Description
Hearty crockpot sweet and sour beef brings classic Chinese-American comfort straight to dinner tables with minimal effort. Rich, tangy flavors meld together effortlessly, creating a satisfying meal you can easily enjoy without complex cooking techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) beef stew meat (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Vegetables and Fruits:
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Sauce and Seasoning:
- 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) ketchup
- 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Serving and Garnish:
- Cooked rice or noodles
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the meat by cutting stew beef into uniform bite-sized cubes if not pre-cut, ensuring consistent cooking and easy eating.
- Rough chop bell peppers and onions into similar-sized pieces to promote even distribution and balanced flavor profile throughout the dish.
- Drain pineapple chunks thoroughly to prevent excess liquid from diluting the sauce’s intensity and consistency.
- Combine meat, vegetables, and pineapple chunks directly in the crockpot, creating a solid foundation for the dish.
- Create the sweet and sour sauce by whisking ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and minced garlic until smooth and well-integrated.
- Pour sauce over the ingredients in the crockpot, gently stirring to ensure complete and uniform coating of all components.
- Cover and slow cook at low temperature (195°F) for 6-7 hours, allowing flavors to meld and meat to become fork-tender.
- During final 30 minutes, mix cornstarch with cold water to create a smooth slurry, then fold into the crockpot to naturally thicken the sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed for balanced flavor profile.
- Plate over steamed rice or noodles, garnishing with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Choose meat with good marbling for extra tenderness and rich flavor during slow cooking.
- Pat beef dry before adding to crockpot to help achieve better browning and prevent watery texture.
- Cut vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Customize sauce sweetness by adjusting brown sugar levels according to personal preference or dietary needs.
- For gluten-free version, replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos and use gluten-free cornstarch.
- Add fresh ginger for deeper, more complex flavor profile that complements sweet and sour sauce.
- Reduce sauce before serving if wanting thicker consistency by removing lid during last hour of cooking.
- Swap beef with chicken or tofu for alternative protein options without changing core recipe structure.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg