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Easy Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry Recipe

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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!

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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.

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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!)

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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!

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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.
beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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!)

beef coated in flour in a tray

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.

potatoes and onion in a 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.

beef massaman curry sauce in a bowl

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
beef massaman curry 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.

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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.

beef massaman curry in a white bowl

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beef massaman curry in a white bowl
beef massaman curry in a white bowl
beef massaman curry in a white bowl

Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry - Printable Recipe

Yield: 4 People
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

Packed full of flavour, melt in the mouth beef and hearty potatoes, this beef massaman curry is not only very easy to make but incredibly tasty too!

Ingredients

  • 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)

Essential Equipment

  • 3.5 litre Slow Cooker

Instructions

  1. Coat the diced beef in the flour and set aside. Place the diced potatoes and finely chopped onion into the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. To make the sauce, whisk together the massaman curry paste, chicken stock, coconut cream, fish sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar until runny and dissolved.
  3. Pour the massaman curry sauce over the potatoes and onions then add in the floured beef. Do not stir.
  4. Put on the lid and cook on low for 8 hours.

Notes

I used Jazzy potatoes (a little like baby potatoes) and pre diced beef for this recipe.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 703Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 636mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 2gSugar: 48gProtein: 30g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

About Emma Mason

Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about making your life easier, one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!

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Kelly

Monday 15th of July 2024

Perfect winter warmer that even my teenage son loved!. I loved how the recipe ingredients had most of our pantry staples also. This will definitely be going on our rotation list!

Emma

Monday 15th of July 2024

Hi Kelly. Oh that’s great! I’m so happy you both loved my recipe so much! ☺️ Emma x

Wil

Friday 24th of May 2024

Love this recipe, made it today for the second time! I know not everywhere has coconut cream, but Tesco have creamed coconut, so I use that and disolve into hot water to make the cream on a 1:1 ratio and the sacue is lovely and thick

Emma

Sunday 26th of May 2024

Hi Will. This is a great tip, thank you for taking the time to share it with Kitchen Mason readers!! Emma x

Kevin P

Sunday 7th of April 2024

Nice and easy to follow but far far to much liquid, even using corn flour, was so watery and diluted all the flavours 😔

Emma

Monday 8th of April 2024

Hi Kevin. Oh no! I'm sorry this happened to you. Did you use coconut milk instead of cream? In the tips section, I recommend reducing the amount from 500ml to 400ml, as it's much more runny. Emma x

Andrew K

Saturday 24th of February 2024

followed receipe but with two changes...diced carrots instead of potatoes and browning beef after flouring to seal in flavour. Added corn starch to thicken curry.

Emma

Saturday 24th of February 2024

Hi Andrew. Sounds like a tasty variation! Hope you enjoyed it :) Emma x

Taryn

Monday 19th of February 2024

Hi Emma, I am trying to make it more macro friendly for myself by using extra lean cut diced beef, I've read to use fattier cuts as lean may go dry, how could I prevent this? Could I take the beef out earlier than the rest to keep it more tender?

Emma

Wednesday 21st of February 2024

Hi Taryn. Honestly, I'm not sure. I haven't personally tried using lean meat in place of fattier cuts. I think it's worth giving it a go. And then checking the meat once or twice throughout the cooking process to see what it's like? Sorry I can't be of more help this time. Emma x

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