This recipe for Crock-Pot Sweet & Sour Beef is super easy and we love that it can also be made into a slow cooker freezer meal. Serve the beef over rice for a meal the whole family will love!
Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Beef
This recipe for Crock-Pot Sweet & Sour Beef is included in our 10 Easy Crock-Pot Freezer Meals Meal Plan that you can purchase in our store for just $2.99. The meal plan includes 10 great freezer meals that you can prepare ahead of time and have ready to go in your freezer. You will also get a printable grocery shopping list for all the ingredients needed to make all 10 meals as well as printable labels that you can stick on your freezer bags.
This recipe does not have to be frozen first, so if you are just wanting to cook up a delicious Asian inspired dish that you family will love, you are in the right spot. Just follow along with the recipe below.
This recipe is super easy to put together. I used three grocery store shortcuts because I am all about making life easier whenever possible.
Stir-Fry Beef Strips – check your butcher for pre-sliced strips of beef. If your butcher does not have them, just find a nice steak (does not need to be an expensive cut here) and cut it into strips or cubes.
Pre-Shredded Carrots – look in the produce section near the bagged salad mixes for bag of pre-shredded carrots. If not, just shred some regular full-sized carrots using a box grater or your food processor.
Microwaveable Steamer Stir-Fry Vegetables – I usually have several bags of all kinds of frozen vegetables that you can steam right in the bag in the microwave. I used a bag of the stir-fry variety. You could cut up broccoli, snow peas and whatever kind of vegetables that you like to use in a stir-fry.
Once your beef is about 30 minutes from being done in the slow cooker, prepare your rice on the stove-top or in a rice cooker.
My oldest daughter LOVED this recipe and has specifically requested that I make it again and again for dinner.
Skip ordering Chinese takeout and make this delicious Asian inspired sweet & sour beef recipe in your slow cooker instead. Or make up a bag or two as a freezer meal so you are prepared for dinner on super busy days.
Place the beef, shredded carrots and onions in a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Add the sweet and sour sauce and mix into the rest of the mixture.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
About 30 minutes before the slow cooker is done cooking start cooking your rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker.
Cook stir fry veggies in either the microwave or stove top.
Serve the beef with the sauce and vegetables over cooked rice and enjoy!
Notes
Freezer Instructions:
Place all ingredients (except rice & stir-fry vegetables) into a gallon sized zippered freezer bag.
Lay bag flat on counter and squeeze out as much air as possible and seal.
Label bag with name of recipe, date prepared, ingredients and cooking instructions.
Lay bag flat in your freezer until frozen solid. You can then arrange the frozen bag upright in your freezer if you like.
To thaw place bag in refrigerator overnight OR place in a clean kitchen sink and cover with cool water for several hours until partially thawed. You only need the bag to thaw enough to easily remove the contents from the bag and put them in the slow cooker.
Cook recipe from the partially thawed state for 7 to 9 hours on LOW.
Prepare rice on stove-top or in rice cooker 30 minutes before serving. Cook frozen stir-fry vegetables according to package directions.
"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."
It wasn't cooked long enough. A long cook time in the crock pot dissolves the collagen in the meat and causes it to get tender, but before this happens the meat fibers will tighten (think an egg firming in the frying pan) and the meat will be tougher.
Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.
“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.
Typically, beef or pork can turn out dry or not as tender if they aren't browned first. However, this applies more to roasts or whole cuts of meat. While you can certainly brown it partially on the stove first, that defeats the purpose of cooking ground beef in the crock pot!
Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.
Collagen makes meat tough when cooked quickly, but when slow-cooked, it breaks down into gelatin, giving you that juicy, tender mouthfeel. Fattier — and cheaper — cuts of beef can also be good for slow cooking, because the fat helps to ensure the beef won't dry out while adding extra flavour.
Each slow cooker meal's cooking time differs depending on the meat and its weight. The low setting is important so you don't overcook it, potentially leaving you with a dry or tough meal.
Heat on high for 4 hrs or low for 6 hrs until the beef is cooked and tender. Remove from the liquor, cover and leave to rest for 30 mins. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Strain the cooking liquor through a colander over a large bowl or jug, then pour back into the slow cooker.
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.
Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.
When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.
There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.
Yes you can! The reasons to brown mince before cooking in the slow cooker (or crock pot) is to add flavour, to avoid excess fat and to stop the meat clumping. You can avoid needing to do that by: adding lots of extra flavour, using lean mince and chopping up the mince before adding.
"Ensuring that you have a slow even roast on all sides is essential, and any bit of meat on the outside should be roasted,” he says. “If you leave any parts not browned, you are leaving flavor behind."
During cooking, beef undergoes many chemical changes, affecting its appearance, taste and texture. Browning or searing the lean outer surface of your beef produces the rich, deep meaty colours, flavours and aromas we love. This browning process is known as the Maillard reaction.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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