Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Recipe

This hearty Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy is made with beef chuck roast, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, ginger, garlic, and fresh bok choy. This recipe creates a rich, savory, and deeply flavored Asian-inspired stew that is a perfect main course. It is an ideal, cozy winter meal that makes enough for 4 people.

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Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Ingredients

  • 4 leeks (white and light green parts only), trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 4 thin slices ginger, unpeeled
  • 1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 121​ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed
  • 41​ cup hoisin sauce
  • 41​ cup Shaoxing rice wine, mirin, or dry sherry
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 4 heads baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

How To Make Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy

  1. Set up the slow cooker: Combine the leeks, unpeeled garlic cloves, ginger slices, and thinly sliced jalapeno pepper in a 7-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and toss everything together to coat it evenly.
  2. Add the beef and sauce: Place the trimmed beef chuck roast right into the vegetable mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, rice wine (or mirin/sherry), soy sauce, brown sugar, and 31​ cup of warm water. Pour this savory sauce mixture over the meat.
  3. Cook the stew: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook the mixture on the low setting for 721​ hours. The beef should be very tender and easy to shred after this time.
  4. Finish the dish: Carefully remove the beef to a cutting board and slice it thinly against the grain. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and ginger slices from the slow cooker liquid. Return the sliced meat to the slow cooker along with the bok choy pieces.
  5. Wilt the bok choy: Increase the heat setting to high and cook, uncovered, until the bok choy has just softened or wilted, which should take about 5 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately: Serve the slow-cooked beef and bok choy over the 2 cups of cooked white rice.
Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Recipe
Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Recipe

Recipe Tips

  • Do not peel the aromatics: Keep the garlic cloves and ginger slices unpeeled. This keeps them from breaking down too much during the long cooking time, making them easy to fish out and discard right before serving.
  • Trim the beef well: Trim any large pieces of fat from the chuck roast before adding it to the slow cooker. This prevents the final dish from being overly greasy.
  • Slice against the grain: When you remove the beef and slice it, make sure you cut against the grain. This technique shortens the muscle fibers and ensures the meat is tender and easy to chew.
  • Do not overcook the bok choy: The bok choy is meant to be quickly wilted at the end, adding a bit of fresh, bright color and a slight crunch. Overcooking it will result in mushy, dull green vegetables.

What To Serve Beef and Bok Choy

This deeply flavored stew is traditionally served over steamed white rice, which soaks up the rich sauce perfectly. For a healthy alternative, you could use brown rice or cauliflower rice. A quick side of steamed green beans or blanched broccoli tossed with a sprinkle of sesame seeds adds extra green vegetables. To make it a heartier meal, serve it with Asian sesame noodles or a simple cucumber salad dressed with a rice vinegar and sesame oil dressing.

How To Store Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Leftovers

  • Refrigerate: Store the leftover beef and bok choy in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Store the rice separately if possible, as it tends to dry out or get mushy when stored with the stew.
  • Freeze: The stew freezes well. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little headspace. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. The bok choy might be slightly softer after freezing and thawing.

Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 380 kcal
  • Total Fat: 15g
  • Saturated Fat: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 80mg
  • Sodium: 800mg
  • Total Carbohydrate: 25g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3g
  • Sugars: 15g
  • Protein: 35g

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I use a different cut of beef? Yes, you can. While chuck roast is excellent for its marbling and ability to break down, you can also use beef short ribs or even a leaner cut like sirloin, although the sirloin might be slightly less tender and should be cooked closer to the 7-hour mark.
  • What is Shaoxing rice wine and can I skip it? Shaoxing rice wine is a key traditional Chinese cooking wine that adds depth, complexity, and a unique aroma to the sauce. It is highly recommended. If you need to substitute, you can use mirin (which is sweeter) or dry sherry, as listed in the ingredients. Do not skip this ingredient entirely, as it is crucial to the flavor profile.
  • What is the best way to trim the bok choy? For baby bok choy, simply cut off the very bottom of the white bulb end, separating the stalks. Then, cut the stalks crosswise into 2-inch pieces. You can use both the white stem and the green leaves—they will cook down nicely.

Try More Recipes:

Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy Recipe

Recipe by Shili MohamedCourse: Main, DinnerCuisine: American
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

25

minutes
Cooking time

7

hours 

35

minutes
Calories

380

kcal

This hearty Slow-Cooker Beef and Bok Choy is an easy, satisfying stew infused with rich Chinese-inspired flavors from hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, ginger, and garlic. The beef chuck roast becomes fork-tender, and fresh bok choy is stirred in at the end for a pop of green. Serve this savory dish over steamed white rice.

Ingredients

  • 4 leeks (white and light green parts only)

  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

  • 4 thin slices ginger, unpeeled

  • 1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 121​ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed

  • 41​ cup hoisin sauce

  • 41​ cup Shaoxing rice wine, mirin, or dry sherry

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  • 4 heads baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

  • 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

  • Set up the slow cooker: Combine leeks, unpeeled garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with flour and toss. Nestle the beef chuck roast into the vegetables.
  • Add the sauce and cook: Whisk hoisin sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on low for 721​ hours.
  • Finish the dish: Remove the meat and slice against the grain. Discard garlic and ginger. Return meat and bok choy to the slow cooker. Increase heat to high and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until the bok choy wilts.
  • Serve: Serve the savory stew over cooked white rice.
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