a meal in itself. That being said, you can serve it on it’s own, with some rice or dip in some naan bread. All options are totally yummy.
You’ll notice that I don’t add salt anywhere in this recipe. That’s for two reasons. 1. Fish sauce is very salty! 2. In Thailand, they don’t use salt to season their food. They use ingredients like fish sauce, fresh lemon or lime juice and freshly cracked black pepper if you want to add a little heat.
Be VERY careful with the fish sauce. It’s incredibly powerful stuff and you really don’t need a lot!
Beef massaman curry is a mild Thai curry. (So a good one to start your on your Thai flavour journey!) But if you like your curry a little hotter, finely chop a fresh red chilli and add it in. You can even keep the seeds in if you want an extra fiery kick.
Want to know where to find massaman curry paste? I found a 200g jar in my local Tesco (in the UK.) I’m positive it’s readily available from other large supermarkets too.

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here’s what you will need to serve 4

Ingredients

700g (1 lb 9 oz) Diced Beef
2-3 tbsp Plain Flour
320g (11 oz) Potatoes, Diced *
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
200g (7 oz) Massaman Curry Paste
400ml (1 + 2/3 Cup) Chicken Stock
500ml (2 Cups) Coconut Cream
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
Cooked Rice, To Serve (Optional)
Chopped Coriander, To Serve (Optional)

Essential Equipment

3.5 litre Slow Cooker

*I used Jazzy potatoes – they’re a bit like baby potatoes. Any kind will do though!

Instructions

Firstly, coat the diced beef (700g | 1 lb 9 oz) in the plain flour (2-3 tbsp). Give it a really good mix to ensure everything is evenly and lightly coated. (You may find this easier in a bag – my method got a bit messy!)

Then , if you haven’t already, dice the potatoes (320g | 11 oz) and finely chop the onion (x 1). Try and keep the potatoes roughly the same sort of size as the diced beef if you can. Now place them into the slow cooker.

Time to make the sauce! Lets add the massaman curry paste (200g | 7 oz), chicken stock (400ml | 1 + 2/3 Cup), coconut cream (500ml | 2 Cups), fish sauce (2 tbsp), lemon juice (1/2 lemon) and the brown sugar (1 tbsp) into a large bowl. Give it all a really good mix with a whisk to take out any curry paste lumps.

Pour that beautifully fragrant sauce into the slow cooker over the potatoes and onions. Then add in the coated beef. If any pieces are stuck together, just carefully pull them apart. Avoid the temptation to stir it and just place on the lid. Cook on low for 8 hours.

beef massaman curry sauce and beef in a slow cooker

See – didn’t I tell you the colour would get darker and much more appetising? All that’s left to do is stir it well and serve. It’s entirely up to you whether you have it on it’s own, with some rice or with some naan bread (or similar) to dip into it. Sprinkle with a little chopped coriander if you’re feeling fancy.

How to Freeze Beef Massaman Curry

This is a freezable curry but it’s worth noting that the potatoes will change texture slightly once defrosted and reheated. They tend to become a little mushier. (Technical term!) I promise it will still taste just as delicious though.

Simply pour your curry into freezer bags or plastic tubs (I like to reuse the plastic tubs you get with Chinese and curry takeouts) and make sure you cover the potatoes and beef in sauce to avoid freezer burn.

Defrost your beef massaman curry thoroughly in the fridge and use within 24 hours. To reheat, simply heat through in a saucepan over a low heat until piping hot.

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