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Prep dinner ahead of time with these Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Beef Bowls! I am obsessed with the flavor of this delicious, tender meat, which slow cooks in an umami-rich sauce with peanut butter, garlic, and lime. I can’t wait for you to try it!
During busy weeks, which these days seems to be all of them, I’m all about planning ahead. For me, that almost always means getting something into my slow cooker in the morning. That way at dinner time, all I have to do is make a few elements right before serving. Want to make it in an Instant Pot? Scroll to the bottom of the recipe card and you’ll find instructions for that method too!
While I’ve made a lot of shredded beef over the years (my Salsa Verde Shredded Beef Bowls is one of my most popular recipes ever!), this recipe is quickly becoming a favorite. The beef slowly cooks with some basic pantry ingredients like coconut aminos, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and peanut butter to bring layers of savory and salty flavors. All of that along with some fresh ginger, lime juice, and Thai chiles results in the most tender and flavorful shredded beef!
You can enjoy the shredded beef however you prefer! Once the beef is cooked and the salad is made, enjoy it all with rice and a simple, quick-pickled veggie salad as I did here or you could even serve it in lettuce cups! Whatever you decide, be sure to pile on the fresh herbs and include a lime wedge for a bright, zesty finish.
ingredients:
- Avocado Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Coconut Sugar
- Coconut Aminos
- Fish Sauce
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Lime Zest
- Lime Juice
- Fresh Ginger
- Thai Chilis
- Flap or Flank Steak
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Mini Bell Peppers
- Red Onions
- Julienned carrots
- Rice Vinegar
- Prepared White Rice, For Serving
- Fresh Cilantro, For Garnish
- Fresh Thai Basil, For Garnish
- Lime Wedges
step-by-step – slow cooker method:
step one: make the sauce
In the base of the slow cooker, whisk together the oil, garlic, coconut sugar, coconut aminos, fish sauce, peanut butter, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, and Thai chili peppers until well combined.
step two: season and cook the beef
Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper, then nestle into the sauce. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10.
step three: shred the beef
When the cook time is complete, use two forks to shred the meat and keep on warm while you prepare the veggie salad.
step four: make the pickled veggie salad
In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, red onions, julienned carrots, chili peppers, garlic, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to lightly “pickle.”
step five: divide and serve
Divide the beef into bowls with cooked rice and veggie salad. Top with cilantro and basil. Serve with a lime wedge.
RECIPE FAQS:
Flap steak is my absolute favorite cut of meat for this recipe. Ask your butcher if they have “flap” or “bavette” steak (it can be called both). If not, flank steak works fine here!
If you can’t find thai chilies, I recommend buying a small serrano pepper. (You’ll only need about 1/2 of a serrano pepper).
You can use brown sugar here. To keep this dish Whole30 compatible, you can also omit the coconut sugar. However, the coconut sugar adds a nice touch of sweetness with the savory flavors of the meat and helps the beef caramelize so I do recommend it!
You can use soy sauce and tamari instead of coconut aminos, but keep in mind that soy sauce is much saltier than coconut aminos. Just omit the fish sauce reduce the salt to about 1½ teaspoons.
I love the Red Boat brand!
I hope you all love these Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Beef Bowls as much my family and I do!
LOOKING FOR more slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes? TRY THESE!
Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo
Instant Pot Beer-Braised Chicken Tacos
Salsa Verde Shredded Beef Bowls
Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry Chicken and Veggies
Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Beef Bowls
Ingredients
For the Steak:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- zest of 1/2 lime
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-inch knob of ginger fresh, peeled and finely grated
- 2 to 3 Thai chili peppers, minced
- 2 pounds flap or flank steak, cut into 4 equal-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Veggie Salad:
- 6 mini bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1 Thai chili pepper, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For Assemby:
- 2 cups prepared white rice
- fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish
- fresh Thai basil leaves, to garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the Shredded Beef:
- In the base of the slow cooker, whisk together the oil, garlic, coconut sugar, coconut aminos, fish sauce, peanut butter, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, and Thai chili peppers until well combined.
- Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper, then nestle into the sauce. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10.
- When the cook time is complete, use two forks to shred the meat and keep on warm while you prepare the veggie salad.
Make the Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, red onions, julienned carrots, chili peppers, garlic, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to lightly “pickle.”
Assemble the Bowls:
- Divide the beef into bowls with cooked rice and veggie salad. Top with cilantro and basil. Serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
Instant Pot Method:
- Complete step 1 by adding all of the sauce ingredients to the bottom of an Instant Pot. Add 1/4 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth and whisk until well combined. (unlike the slow cooker, you’ll need a little extra liquid to get the pressure cooker to work).
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and nestle into the sauce.
-
Close the lid and turn the valve at the top so that it is sealed. Press the ‘manual’ button and set the timer to 45 minutes.
-
When the cook time is complete, manually release the pressure by carefully turning the valve to vent. Allow all the of the steam to release before carefully opening the Instant Pot. Using two forks, shred the beef.
- Complete the recipe as written above (make the salad and assemble).
Freezer Tips:
- Let the meat cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Label and date the containers before placing them in the freezer.
- To thaw, transfer the meat to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight.
- For reheating, warm the meat in a skillet over medium heat on the stove, adding a splash of water or broth to keep it moist.
- Alternatively, you can reheat this in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between to ensure even heating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Was so excited to try this, and was not disappointed! The flavors are perfect, and the combo of the hot beef over rice with the cold-ish veggie salad was so good. I did make my veggie salad a couple hours ahead of time so it would “pickle” more. And my husband doesn’t do much spice, so I left out the Thai chilis but put some red pepper flakes in with the beef, and then sprinkled more on my bowl at the end. YUM.
Not for the instant pot! I followed directions but I think the recipe calls for too little liquid. My Instant pot kept giving me the “burn” error and while I tried to add more liquid it just never turned out 🙁
Some of the models can be really fickle with the burn error- mine doesn’t ever seem to give me this message and turns out well but I understand that other models vary. Sorry to hear it was a miss
This was awesome! I didn’t have Thai chili and I didn’t feel like going to the store so I just left that out altogether with no substitute (sorry, I really hate changing recipes without trying them as-is first, but I just didn’t have the energy). I had found some brisket at our local shop that was about 1/3 price of the flank steak, and it turned out beautifully in this recipe! 10 hours on low, at hour 9 I shredded it and let it cook another hour in the sauce. Husband, teens, and 9 yr old approved! Win! Thank you!!
Amazing to hear!!! Sometimes, recipes are great guides to go with what you can find and cook intuitively, you nailed it and so glad you and your family enjoyed it! xoxo
Love to hear this cause the store didn’t have Thai chiles and I was considering omitting all together since I have little kids and concerned about spice level but hate to miss out on any flavor for my husband and myself. Glad it’s still a winner and full of flavor!
I can’t wait to make this! I might be getting too specific with this but what brand of peanut butter do you use? I feel like they liquidy-ness can vary so much! By “creamy” do you mean just any “smooth” variety or like a runny, natural PB? Thank you!!!
I think she just means creamy as opposed to crunchy peanut butter 🙂
Love all of your recipes! My crock pot doesn’t seem to be working. Any other suggestions on how to cook the meat?
I haven’t yet tested and confirmed the exact time of alternative methods- but You could braise it in the oven in a dutch oven, low and slow, for the same result. 325 degrees F covered for 3 to 4 hours should work. Maybe add an extra splash of broth to be safe (similar to instantpot method)
This was fantastic and will definitely be a new staple in my house!! Always appreciate a stellar crockpot recipe. Thank you, Alex!!
Is this recipe spicy? Would like to feel like toddlers this as well….
my kids love it!! It’s not spicy to them. You could omit the Thai chiles and just add the Thai chiles to the bell pepper salad to add the kick if you want that!
Very yummy! My grocery store didn’t have flap steak, the butcher recommended chuck steak, but it was pretty fatty. What other cuts of beef would work if you can’t find flap steak?
I recommend Flank steak if you can’t find flap!
Can I use a skirt steak, will that be tender enough?
I haven’t tried skirt steak in the slow cooker yet. Flank or flap will be better here.
Crock pot meals are generally not my favorite and since I was home I decided to try this in the dutch oven. I burned the absolute crap out of it but it was still delicious! I did have to whip up a little more sauce and I ended up serving with coconut rice. It was fantastic and I will for sure make it again!