A minced beef slow cooker recipe that doesn't turn into a watery tasteless mess please

[munchkintrouble]

Just that really. I've never liked any dish I've done in a slow cooker yet but desperately want it to make my life easier!!

Bumping for you OP! I need inspiration too

Chilli? Beef mince, kidney beans in chilli sauce, tinned tomatoes. Can add extras eg onion, garlic, red wine, more veg if you like.

I dont think it's possible but hanging around just in case!

Chilli; brown the mince, onions, mushrooms, garlic, deglaze the pan with red wine, bung in slow cooker with passata, cumin, cinnamon, chilli powder, paprika, tomato purée, chopped red peppers.

Add gravy granules or cornflour paste at the end to thicken.

I've been using Tagine recipes quite successfully.

I've had a lot of success with Minced Beef Stroganoff and Goulash. I don't really follow recipes so much anymore though. I've done a few good chillies in the slow cooker too.

I tend to use cubed beef / stew meat as mince goes mushy (though that's probably the way i do it)

I was the same as you - didn't get the hype at all about slow cookers until someone told me to use only a third as much liquid as you think you would need as the liquid isn't boiled off like traditional oven/ hob cooking .
It's completely changed my way of cooking in it so for bolognaise I add no water at all just 2 tins of chopped tomatoes to 500 g mince , lentils, carrot,onions , stock cube if needed etc and it's amazing.
If it's too thick after a few hours add a little water.
For casserole etc I barely use enough stock to cover it often just half cover and stir after a few hours.
Honestly awesome food comes out my slow cooker now when I was going to chuck it !

I take the lid off for the last bit of cooking. Let's some of the water boil away.

Everything I’ve ever eaten that has been cooked in a slow cooker has been mushy. I’d be interested to know the trick cos I gave up with mine.

I take the lid off too till it thicken up to how I want.

Dear the mince and use a lot less liquid than you usually would.
I have a sear and cook slow cooker where the pot lifts out and go on the hob, speeds up the process and if it's too watery it can go on the hob at the end to simmer off excess liquid for last 10 mins or so

A cornflower ‘slurry’ on high for 20- 15 mins before the end has been a game changer for me! Makes any sauce lovely and thick.

Sear the mince, not dear

Sorry 10-15 min even

Yes the key is little or no liquid. The food is actually steaming, so condensation will end up in the pot!

Since discovering this, as others have said, the SC is on most days. Such a difference!

Beef goulash, Bolognaise, Chilli, Curry, you name it. Anything you would cook in a one pot dish either stove top or in the oven will work.

Stop putting so much liquid in! If it's too liquidy take the lid off and put it on high for last half an hour to burn it off.

@Zeebeezee

Can I please ask for your goulash recipe I am craving that right now!

nancy,

I don't follow recipes, just do it as I like it!. But for you.....

Well you can faff around searing off the beef chunks, but I don't bother.

So first I put two chopped up red peppers, same with onions, and two chopped tomatoes in a bowl. Microwave for three to five minutes.

Coat the beef chunks in cornflour very lightly.

Tip veg and beef into the pot. Add garlic salt and onion granules (lazy me lol).

Add three tablespoons of tomato paste and a stock cube made with a small mug of hot water. Not too much liquid remember!

And MOST important add smoked paprika, or just ordinary paprika, and let it do its thing!

It is hit and miss, but tastes great.

Thank you is that the only spice smoked paprika?

I have that. Sitting unused mocking me

Also how much smoked paprika?

I have this book that has done amazing recipes in it!
I've so far only made the recipe I've shown which was delicious!!

I use one teaspoon of smoked and two of ordinary depending on what the volume of the meat mixture is. I do it by eye, sorry that's my cooking method. Once it covers the top of the mixture in the slow cooker, it's good to go.

Smoked paprika is a little more powerful than the ordinary, so be careful! It is not chilli hot it is the smoked effect. Experiment with it!

I have a sear and stew. So I fry off onions/brown mince first then slow cook with the other things. My bugbear is that although it takes a few hours, all day is too long. So mid morning/lunchtime is fine to start it on my days off but putting it on before work is far too long!