Slow Cooker Steak with Gravy - Recipes That Crock! (2024)

FAQs

Can you put raw steak in a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level. Slow cooking steak is a convenient way to cook steak over several hours, tenderizing it and adding exceptional flavor along the way.

If you don't leave the beef simmering at a low and slow temperature, the proteins in the meat will seize up and become tough, and the collagen and fat won't have time to break down, leaving you with a rubbery, inedible product. Can you overcook meat in a slow cooker? Yes you can.

Crock-Pot Steak: How to Cook Slow Cooker Steak Recipes. Yes! Slow cooked steak is a wonderful way to make savory and tender fillets each time. Slow cooking steak for hours on end allows for the flavors to fully saturate the meat, resulting in a truly mouth-watering, delectable dish.

A beef joint in a crock-pot also needs about a ½ cup of liquid – beef broth is usually an excellent choice – to keep it tender and flavorful as it cooks. Place it on the lowest setting and only open it to add a small amount of liquid, if needed, and to stir your veggies.

Cut down your prep time

It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

The low setting is important so you don't overcook it, potentially leaving you with a dry or tough meal. If you're wondering how long your meat will take to cook in a crock pot, we recommend consulting Crockpot's cook time guide for guidance.

The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture. To avoid this problem, choose less-tender cuts of meat.

Your meat will be juicier and more tender

The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.

The meat was overcooked: Slow cookers are known for their ability to tenderize meat, but if the meat is cooked for too long, it can become overcooked and tough. It's important to follow the recommended cooking time for your recipe to ensure that the meat is cooked to the correct doneness.

A general rule of thumb from Luis Sanchez, senior category manager for the appliance manufacturer Breville: To go from "High" to "Low" (or vice versa), multiply (or divide) the original time by 1.5 to 2.5 hours. And as with the cooking times for specific ingredients, these times are approximate.

Does gravy beef get tender? ›

Gravy beef is a relatively lean cut of meat, which means it can be tough if overcooked. It is typically cooked low and slow for several hours until it becomes tender and flavorful.

“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.

How do you make meat tender in a slow cooker? Choosing a cut of beef best suited for low and slow cooking is the ideal way to get extra tender meat. Gravy beef and chuck steak are great slow cooker options, as they are tough and rich in tissues that make for deliciously tender meat.

Letting meat sit in concentrated lemon juice and/or vinegar can soften meat and produce a more tender steak due to the acidic effects.

Chuck roast and top round roast are good choices for the slow cooker, which allows them to tenderize over time.

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.