This delicious Sticky Asian Beef can be served with rice in a salad bowl, or in a bao bun with fresh veggies. An easy meal to cook in the slow cooker that's also suitable for freezing.
Made from fresh ingredients this tasty sticky asian style beef is a great midweek meal served as a rice salad bowl. Alternatively you can serve it on steamed bao buns with fresh veges, hoisin sauce and kewpie mayo - perfect for entertaining.
I like to cook the beef in my slow cooker which makes it quick and easy to serve at the end of a busy day. This method gives an intense flavour as the sauce cooks through the beef leaving it juicy, sticky and very tender. It makes a large batch so you can freeze the leftovers in a ziplock bag or airtight container for an extra meal.
This is such a simple recipe to make, just throw diced beef and sliced onion into the slow cooker. Coat with flour then pour in the sauce ingredients. Cook until the beef is falling apart. The flavours in the sauce would also work really well with pork or chicken.
I used sliced flank steak to make my sticky beef but casserole or blade steak would be just as tasty. You can serve it at the table like the picture above - scattered with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion.
Another way to serve the sticky beef is piled into fluffy bao buns. Such a great snack for your guests whilst watching a rugby game or just as a simple weekday family meal. Some supermarkets have bao buns in the freezer section, if you can't find them then check out your local asian specialty store.
If you're looking for tips, tricks and ideas on more great freezer food, click through to my Freezer Meals Made Easy course page.
Recipe FAQs:
I used flank steak in these pictures. But I've also used casserole beef and blade steak, both of which work well.
Unfortunately some cuts of meat hold more water than others and this can impact how sticky the sauce becomes. A good trick is to turn the crock pot to 'high' and remove the lid for the last 30 minutes. This helps to reduce the sauce.
Yes. Place the ingredients in the an ovenproof dish with a lid. Cook for approximately 3 hours at 150°C fan bake until the meat is falling apart.
Storage:
Store any leftover sticky asian beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.
This beef can also be frozen.
Top tips:
This is a great meal to get ahead with. It makes quite a lot of meat, which goes a long way in meals when combined with other ingredients. I like to make it and serve it one night, then freeze the remainder in zip lock bags in the freezer. Remove all the air from the bag spread the pork out to a thin layer. This will make it easier to defrost. When you want to use it later, simply grab a bag from the freezer, allow to defrost in the fridge overnight.
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Sticky Asian Beef
This easy beef meal is made in the slow cooker and can be served in bao buns or rice bowls.
Ingredients
- 1kg beef flank or casserole steak
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 Tbsp flour/gluten free flour
Marinade
- 1 beef oxo stock cube
- ½ cup boiling water
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cornflour
To serve
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 2 carrots, grated or julienned
- ¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- Handful of coriander
- Japanese Kewpie mayo
Instructions
- Add beef and onion to a slow cooker. Spoon in flour and stir to coat.
- Dissolve the oxo cube in boiling water in a small jug. Stir in the brown sugar, five spice, garlic powder, ginger and sesame oil. In a separate cup combine the soy sauce and cornflour, then add it to the jug and mix to combine (this prevents the cornflour from going gluey).
- Pour into the slow cooker and stir to coat the beef.
- Cook on high for 4+ hours or on low for 6+ hours, stirring every couple of hours.
- Serve the sticky beef on top of cooked white rice, with carrot, cabbage, cucumber, spring onion, coriander and Kewpie mayo.
Notes
- Another option is to serve your sticky beef on steamed bao buns with hoisin sauce, spring onion, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, coriander and Kewpie mayo.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 540Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 919mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 67g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Michaela says
What can I use instead of the 5 spice ?
Thank you
Vanya says
You can just leave it out. 🙂
Jessica Esdale says
Just made this now and if I run out of 5 spice I use 2 star anise and a bit of cinnamon seems to do the trick!
VJ cooks says
Good to know!
Leigh says
Literally one of the tastiest slow cook meals I’ve ever made. Love this dish!
VJ cooks says
Oh that's awesome. Thanks for the feedback, Leigh 🙂
James Maclean says
Do you cut the steak up in pieces or do you put it in full?
VJ cooks says
Either will be fine as it should be falling apart by the end of the cook.
Kimberley says
Does this recipe freeze well?
Thanks
VJ cooks says
Hi Kimberley,
Yes this recipe absolutely freezes well! Store leftovers in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the freezer for up to three months.
Kimberley says
Hi, does this recipe freeze well?
Thanks
AJ says
What does casserole steak mean?
VJ cooks says
Chuck steak, or any type of steak that has a bit of fat to it. This renders down and adds to the flavour of the dish.
Pip says
I've noticed this receipie has cornflour & the 1 in your book doesn't. I'm halfway through cooking it in the slow cooker, do you think I should add the cornflour now?
VJ cooks says
Hi Pip, thanks for your question. We realised the cornflour was only needed if sauce wasn't thickening on its own. So you can use some at the end if you would like to.
Lisa says
Hello, this looks yum and I’m planning to make it. I notice one of your pics in the recipe blog shows hoisin sauces but I can’t see hoisin sauce listed anywhere in the ingredients or serving suggestions - have I missed something?
VJ cooks says
Hi Lisa, the original way of serving the beef is on rice with the serving suggestions listed in the recipe card. But I also suggest steamed bao buns and that's where the hoisin sauce comes in as an additional topping - if you like! So it's not something you've missed in the ingredients 🙂
Megan says
I'm going to try this in my pressure cooker. How long do you think I would need to cook it for please? Thanks
VJ cooks says
I would cook it for 90 minutes on manual pressure cook to start with. If the meat isn't falling apart, put it back on for another 20 minutes.
Jody says
I was wondering how this turned out in pressure cooker? Was it still sticky?
Tiffany says
Hello is there another name for flank beef and if so what would it be called at countdown
VJ cooks says
Skirt steak or blade steak would work in this recipe.
Maree says
Can you do this in the oven if so t have a slow cooker
VJ cooks says
Yes. Place the ingredients in the an ovenproof dish with a lid. Cook for approximately 3 hours at 150°C fan bake until the meat is falling apart.
zellara says
What if you forgot to slice or dice the beef?
VJ cooks says
A larger piece of meat will still taste great. You will just need to pull it out, shred it and discard any bones or fat. Then return the meat to the sauce.
lynn says
that's what i did this morning so not sure what I'm going home to, haha
Mary says
I made this but it was still had a lot of liquid after 6 hours, my crock pot is quite a hot one and I usually cook less than recommended time but I did the full 6 hours for this. I’ve double checked the recipe to see if I missed anything but doesn’t appear so, there was nothing sticky about it, any ideas?
VJ cooks says
Thank you for your feedback, Mary. Whenever I make this, it is indeed sticky. However, several other people have had a similar experience to you. Some pieces of meat produce more liquid than others and every slow cooker is different. In an effort to reduce the risk of this happening to anyone else, I've amended the recipe, reducing the amount of boiling water and adding some cornflour. Apologies and I hope this helps.
Mary says
Fabulous thanks, I’ll give it another go with those suggestions.
Lynn says
I made this today and same issue and not sticky
VJ cooks says
Sorry to hear that Lynn. Did you add some cornflour? We've had so much positive feedback for this recipe, but every now and then someone has this issue. I think it comes down to the type of meat, some meat holds more water and takes a longer time to reduce. If you have the time, a good trick is to turn the crock pot to 'high' and remove the lid for the last 30 minutes. This helps to reduce the sauce.
Shelley says
Hi there
I have 1.2kf of gravy beef. If I adjust quantities and cook it in whole steaks for 7 hours on low, do you think that would work? I’m out all day so hoping I can just start it off and leave it for the day?
VJ cooks says
That will be totally fine! Enjoy!
Grace says
Can I use rump steak for this?
VJ cooks says
Yes, totally fine.
Annie says
Could this work in a pressure cooker (e.g. Crockpot Express) if you’re short on time and don’t have time to do the full 3-4 hours slow-cooked? 🙂
VJ cooks says
Absolutely.
Anna says
Would it matter if it was on low for 8 hours while at work and unable to stir regularly?
Thanks 🙂
VJ cooks says
Yes I think that would be fine. Just give it a good stir when you get home.
Michael says
Could you prepare the night before
And place in fridge for meat to marinade? Then turn on the slow cooker the next day? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Absolutely, that would be fine.
Mel says
If you used half the amount of meat, would you half the rest of the ingredients too?
VJ cooks says
Correct.
Sanne says
Are the onions necessary for the consistency of the sauce? I don't like onions.... lol
VJ cooks says
The onion is to add flavour. You can leave it out but it will change the flavour of the dish.
Jess says
Can some one explain the beef stock one cube… but how much water do you mix it with like 250ml?
VJ cooks says
Hi Jess, if you look at the ingredients for the marinade, it states 1/2 cup of boiling water. Hope this helps.
Steph says
Hi. Could this recipe be made with beef shin on the bone?
Thanks
VJ cooks says
Yes. I would still dice the beef and discard the bone before adding to the slow cooker.
Stacey says
Can I prepare this the night before and pop in the slow cooker in the morning?
VJ cooks says
Yes of course!
Ange says
Hi, could you do this with Beef Schnitzel or would it dry out too much?
VJ cooks says
You want thick pieces of beef so that they shred up nicely once cooked.
Kate says
I've made this several times and I love it!!! I am hoping to make a version that I can serve to my baby. Any ideas on whether I can add sugar in later so I can give an baby unsweetened version?
VJ cooks says
Yes that would be fine. Omit the sugar, cook the recipe, remove a portion for your baby, add the sugar, stir and allow to cook for another 15 mins in the slow cooker.