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Fragrant, savory beef curry is full of delectable flavors and spices, and making it couldn’t be easier! Using a low-and-slow stovetop method to lock in those flavors and juices gives you incredible, tender beef with minimal effort. This beef curry recipe uses milk, but you can easily make it dairy free with your favorite non-dairy milk.
![Beef curry in a white speckled bowl with white rice, garnished with parsley](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/beef-curry-8-700x1050.jpg)
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Beef curry is a delicious, savory, stew-like dish that’s full of amazingly rich flavors. Bonus: it’s SO easy to make! A little sautéing here, a little browning there, then leave it alone to simmer for a couple of hours.
- It’s easy to customize beef curry and change up the flavor profile. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, until you’ve got the perfect sauce for you. For more kick, increase the cayenne. You can dial the amount of curry powder up or down depending on your preferences. Use 3 or 4 bay leaves instead of 2 if you’re a big fan. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
- As amazing as this dish is fresh, the next-day leftovers might be even better. Store any leftover beef curry in the fridge, in an airtight container. Reheat it slowly on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring periodically. If it’s too thick, you can add a little more milk to thin it out again.
Key Ingredients
Chuck Roast – You can tell from the marbleization in the meat that this is going to be good. The marbling is fat, which gives the meat a ton of flavor but also keeps it tender and juicy. It’s the fat that makes chuck roast perfect for low-and-slow cooking methods, like the one we use in this beef curry. Leaner meats will overcook easily, becoming dry and tough.
Chopped Tomatoes – For a little extra flavor! They’ll add a deep, slightly sweet taste to the sauce, complementing the rest of the dish nicely. You can use canned or fresh chopped tomatoes.
Spices – The spices are what set beef curry apart from pot roast and other beef recipes. We’re using salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, and curry powder. If that sounds overwhelming, trust me, it’s not. They blend together beautifully for an incredible, mouth-watering, perfectly seasoned recipe.
Milk – Milk makes the sauce a little creamy and helps the meat stay juicy. For a slightly different flavor, or if you’re dairy free, try using an unsweetened coconut milk in your beef curry. Delicious!
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t cut the cook time short. I know it’s tempting – 2 hours seems like such a long time, especially when your house is full of this amazing smell. The longer the chuck roast cooks, though, the more tender it becomes. If you don’t want tough beef curry, you need to simmer the full 2 hours.
- Adding cold milk to the hot dutch oven could cause the milk to incorporate poorly. For best results, bring the milk to room temperature first, or even warm it slightly in the microwave. Slowly add it to the dutch oven, stirring constantly.
- For the ultimate beef curry dinner, serve this with white rice, warmed naan, and a couple of lime wedges. A squeeze of lime juice over the beef adds a little bright flavor to the dish. It’s great on the rice, too!
![Overhead angle of beef curry with white rice in a bowl on a peach background](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/beef-curry-7-700x1050.jpg)
Other Beef Recipes You Should Try
- Beef Back Ribs in the Oven
- Kung Pao Beef
- Bone-In Ribeye with Garlic-Herb Butter
- Beef Lo Mein
- Shredded Beef
- The Best Filet Mignon Recipe Ever with Garlic Herb Compound Butter (Reverse Sear)
- Whole30 Beef Stroganoff
- Beef with Garlic Sauce
- Sous Vide Tri Tip with Easy Chimichurri Sauce
![Overhead angle of beef curry with white rice in a bowl on a peach background](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/beef-curry-10-500x500.jpg)
Easy Beef Curry
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into chunks
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil divided
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 2-inch long piece ginger grated
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups milk of choice at room temperature
- 2 bay leaves
- rice optional, for serving
- warmed naan optional, for serving
- lime wedges optional, for serving
Instructions
- Season beef lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add beef to hot oil and brown all sides, cooking approximately 2 minutes per side. Cook in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding dutch oven.
- Transfer all browned beef to large bowl and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon oil to empty dutch oven. When hot, add onion slices, garlic, and ginger. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in cinnamon, cayenne pepper, curry powder, and chopped tomatoes.
- Slowly stir in milk. Bring mixture to simmer.
- Return beef to dutch oven. Add bay leaves. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover dutch oven with lid. Simmer 2 hours or until meat is tender.
- After 2 hours, uncover pot. Bring mixture to boil again, cooking until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm beef curry with rice, naan, and lime wedges.
- Make it Dairy Free: Use an unsweetened, dairy-free milk of choice. Coconut milk would work well!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Can’t wait ro make this![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Hope you enjoyed it! 😊
Delicious! Used a spoonful of chutney and a dash of red pepper flakes, creme fraiche instead of milk.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
That sounds great! Thanks for the review, Mitsi!
Add a tea spoon of Smoked Paparica to the beef curry and taste the spices before…lighty toste.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Smoked paprika is a great add-in! Thanks so much for that suggestion, Brad. So happy you enjoyed the curry!
This was excellent! I cooked my roast whole for hours and then added chopped up. I also added green peas to add a vegetable and some color. I would add red pepper flakes for more heat if you need. Excellent recipe!![4 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-4.svg)
Thank you so much for your review, Ginger! Those are great tips and additions. Thanks for sharing them with us!
I tried this and it came out very tasty.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
That’s wonderful, Cliff! Thank you so much for sharing your review with us!
Sometimes I make curry just to satisfy myself (I do all the dinners in this home). This curry gets my wife and young kids asking for more. Slow cooking is something I really enjoy; time is a precious seasoning and when used well creates incredible results. Thanks for this recipe.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
We’re so glad you and the family enjoyed this recipe! Agree with you completely about time.![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
So good!! I actually replaced the milk with coconut milk. I will definitely making this often![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
This recipe was super simple and explosive with flavor! I used almond milk and it turned out fantastic!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
So glad you enjoyed it!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
So glad you enjoyed this beef curry recipe, Sabrina!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)
great dish and nice that it’s easy and doesn’t require making an entire stew, thank you!![5 stars](https://40aprons.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-recipe-maker/assets/icons/rating/stars-5.svg)