Slow Cooker Beef Rendang

Slow cooker beef rendang is a dish I cook often, particularly when I have friends coming for dinner. It’s one of those dishes that requires a small amount of effort in terms of preparing the beef rendang paste. However once assembled, the slow cooker does all the hard work.

Indonesian beef rendang is thought to originate in West Sumatra, taking it’s name from the Indonesian word merandang or randang which means “slow”, relating to how it is cooked. However, the dish has migrated and is also popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

Spicy beef rendang is a slow cooked beef dish where the meat is stewed with spices and coconut milk. However, this is not a searingly hot dish in terms of chilli heat. This easy beef rendang recipe has a dry consistency with a thick and rich flavoured sauce.

Beef rendang is traditionally cooked on the stovetop, but I’ve made this recipe for slow cooking in a slow cooker. Cooking it this way means I don’t have to stand over the stove stirring to stop the sauce from sticking. I also provide instructions for slow cooked beef rendang in the oven.

Why you’ll love slow cooker beef rendang

• Quick and easy to prepare as once assembled the slow cooker does all the hard work, just switch it on and get on with your day.
• A great make ahead dish and can me made a day or two in advance, and as with all stew based dishes, it tastes even better if allowed to sit.
• Gluten free if you use a gluten free stockpot.
• Dairy free as the creamy element comes from coconut milk.

Beef rendang ingredients

• Oil – use a light oil like sunflower or vegetable oil.
• Dry spices – I use a combination of ground cumin, coriander and turmeric as well as a cinnamon stick.
• Beef – use a good quality stewing joint cut into large chunks. I used thick rib trim but you could use beef shoulder, chuck or brisket too.
• Coconut milk – I recommend using thick coconut milk, otherwise the sauce will be too watery. I use Pride coconut milk as the coconut solids can be removed from the can and added to the rendang sauce. I then hold onto the liquid part and use it if I think the sauce needs to be loosened.
• Beef – I add a beef stockpot or stock cube to the sauce (no need for extra liquid as this is cooked in the slow cooker and there is enough with the coconut milk).
• Tamarind paste – adds a slightly sweet and sour taste to the sauce which balances out the spices.
• Seasoning – I season the sauce with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Palm sugar – I tend not to add any additional sugar to dishes. However, it is traditional to add palm sugar to a rendang, which balances out the spices. You are welcome to do so if you wish, add anything from a teaspoon to a tablespoon depending on taste. If you don’t have palm sugar, soft brown sugar is a great swap.

Beef rendang paste

• Onion – I’ve opted for a red onion as it had a milder flavour, banana shallots would be a great substitute, but you could also use a regular onion.
• Garlic – I use fresh garlic cloves, although frozen garlic can work well too.
• Ginger – if you can find fresh galengal I recommend using that. I struggle to get that in my local stores so use fresh ginger instead.
• Chilli – I use red finger chillies to add a bit of heat to the paste.
• Lemongrass – for the best flavour I recommend using fresh stalks of lemongrass.

How to make slow cooker beef rendang

• Place all paste ingredients in a food processor, along with a tablespoon of water and blitz to a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in a heavy based pan. Add the rendang paste and saute gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

• Now add the dry spices and continue to saute gently for a further 1-2 minutes.
• Add the chunks of beef to the pan and brown the meat to seal in flavour. Take time to ensure all the pieces of beef are well coated in the spice mixture.

• Now transfer everything into the slow cooker.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.
• Beef rendang is a thick sauce, so if the sauce looks too thin it is easy to reduce. See instructions on how to do this below.

How to reduce sauce

• Remove the chunks of meat from the slow cooker and set aside in a bowl.
• Pour the rendang sauce into a large non stick frying pan over medium high heat. Simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes and burn off any excess liquid which will naturally reduce the sauce.
• Once you have achieved the desired consistency, place the beef back into the sauce and heat to warm through before serving.

Cooking slow cooked beef rendang in the oven

• Start by preheating the oven to 160C/140CFan/320F.
• Using a large oven-proof pan or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, follow the first 4 steps in the recipe card instructions.
• Now add all remaining ingredients into pan and cover with a lid.
• If cooking in the oven, use the whole can of coconut milk and not just the coconut milk solids from the top of the can.
• Cover the pan with the lid, place in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours, depending on cut of meat you are using. For diced steak it will be closer to 3 hours, for rib trim or brisket it will be closer to 4 hours.
• Check the rendang from time to time and stir, adding a little splash of water if it looks like its drying out too much or is starting to stick.

Serving suggestion

Rendang is traditional served with steamed white rice, although you could serve it with coconut rice. I also like to serve a spicy sambal alongside, that way those diners who enjoy their food on the spicy side can add a little to their dish.

Useful hints and tips

1. I recommend using fresh garlic, ginger, chilli and lemongrass when making the rendang paste, rather than using store bought pastes. Fresh aromatics will make a big difference to the overall taste of the dish.
2. Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free diners.
3. Use a gluten free stockpot/cube and you can serve rendang to coeliacs or gluten free diners.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you enjoyed this lightly spiced dish try our other slow cooked beef options

• Italian Beef Ragu
• Smoked Chilli Beef
• Paprika Beef
• Spicy Slow Cooked Beef
• Asian Beef
• Beef Cheeks Braised in Red Wine

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.