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Beef Curry

5 from 2 votes
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posted: 09/28/22

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This Beef Curry is full of delicious flavor and melt in your mouth pieces of beef. My family loves this recipes so much, and I know yours will too!

a skillet with beef curry

This Beef Curry recipe is going to knock your socks off. It went through so many rounds of testing because I want you to eat it and say, “That is going into our regular rotation.”

My whole family loves this recipe. I love the delicious sauce and simple ingredients. My middle kid can’t get enough beef recipes, and devours this. Everyone else loves how the beef melts in your mouth and how the delicious sauce combines with white rice in the best way.

While this dish does take a full hour and 20 minutes to make, it is really only a few steps. This is a dish that can be made by heart once you make it a few times. And it is worth every minute it takes to make it.

How to Make Beef Curry

  1. Brown the beef. When making a beef dish with a chuck roast, first browning the meat in oil will create a great layer of flavor in the final dish. Make sure that the oil is hot and the beef is seasoned with salt and pepper. Remove the browned beef and set it aside.
  2. Make the sauce. Start by sautéing onions. Then add in the seasonings – garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Finally add in tomatoes and lemon juice scraping up the browned bits of the meat.
  3. Simmer the dish to tenderize the meat. Add the beef into the sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, covered for 45 minutes.
a plate with beef curry recipe on one side and and rice on the other side with naan bread in the background

What Type of Beef to Buy

The best cut of meat for this recipe is chuck roast. Chuck roast is nicely marbled, and that combined with the simmering leads to the perfect pieces of beef.

I can’t stress enough how important the simmering is to this recipe. There were rounds of this recipe where I didn’t simmer long enough and the added time is more than worth it. It is what makes the meat melt in your mouth.

Browning Beef for Beef Curry

You will notice that we start this recipe by searing the pieces of beef. This may seem like a tedious step. We are putting the beef in, searing it, and taking it back out in batches.

This step isn’t a make or break step. You could make this recipe and skip it and like it just fine. You will just fall in love with the recipe by browning the meat.

The point of this step is to add a depth of flavor to the recipe. I would make the argument that that is well worth the added 10 minutes in this recipe.

overhead view of beef curry in a skillet garnished with cilantro

Cooking Time

You will note that there is 45 minutes of simmering time in this recipe. After playing around with this recipe quite a bit, I discovered that 45 minutes was the perfect time to make the beef deliciously tender and flavorful.

If you must cut the recipe short, I would suggest either cutting out the browning time. If you remove the browning of the meat, you will sacrifice depth of flavor. If you cut down on the simmering time, you will sacrifice tenderness of the beef. I personally would prefer tender meat.

What is Curry Powder

Curry powder is a mix of different spices in the same way that taco seasoning is. Mine has in it:

  • Tumeric
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Salt
  • Ginger
  • Fenugreek
  • Cayenne
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg
overhead view of a beef curry recipe in a skillet with a bowl of rice next to it and garnished with fresh cilantro

FAQ

Is Beef Curry Gluten Free?

Yes! This recipe is naturally gluten free. As with any recipe, double check all of your ingredients to make sure they don’t contain gluten before serving this to someone with a gluten intolerance.

Is Beef Curry Keto?

Yes! This recipe on its own is keto friendly. You might want to consider serving it over cauliflower rice.

Is Beef Curry Spicy?

You might read this recipe and be worried about the 2 tablespoons of curry powder in it. The only thing adding spice to curry powder is cayenne pepper, and it is very little.

What brings more spice to a beef curry recipe is the amount of black pepper added. We salt and pepper the beef generously, but that adds only about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. My kids, who are very averse to spice, didn’t find it spicy at all.

Can This Be Made In the Slow Cooker?

Yes! I have a great Slow Cooker Beef Curry recipe. It is a little different than this recipe but very delicious.

You could also make this exact recipe a crockpot recipe by browning the beef and then adding it, the pan drippings, and all the other ingredients to a slow cooker. You would need to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

What to Serve with Beef Curry?

My kids love this recipe most with rice and naan. I really like it with half the amount of rice and some roasted cauliflower. It’s perfection.

Reheating Beef Curry Leftovers

Leftover beef curry can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. To reheat, add a little to a small sauce pan and heat over low heat, stirring regularly. To reheat in the microwave, add some to a bowl, and cover. Heat for 2 minutes, stir, and then heat for one more minute or until it is warm enough.

Great Spins on this Recipe

If you love the thought of this recipe, but the cooking time is just too long for you, consider my Chicken Curry or my Vegetarian Curry. They are both absolutely delicious and take less time to make. I can’t stress enough how delicious the Vegetarian Curry is. It will make meat eaters fall in love.

Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry is a simple one pot dinner recipe that is both full of flavor and very healthy. You will fall in love with the amazing flavors in this dish and impress even meat eaters.
overhead of a bowl of vegetable curry with rice in it and naan

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry is an easy weeknight dinner that your family will come back to over and over. Made with simple ingredients and packed with flavor, this is a dish I absolutely love.
Overhead photo of chicken curry recipe. Bowl of chicken curry, rice, and naan.
plate with beef curry recipe garnished with fresh cilantro, rice on the other side of the plate and naan in the background

Other Delicious Dinners

If you like this beef curry recipe then I think you are going to also love the flavors of my Butter Chicken.

My kids loved this recipe and they also gave two thumbs up to my Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas.

Finally, I think you will also really like my Stovetop Lasagna. It’s quicker than the traditional but just as delicious.

If you make his beef curry or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

a skillet with beef curry
5 from 2 votes

Beef Curry

Serves: 6
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
This Beef Curry is a delicious and easy weeknight meal. Serve it over rice and have a dish that your family will come back to over and over all year long.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast cut into bites sized pieces
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons of ginger minced
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot until it just begins to smoke.
  • Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast, then add the chuck roast and brown in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes and the lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits.
  • Return the browned beef to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes. (If you are making with rice, now is the time to start your rice.)
  • Serve over rice and enjoy!
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
a skillet with beef curry

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Beef Curry

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Beverly arnold says

    Love curry….Serve mine with sliced bananas, chutney, coconut, salted peanuts, and sliced kiwi.

  2. Mary says

    Going to try this tonight. Have you ever added any veggies to this?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Hi Mary! I have a slow cooker version that I throw sweet potatoes and carrots in. Delicious!

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