Name: Slow cooker beef cheeks in red wine recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 295 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 1/5 kg beef cheeks fat trimmed; 1/4 cup seasoned plain flour; 1 pinch salt and pepper *to taste; 1 tsp parsley; 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 3 tbs oil; 2 onions; 2 carrots diced; 6 garlic cloves unpeeled; 1 cup shiraz red wine; 500.00 ml beef liquid stock; 2 tbs brown sugar; 2 tbs tomato paste; 3 sprigs thyme chopped leaves removed; 2 bay leaves; 40g butter; 6 shiitake mushrooms dried; 12 button mushrooms; 6 Swiss brown mushrooms halved

by minmona Last updated on 04/11/2025

Synonymous with winter cooking, slow-cooked beef cheeks are hearty, satisfying and a real crowd-pleaser on a chilly evening. In this recipe, the beef is cooked in the slow cooker with red wine and classic flavours, and then served with a simple garlic mash and vegies.

How to make slow cooker beef cheeks in red wine: key tips

Tossing the beef in flour and browning it before adding it to the slow cooker ensures that the pieces retain their juices and don’t lose their flavour to the liquid in the slow cooker. The flour also works to thicken the gravy in the cooker.

A nifty way I like to clean mushrooms is to use a pastry brush – the bristle kind, not silicone. I find it dusts away any dirt remnants easily.

This dish is heavenly served over a garlic mash and steamed vegetables.

Slow-Cooker-Beef-Cheeks-in-Red-Wine

Key ingredients in this slow cooker beef cheeks in red wine recipe

Beef cheeks are used in this recipe and are available from the supermarket and butchers. You could also use beef shin or chuck steak, which are both good options for slow cooking.

Shiraz is a dark and full-bodied red wine. Malbec, grenache or tempranillo are great substitutes.

Dried herbs work really well in slow cooks as there is ample time for them to release their flavours. I like to use a mix of both dried and fresh, depending on what I have in the crisper or garden at the time. When using fresh, you’ll need to add a little more, as fresh herbs aren’t quite as potent as dried herbs.

I really like to experiment with different slow cooks in winter. Try some of these recipes for your slow cooker, then follow them up with our best casserole recipes.

This recipe was originally submitted by minmona, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.

- Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

1 1/5 kg beef cheeks fat trimmed
1/4 cup seasoned plain flour
1 pinch salt and pepper *to taste
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbs oil
2 onions
2 carrots diced
6 garlic cloves unpeeled
1 cup shiraz red wine
2 cups beef liquid stock
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs tomato paste
3 sprigs thyme chopped leaves removed
2 bay leaves
40g butter
6 shiitake mushrooms dried
12 button mushrooms
6 Swiss brown mushrooms halved

Method

Step 1

Toss cheeks in seasoned flour. Heat oil in frypan over medium heat and brown the meat. Remove to a plate.
Step 2

Add more oil if necessary, then and add carrots, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden.
Step 3

Place half the onion mix in the base of the slow cooker, place beef cheeks on top, then cover with remaining onion mixture.
Step 4

Deglaze frypan with the red wine, then add stock, sugar, tomato paste, reconstituted mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme leaves.
Step 5

Bring to the boil, then pour into the slow cooker.
Step 6

Add butter to pan and fry garlic and other mushrooms for 3 minutes, then add to beef, stirring in.
Step 7

Set cooker to high and cook for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours.
Step 8

If sauce needs thickening, remove lid for last hour of cooking time.
Step 9

Serve with garlic mash and steamed vegetables.

Equipment

1 slow cooker

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

Why do I need to cook some of the ingredients in a frying pan before adding them to the slow cooker?

Browning the meat and vegetables first adds caramelisation and depth of flavour. If your slow cooker has a searing bowl, you can use this instead of a frying pan.

Can you overcook beef cheeks?

Because beef cheeks are a tough secondary cut with a lot of muscle, they are perfectly suited to slow cooking, and it would be very hard to overcook them! Follow this recipe and you should be rewarded with wonderfully tender, fall-apart beef cheeks.

Can I cook this slow cooker beef cheeks in red wine in a casserole dish?

There is no reason why you can’t, but just keep an eye on the liquid in the dish as it cooks and top up with a little more stock, if it evaporates too quickly. You will need to cook on low heat for 8 hours or until the meat is lovely and tender.