Slow Cooker Beef and Chorizo Casserole

This slow cooker beef and chorizo casserole is exactly what you need on a chilly day – tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in a rich, delicious gravy with chorizo chunks, mushrooms and carrots.

This is the best slow cooker beef casserole recipe I’ve ever tried – I’m sure you’ll love it too! 

I feel like I’ve waited until exactly the right moment to post this recipe.

This morning I woke up, drew open the curtains and was greeted by the sight of snow. Just a light covering – certainly not enough to make a snowman – but the temperature was still chilly enough to make me think of filling, hearty meals that warm you from the inside out.

Macaroni cheese, Classic Chilli Con Carne , red Thai curry,  old fashioned beef stews and wholesome potato and leek soup to keep the cold out.

It’s been such a mild Winter – I’m probably in the minority here, but I’ve been missing those Narnia white, clear, crisp days we associate with this time of year.

I’ve fallen back in love with my slow cooker lately. I didn’t use it for the longest time but recently I dragged it out of the cupboard and it’s definitely earned it’s rightful spot on top of my kitchen counter.

 This beef casserole is adapted from a recipe in the brilliant Mountain Cafe Cookbook. I first made it this time last year and we all loved it. I decided to try and adapt the recipe for the slow cooker and it worked a treat.

This casserole is packed full of flavour – beef and chorizo work so well together – and the addition of Guinness – a whole bottle – will give you the most delicious, velvety gravy.

The slow cooker will work its magic and you’ll end up with tender beef that just falls apart when you touch it with a fork.

I’ve added Guinness to this casserole – it gives a real depth of flavour to the sauce.  However, if you don’t want to use alcohol you can use beef stock instead.Just bear in mind that if you use beef stock, you won’t need to add the sugar.

What type of chorizo should I use?

I use a spicy Spanish dry cured chorizo sausage for this recipe – it gives a mild kick of heat. You can use a smoked or mild chorizo if you prefer.

Do I have to brown the meat first?

Strictly speaking, no. You don’t have to, but I believe it is so worth the effort. Browning your meat will add extra flavour to the casserole and if you skip this step, it won’t taste as good. Sorry! In this case I believe it’s worth the extra dishes, and I don’t say that very often.

Can I use different vegetables?

Yes! butternut squash or sweet potato work well in this recipe, or you could omit the mushrooms if you aren’t a fan.

Can I make this casserole in advance?

Yes – once the casserole is cooked, allow to cool fully before refrigerating for up to two days. When you’re ready to eat, re-heat the casserole until piping hot.

looking for a traditional beef dish?

Try my old fashioned Scottish Beef Stew recipe.

Side Dishes to serve with Beef and Chorizo Casserole 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Dauphinois Potatoes

Honey Mustard Roasted Parsnips and Carrots 

LOOKING FOR MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES?

• slow cooker beef Stroganoff

• Slow Cooker Beef Curry

• Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken

• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken 

• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

• Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

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Slow Cooker Beef and Chorizo Casserole

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

This slow cooker beef and chorizo casserole is proper Winter warming comfort food - set aside some time to make it in the morning and you'll have dinner waiting for you when you come home from work!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 500 g stewing beef, cut into chunks
• 25g plain (all purpose) flour
• 1 teaspoon sweet (mild) paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 200 g chorizo sausage, cut into chunks
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 150 g mushrooms, sliced in half
• 250 ml beef stock
• 500 ml Guinness
• OR
• another 500ml beef stock
• 2 tablespoons sugar (IF using Guinness - if you're just using beef stock you won't need the sugar)
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat your slow cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions, if necessary.
2. Place the flour and paprika in a medium mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, add the beef cubes and coat the beef in the flour. Heat the oil in a large pan. Lightly shake off any excess flour from the beef before adding it to the pan. Brown the meat in batches (don't overcrowd the pan or the beef won't brown properly). When all of the beef has been browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Drizzle a little more oil in the pan and add the onion.
4. Turn the heat to low-medium and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring often so the onion doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. 
6. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for a few minutes until some of the spicy oil has been released. 
7. Remove from the heat. In a large jug or mixing bowl, combine the beef stock, Guinness, sugar, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce. 
8. Transfer the browned beef, chorizo, onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms to your slow cooker along with the bay leaves and thyme.
9. Pour over the beef stock/Guinness mixture. Place on the lid and cook for HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender and the vegetables have softened. 

Notes

This casserole is lovely served with buttery mash or baked potato. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 1286mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 27g

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