11 Easy Beef Slow Cooker Recipes
Struggling to find recipes using ingredients you already have on hand? Here is a list of some of my favorite easy beef slow cooker recipes with handy substitution options for each!
While I originally wrote each recipe with very specific ingredients in mind for best results, the fact is that sometimes circumstances are not ideal! We can’t always get the exact groceries we want, so it’s great to be flexible.
I pulled together a few of my favorite beef recipes below and have included notes on each so that you can hopefully find something simple and delicious to make with ingredients you already have.
Have questions? Leave a comment and I will try my best to help!!
Recipe #1:
Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos
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Any day is a good day for tacos, but National Taco Day is the ultimate day to eat the most amazing tacos of your life! And to celebrate, I've paired up with some of my best blogger friends to bring you a few new creative recipes including these Slow Cooker Korean Beef Tacos!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds top sirloin excess fat trimmed, sliced into thin pieces
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
- 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 8 taco sized flour tortillas
- 1/2 head red cabbage shredded
- 1/4 cup Sriracha mayo
- fresh cilantro
Substitution Notes:
- top sirloin: any steak or thin cut beef like skirt steak, flank steak or even beef tenderloin
- brown sugar: honey
- sesame oil: omit
- corn starch: flour or tapioca flour
- tortillas: serve over rice instead
- cabbage: kale or omit
Recipe #2:
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy
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It doesn’t get any more classic than pot roast and gravy in the slow cooker. The savory smells of flavorful meat, carrots, and potatoes wafting through your kitchen will tempt just about any appetite and bring waves of nostalgia. Try this classic meal with a few extra ingredients for the most delicious made-from-scratch gravy!
Ingredients
- 2- pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion cut into quartered pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 oz baby carrots
- 16 oz gold potatoes halved or quartered if large
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup tapioca pearls
Substitution Notes:
- chuck roast: use any boneless beef or pork roast with minimal fat
- carrots and potatoes: use any veggies you have on hand that go well with roast. Add root and other hearty veggies at the start, but hold off on any quicker cooking veggies (like squash) until about 2 hours prior to finish time.
- herb and garlic seasoning: use Italian seasoning plus salt
- red wine: add more broth instead
- beef broth: use vegetable or chicken broth or bullion cubes + water
- cornstarch/tapioca pearls: any other thickener like regular flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot powder or just omit for a thinner sauce instead of gravy
Recipe #3:
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
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Slow Cooker Taco Soup is a family favorite dinner that has just a few ingredients and can be made in minutes. My secret ingredients makes it the best taco soup out there for flavor and richness!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, 93% lean
- 1 15oz can fat free refried beans
- 2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
- 1 - 2 cups beef broth (depending on how thick you prefer it)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 4 oz can diced green chilis
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
Substitution Notes:
- ground beef: ground turkey
- refried beans: canned whole black or pinto beans (rinsed) or omit
- diced tomatoes: crushed tomatoes
- frozen corn: canned corn
- canned green chilis: fresh jalapeños or omit
- homemade taco seasoning: packaged taco seasoning
- homemade ranch seasoning: packaged or omit
Recipe #4:
Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles
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If you love the traditional comfort food of Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles but want to make it even a little more rich and hearty try Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles!
Ingredients
- 2 pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup cornstarch whisked with equal amount of water
- 16 oz reames noodles
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Substitution Notes:
- chuck roast: any trimmed and lean roast or steak
- herb and garlic seasoning: Italian seasoning + salt or steak or burger seasoning
- cornstarch: flour
- frozen egg noodles: dried egg noodles (reduce cooking time)
- heavy cream: milk and extra cornstarch
Recipe #5:
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
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There are hundreds of Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipes, why make this one? Because you get rich, delicious flavor with no pre-browning or pre-cooking required! Plus, there is NO FLOUR added to this recipe, just a rich, flavorful and smooth sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef tips
- 1/4 cup sweet onion peeled and diced
- 4 oz carrots peeled and cut into large chunks (or use baby carrots)
- 16 oz potatoes cut into large bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons small tapioca pearls
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth
Substitution Notes:
- stew meat: roast or steak chopped into bite sized pieces
- carrots and potatoes: any root veggies
- other veggie options: add frozen veggie in last hour of cooking, like carrots, peas and corn
- tapioca pearls: flour or cornstarch
- herb and garlic seasoning: Italian seasoning plus salt or steak seasoning
Recipe #6:
Make Ahead: Slow Cooker Beefy Layered Pasta Bake
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Only 6 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time needed for this family favorite recipe that's prepped ahead and ready in your slow cooker when you get home! Who wouldn't love this Slow Cooker Pasta Bake?!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound pasta (I used Pipe Rigate)
- 26 ounces jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup jarred alfredo sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 oz fresh spinach (or sub frozen)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend)
Substitution Notes:
- ground beef: ground turkey
- pasta: any round, spiral or tube shaped pasta
- chicken broth: veggie broth
- fresh spinach: frozen spinach or omit
Recipe #7:
Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole
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It’s tough to find a person who won’t enjoy a serving - or two! - of Slow Cooker Tater Tot Casserole. This tasty recipe leaves the canned soups behind and incorporates heavy cream, beef, veggies, and classic tater tots into a timeless comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning or a favorite seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
- 24 ounces frozen tater tots
- 4 oz shredded cheese
Substitution Notes:
- ground beef: ground turkey
- flour: cornstarch
- herb and garlic seasoning: Italian seasoning + salt or steak seasoning
- heavy cream: milk plus additional thickener
- any shredded cheese and frozen veggie blend should work
Recipe #8:
Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
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For a family-favorite meal, skip the canned sauce and make easy homemade Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes! With a simple ingredient list, this recipe makes plenty of sandwich servings and yummy leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning homemade or store-bought
Substitution Notes:
- ground beef: ground pork or turkey
- fresh green bell pepper: frozen or fresh of any color (or omit)
- onion and garlic: 1 teaspoon of onion and garlic powders
- tomato sauce: crushed or pureed tomatoes
- ketchup: sub for all BBQ sauce
Recipe #9:
Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup
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Need a quick and simple dinner tonight? Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup is a complete meal in a bowl that's not only delicious but so easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups beef broth
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 teaspoon herb and garlic seasoning (or Italian seasoning)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz shell pasta uncooked
Substitution Notes:
- any frozen veggies you like
- any shape pasta you like
- diced tomatoes: crushed tomatoes
Recipe #10:
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Burritos
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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Burritos are the easy alternative to take-out. A perfect summer family meal all wrapped up!
Ingredients
- 2 pound round beef roast
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- juice from one lime
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 cup prepared pico de gallo
- .5 cup sour cream
- 8 burrito sized flour tortillas
Substitution Notes:
- round roast: any lean cut of roast or steak
- onions and garlic: 1 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder
- fresh lime juice: bottled lime juice or omit
- chipotle chili powder: regular chili powder
- beef broth: other broth or water
- tortillas and toppings: serve over rice or cauliflower rice with any toppings you have on hand (cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.)
Recipe #10:
Substitution Notes:
- skirt steak: flank steak, beef tenderloin or other lean steak
- beef broth: water
- dark brown sugar: light brown sugar or honey
- jarred minced garlic: garlic powder
- Sriracha: other hot sauce
Recipe #11:
Slow Cooker Spicy Beef Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 pound beef stew meat
- 2 cups spicy marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 14.5oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or regular diced tomatoes if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 oz dried tortellini pasta noodles
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
- grated parmesan cheese for serving optional
Substitution Notes:
- stew meat: ground beef (cooked) or chopped up steak
- spicy marinara: any spaghetti or tomato based pasta sauce
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes: regular diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- tortellini pasta: any pasta noodles
