The best beef for slow cooking comes from the hard-working parts of the animal: the shoulder, chest and ribs. These cuts are full of connective tissue, which melts into rich gravy after hours of gentle heat. So when you are buying beef for slow cooking, whether it is for a slow cooker, a lidded casserole in the oven or a pot on the hob, go for collagen rather than leanness. For most kitchens, our pick is Beef Chuck 1.5kg. For midweek stews, use Braising Steaks 5x 100g or Extra Lean Diced Beef 400g. You can shop all of them in stewing beef.
Skip the middle man! Every cut in this guide is a live pack from our Cornwall butchery, so the times below are written for the weights we actually sell. Buy the right cut, keep the heat low, and the slow cooker does the rest.
What makes a good beef cut for slow cooking?
A good slow-cooking cut has three things: connective tissue (collagen), some marbling, and enough size to cook for hours without drying out. Over a long cook, the collagen turns to gelatine. That is what makes beef feel soft and juicy and gives the gravy its body. Lean steaks have hardly any collagen, so long cooking just squeezes the moisture out of them. That is why a fillet steak is wasted in a casserole and braising steak is wasted in a frying pan. The tougher the cut feels raw, the better it usually gets after five or more hours.
The best beef cuts for slow cooking (butcher’s ranking)
1. Beef chuck: the best all-rounder
Chuck is the shoulder. It is well marbled, threaded with seams of fat and collagen, and it is forgiving if you leave it an extra hour. You can cook a 1.5kg chuck whole as a pot roast and pull it apart with two forks, or cut it into large chunks for a stew that stays juicy. If you only buy one slow-cooking cut, make it chuck. Our full method is in How to Cook Beef Chuck.
2. Braising steak: classic stews and steak and onions
Braising steak comes as whole slices you can cook as they are or cut into chunks. It suits braised steak and onions, steak pie filling and a traditional stew with dumplings. It needs low and slow cooking. Fried quickly, it will be chewy. If you are not sure how it differs from stewing steak, read Stewing Steak vs Braising Steak.
3. Brisket: pot roast and pulled beef
Brisket is the chest. It has long fibres and a good fat layer that bastes the meat as it cooks. The rolled Brisket Joint 1kg makes a neat Sunday pot roast. Flat Brisket 1.5kg is the cut to pull for sandwiches or to slice thinly across the grain.
4. Diced beef: casseroles, curries and chilli
Our extra lean diced beef has been trimmed of extra fat, so it makes a lighter casserole. Because it is lean, keep it just covered with liquid, keep the lid on, and stop cooking as soon as the chunks are tender.
5. Short ribs: the richest of the lot
1.3-1.7kg Short Beef Ribs are bone-in and generously marbled. After a slow braise they fall off the bone and give you the richest gravy you will ever make. Chill the cooking liquid and lift off the fat before serving.
Slow cooking times for beef (slow cooker and oven)
These times are a starting point for the pack sizes we sell. Slow cookers vary, and a full pot takes longer than a half-full one. The real test is texture: a fork should twist into the meat with no resistance.
| Cut (pack) | Slow cooker LOW | Slow cooker HIGH | Oven, lidded (150°C / fan 130°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diced beef (400g) | 6–8 hours | 4–5 hours | 2½–3 hours |
| Braising steak (5x 100g) | 7–8 hours | 4–5 hours | 2½–3 hours |
| Beef chuck, whole (1.5kg) | 8–10 hours | 5–6 hours | 3½–4 hours |
| Brisket joint (1kg) | 8–10 hours | 5–6 hours | 3½–4 hours |
| Flat brisket (1.5kg) | 9–10 hours | about 6 hours | 4–4½ hours |
| Short ribs (1.3–1.7kg) | 8–9 hours | 5–6 hours | 3–3½ hours |
When you can, cook whole joints on LOW, because the gentle heat gives the collagen time to break down. HIGH works well for diced beef on a busy day. Whichever setting you use, serve the beef steaming hot all the way through.
How to slow cook beef (the method for every cut)
Take the beef out of the fridge 20 minutes before you start and pat it dry. Season it with salt and pepper. Brown it in a hot pan in small batches, so it sears rather than stews. Lift the beef out, then soften onions, carrots and celery in the same pan, add a spoon of tomato purée and deglaze with a splash of stock or red wine. Put everything into the slow cooker or casserole. Add stock until diced beef is just covered, or until it comes halfway to two-thirds up the side of a joint. Put the lid on, set it to LOW and leave it alone. Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and the cook takes longer. Near the end, check for tenderness. Then skim off the fat, taste the gravy and thicken it if you like. A cornflour slurry stirred in for the last 20 minutes does the job.
Common slow-cooking mistakes
Choosing lean cuts. Sirloin, fillet and topside are roasting cuts. Slow cooking makes them dry, not tender. Adding too much liquid. A slow cooker hardly loses any, so start with less than you would use in the oven. Skipping the browning. The beef will still cook, but the gravy will be pale and flat. Adding salt too early. Stock cubes and sauces concentrate as they cook, so season properly at the end. Cooking from frozen. Always defrost beef fully in the fridge first.
For a single cut done step by step, see How to Cook Braising Steak in the Slow Cooker, How to Cook Brisket in the Slow Cooker and How to Cook Diced Beef in the Slow Cooker. If you are cooking on a budget, Cheap Cuts of Beef That Eat Like Expensive Ones covers the money side. Browse the whole counter in beef.
FAQ
What is the best beef for slow cooking?
Beef chuck is the best all-rounder: it is shoulder meat with plenty of marbling and connective tissue, so it turns soft and juicy after a long, gentle cook. Brisket, braising steak and short ribs come next. Lean steaks and roasting joints such as fillet, sirloin and topside are better roasted or pan-fried, as they dry out over long cooking.
How long does stewing beef take to cook in a slow cooker?
Diced stewing beef usually needs 6–8 hours on LOW or 4–5 hours on HIGH. In the oven, a lidded casserole at 150°C (fan 130°C) takes about 2½–3 hours. Slow cookers vary, so test a chunk: it is ready when it breaks apart with a spoon.
Do you need to brown beef before slow cooking?
You do not have to, but you should. Browning the beef in a hot pan in small batches gives you a deeper colour and a much richer gravy. Afterwards, deglaze the pan with a splash of stock and tip it all into the pot so none of the flavour is lost.
Should beef be covered in liquid in a slow cooker?
Diced beef and braising steak should only just be covered. A whole joint such as chuck or brisket needs liquid about halfway to two-thirds up its side. A slow cooker loses very little moisture, so too much stock gives you a thin, watery gravy.
Can you put frozen beef in a slow cooker?
No. Defrost the beef fully in the fridge first. A slow cooker heats up gently, and frozen meat can spend too long at unsafe temperatures before it gets hot enough. Once it is cooked, serve it steaming hot all the way through.