Slow Cooker Thai Green Beef Curry is a flavorful and aromatic dish where tender beef simmers in a rich coconut milk-based green curry sauce, infused with Thai herbs and spices.
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The slow-cooking process allows the savory and spicy flavors to meld together is just like the Thai curries you'd find you'd find in Thai restaurants.
Why Make This Recipe
- Meltingly tender, soft and juicy 8 hour slow cooker beef
- Easy 15 minutes of prep, using a store bought curry paste
- Thick, rich aromatic creamy curry sauce
- Just as good, if not better that what you'd buy at your local Thai shop
- Easy to make low carb with cauliflower rice
- Freezes well and make for great meal prep
- Easy to adjust the level of spiciness to make it more or less spicy
- This dinner is under 500 calories per serve!
Ingredients
Making dinners under 500 calories is my specialty, with many of my most popular being low calorie chicken recipes, low calorie meal prepping recipes and low calorie slow cooker recipes.
Ingredient Notes
Beef: Cuts like chuck roast or stewing beef work well because they have enough marbling and connective tissue that breaks down during the slow cooking process.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk: this is essential for a luscious creamy curry sauce. Alternatively you could use coconut cream.
Curry Paste: any thai green curry paste will work or you can use a homemade green curry paste
Lemongrass: if you don't have lemongrass paste in a tube, use 1-2 fresh lemongrass stalks, bruise them (by smashing them with a knife or the back of a spoon) to release the flavor, and add them to the curry during cooking. Remember to remove them before serving.
Kaffir Lime Leaves: Substitute with fresh lime zest. Use about 1 teaspoon of lime zest for every two kaffir lime leaves.
Sweetener: A hint of sweetness helps to balance the flavors of this curry dish. You can use a granulated sweetener like Monkfruit or Stevia to keep it sugar free, or since it is only a small quantity honey or palm sugar may be used, whilst still keeping it low in sugar.
Vegetables: Pumpkin, green beans, baby spinach leaves, eggplant, snow peas, bamboo shoots all work well.
These ingredients, used in just the right quantity will give you the most authentic and delicious tasting thai curry, bursting with flavour and that curry sauce, you’ll just want to eat it on it’s own. It's just as good as this Beef Steak Ramen Noodles I make in the slow cooker.
How To Make
- Brown Meat: Brown the meat in a large non-stick pan set to high for 2 to 3 minutes. It's recommended to do this in two batches for easier handling, ensuring the pan isn't overcrowded and the meat browns more quickly. Transfer the browned meat into the slow cooker pot.
- Add Aromatics: To the same pan on the stove, add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and lemongrass. Stir through for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add to the slow cooker, stirring into the meat.
- Add Seasonings: Add the curry paste, fish sauce, honey, lime leaves, beef stock/broth, and the coconut milk. Stir to combine.
- Add Vegetables: Add the beans and pumpkin and stir to combine.
- Cook: Set slow cooker to cook on Low for 8 hours, or cook on high for 4 hours.
- Add Spinach: Once its finished cooking stir in the baby spinach and serve.
- Serve: Serve steamed jasmine rice.
Best Cut Of Beef To Use
For this recipe I chose to use gravy beef and I trimmed the excess fat from beef, then cut it into 2cm cubes. You could also use Rump Steak.
Tips For Making Green Curry Beef
- Sear the Beef Before Slow Cooking: To enhance the flavor and texture of the beef, sear it in a hot pan before adding it to the slow cooker. Searing creates a delicious crust on the meat, sealing in juices and adding depth to the overall flavor of the curry.
- Use Quality Thai Green Curry Paste: Choose a high-quality Thai green curry paste for authentic and robust flavors. Read labels to ensure it contains key ingredients like green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves. Adjust the amount based on your spice preference.
- Add Fragrant Ingredients Towards the End: To preserve the freshness and aroma of certain ingredients like Thai basil leaves and lime juice, add them towards the end of the slow cooking process. This ensures that their flavors remain vibrant and don't get overly muted during the extended cooking time.
Common Questions
Thai green curry is a medium curry. Not as hot as a red curry, but hotter than a yellow or panang curry. I generally tend to find thai green curries in the mild to medium range, and if you’re not keen on spicy foods but still love a good curry, just reduce the amount of curry paste by a quarter.
I am a fan of the Volcom brand of thai curry pastes and this is the brand of curry paste I use most often. They are available in supermarkets in the Asian food aisle. I find that compared to some of the other ones I have used that the Volcom brand are a little less oily and have more flavour.
If you want to spice up a green curry, you could add additional curry paste as this will increase the level of heat in the dish, or you could add green chillies on top to serve.
Yes, this curry freezes well and will keep in airtight containers for 6 weeks. If you’re making it to freeze, make sure to portion it out into serving sized containers to make it easier and to avoid wastage. Also label and date your containers so you know what’s in it and when it should be used by, especially if you’re containers are no see through.
Thai curries are so warm and comforting, and I think that’s what makes them a food that I never tire of, regardless of the type of curry, thai, Indian or even Japanese, I love them all.
This humble curry is has that umami flavor you expect with thai recipes, with that meltingly tender beef from 8 hours of long slow delicious cooking.
More Asian Curries
- 25 minute stovetop Clean Eating Green Thai Chicken Curry
- 15 minute Stovetop Indian Coconut Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Rogan Josh Beef Curry
- 20 minute Chicken Korma made in the Pressure Cooker
- 30 Minute Beef Rendang made in the pressure cooker
- Indian Beef Masala Curry (make in the pressure cooker or slow cooker)
Slow Cooker Thai Green Beef Curry
Ingredients
- 1 kg lean gravy beef cut into 2cm chunks, fat trimmed
- 1 medium brown onion (diced)
- 3 tablespoons thai green curry paste (for mild-med)
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic/garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger/ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste - (see note 4)
- 1 long red chili (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 410 ml canned coconut milk (full fat) - (see note 2)
- 1 Beef stock cube (crumbled)
- 4 Kaffir Lime Leaves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup diced Pumpkin, 1cm x1cm
- 20 Green beans, chopped
- 2 cups Baby spinach
Optional
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
Instructions
- Set your slow cooker to the saute setting. Once hot, add 1 kg lean gravy beef cut into 2cm chunks, fat trimmed and brown for 2 to 3 minutes, moving pieces about to get an even colour. (I recommend doing it in two batches as it makes it a bit easier - the pot isn't over-crowed and the meat browns quicker.
- With the met removed from the slow cooker and it still on the saute setting, add 1 medium brown onion (diced), 1 tablespoon crushed garlic/garlic paste, 1 tablespoon minced ginger/ginger paste1 long red chili (finely diced) and 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste . Mix together and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then add the meat back into the pot.
- Stir through 3 tablespoons thai green curry paste (for mild-med), f1 tablespoon fish sauce, 4 Kaffir Lime Leaves, 1 Beef stock cube (crumbled), ¾ teaspoon salt and 410 ml canned coconut milk (full fat). Stir to combine.
- Add 20 Green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces and 1 cup diced Pumpkin, 1cm x1cm and stir to combine. Set slow cooker to cook on Low for 8 hours, or cook on high for 4 hours.
- Once its finished cooking stir through 2 cups Baby spinach until its just started to soften and serve with 2 cups Jasmine rice.
Notes
- Beef: Cuts like chuck roast or stewing beef work well because they have enough marbling and connective tissue that breaks down during the slow cooking process.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: this is essential for a luscious creamy curry sauce. Alternatively you could use coconut cream.
- Curry Paste: any thai green curry paste will work or you can use a homemade green curry paste. I like to use Maesri Paste Green Curry and find you need less of it than some others. 3 heaped tablespoons will result in a full medium bodied curry. If you like it on the milder side with just a hint of heat, I'd recommend 2 tablespoons.
- Lemongrass: if you don't have lemongrass paste in a tube, use 1-2 fresh lemongrass stalks, bruise them (by smashing them with a knife or the back of a spoon) to release the flavor, and add them to the curry during cooking. Remember to remove them before serving.
- Kaffir Lime Leaves: These really do make a difference if you can get them as they add a freshness to the curry. If you can't find them leave them out and instead add a squeeze of lime or a little lime zest over the curry to serve.
- Vegetables: Pumpkin, green beans, baby spinach leaves, eggplant, bamboo shoots all work well
- Freezing: This recipe is suitable to freeze for upto 8 weeks.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Jaimie says
I love Thai curries and green is one of my favourites! I also love the Volcom pastes and totally agree with you about the oil/flavour ratio! Thank you for sharing your recipe, I look forward to giving it a go 🙂
Lisa says
Hi Kim,
I’ve just found your Green Thai beef curry recipe and I’m going to give it a try - the only thing is I can’t find kaffir like leaves here - what can I use as an alternative? Many thanks Lisa.
Kim says
You could leave it out altogether, or try some lime peel instead. Whilst it adds a nice flavour, the dish will still be good without it.