Slow Cooker Beef in Black Bean Sauce

This Slow Cooker Beef in Black Bean Sauce delivers tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef with colourful peppers in a rich, savoury black bean sauce — all the flavour of your favourite Chinese takeaway, made effortlessly at home.

Ingredients

• 700g (1½ lb) stewing beef, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 4 tbsp black bean sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 300ml (1¼ cups) beef stock
• Mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water. This will help make the sauce thicker.
• 100g (¾ cup) button mushrooms, halved (optional)
• To serve: cooked rice

Slow Cooker Beef in Black Bean Sauce: Instructions

1. Pour the oil into a frying pan and warm it over medium-high heat until it is hot.
2. Brown the beef chunks in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, then transfer to the slow cooker. This step is optional but adds richer flavour.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the slow cooker.
4. Stir in the black bean sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar.
5. Pour in the beef stock and stir everything together well.
6. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is soft and easy to eat.
7. About 30–40 minutes before serving, add the red, green, and yellow peppers along with the mushrooms, if using.
8. Continue cooking on high until the peppers are just tender but still slightly crisp.
9. Mix the cornflour with water to form a smooth paste.
10. Stir the cornflour mixture into the slow cooker and cook for a further 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a little more soy sauce or sugar if needed.
12. Serve hot over steamed rice.

This deeply savoury, Chinese-inspired beef dish is a fantastic make-ahead dinner — the slow cooking leaves the beef irresistibly tender while the peppers stay vibrant and fresh.