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Slow Cooker Indian Beef Curry

Slow Cooker Indian beef curry with fall-apart tender beef and a creamy, yogurt-finished sauce. Slow-cooked with garam masala, curry powder, and warm spices for a thick, rich texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and aromatics
  • 2 lb beef stew meat
  • 1 onion
  • 4 garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp oil
Spice blend
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp sugar
Yogurt and serving
  • 0.5 cup plain full-fat yogurt
  • 0.5 fresh cilantro for serving
  • 0.5 basmati rice for serving
  • 0.5 naan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the curry
  1. Place the beef stew meat in the slow cooker.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, fresh ginger, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and oil.
  3. In a bowl, stir together the garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, and sugar, then mix into the slow cooker to coat the beef.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 7–8 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender, keeping the lid closed so the sauce stays hot and thickens.
Finish with yogurt
  1. During the last 30 minutes, stir in the plain full-fat yogurt and mix until the sauce looks creamy and rich.
  2. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, watching the sauce texture for balance between salt and spice heat.
Serve
  1. Serve the curry over basmati rice with warm naan, then garnish with fresh cilantro for a fresh, green finish.

Notes

To prevent yogurt from splitting, stir it in during the last 30 minutes on the lowest setting, then avoid boiling hard after adding it. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently. Freezing is yes, but texture may thin slightly after thawing—stir and warm slowly. For a dairy-light swap, use full-fat coconut yogurt for a creamy finish with a mild flavor change.