These slow cooked Beef Cheeks are braised in a beautiful red wine sauce until they are so meltingly tender, you can eat it with a spoon! The braising liquid in this Beef Cheeks recipe is infused with incredible flavour and when pureed, transforms into a thick, luscious gravy-like sauce.
Perfectly accompanied with creamy mashed potatoes, this is a very easy dish that is suited to an elegant dinner party or a hearty midweek meal. Make this in your slow cooker, pressure cooker or on the stove!
Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks
This is a magnificent dish that takes a budget cut of beef and transforms it with little effort into a dish that you’ll find on the menu of fine dining restaurants.
Except it’s 80% cheaper. 🙂 I had lunch at an upscale bistro on the weekend where Beef Cheeks were on the menu for $35 a serving!
Little known fact: Beef cheeks are the KING of all slow cooking cuts of beef!
What are beef cheeks?
Beef Cheeks are the cheek muscle of cows and they are a very tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked long and slow to make it tender. It absorbs the flavours of braising liquid well and when you cut into it, it is stringy, almost like pulled pork.
But unlike beef chuck (used for Beef Stew and Pot Roast), Brisket and even Beef Short Ribs which have patches of really juicy sections and also some that can (sometimes) be a bit dry, not a single part of the beef cheek is dry. Every mouthful is juicy and luscious and even just typing up this post is making my mouth water!
And THAT is what makes them so special!!
What you need for this Beef Cheeks recipe
We’re making a fine dining quality dish here, but it just calls for a trip to your local grocery store! Here’s what you need:
Beef Cheeks
5 years ago, they were cheaper and weren’t always available in the large supermarkets here in Australia. But nowadays, thanks to shows like Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules, the price has been driven up but on the plus side, they are now regulars at mainstream stores like Coles and Woolies!
If you can’t find Beef Cheeks, other slow cooking beef cuts will work fine – Beef Short Ribs would be an ideal substitute. Cut them into 250g/8oz chunks so the same cooking times and liquid quantities in this recipe will apply.
This is a magnificent dish that takes a budget cut of beef and transforms it with little effort into a fine dining restaurant dish!
Red Wine for cooking
My Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks recipe is made with a classic Italian red wine braising liquid. The deep, warm, complex flavours of red wine are perfect for using as the stock base for slow cooked beef dishes.
Go to your local liquor outlet and look for end of bin specials and pick up a bottle of a full bodied red wine like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
A pet peeve of mine are recipes that tell you that you must use good quality drinking wine for slow cooking recipes. I do not believe that at all for slow cooked dishes – and the New York Times agrees.
For quick sauces, yes, absolutely. But not for a braising liquid. I bet not even the greatest food critic in the world would be able to tell if it was a discounted $5 end of bin special or a $40 reserve Cab Sav. (Seriously. Who would make a slow cooked beef recipe using a $40 bottle of wine??).
You won’t use the whole bottle. If the wine is not to your standard for drinking, measure out cups and pour them into ziplock bags and freeze them. Handy to have when you need wine for other recipes!
How to make this Beef Cheeks Recipe
Though it does take time to slow cook, it’s an incredibly straightforward recipe:
Brown beef cheeks aggressively – this is key for flavour!
Saute garlic, onion, carrots and celery – our soffrito, the flavour base for the sauce;
Add braising liquid ingredients;
Slow cook the beef cheeks until they are fall apart tender – stove 2.5 hrs, oven 3.5 hrs, slow cooker 8 hrs, pressure cooker / Instant Pot 1 hr;
Puree sauce to thicken into a gravy-like consistency;
Serve beef cheeks with sauce over creamy mashed potato (go all out with Paris Mash!) or for a low carb option, Mashed Cauliflower.
Don’t let the length of the recipe directions fool you, this really is a simple recipe. It’s just long because I’ve provided directions for 3 different cooking methods.
This Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks is a recipe that is elegant enough for a dinner party and if made using a slow cooker, easy enough for mid week.
The other great thing about these Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks is that the leftovers freeze 100% perfectly, OR can be transformed into two other incredible dishes that I’ve shared:
Beef Cheek Ragu Pasta – the rich braising liquid was made for tossing through pasta!
Cook once, eat thrice!! – Nagi x
Try these on the side
Paris Mash (ultimate creamy mashed potato!) or Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Crisp salad with tangy Balsamic Dressing or French Vinaigrette
Watch how to make it
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Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 1.5 kg/3lb beef cheeks , (4 large or 6 small beef cheeks)
- 1 onion (white, brown or yellow), roughly diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 celery stalk , roughly diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 carrot , roughly diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 6 stems of fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 4 dried bay leaves (or 3 fresh bay leaves)
- 1 cup (250 ml) beef stock (broth)
- 2 cups (500 ml) red wine (full bodied eg. cabernet sauvignon or merlot)
- 2 – 3 tsp salt , separated
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the beef cheeks: cut off any large, fatty membrane. Pat dry then use 1 tsp of salt and black pepper to season the beef all over.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Sear half the beef cheeks on each side until nicely browned. Remove beef cheeks onto a plate, repeat with remaining cheeks.
- Turn down the heat to medium high and heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for 3 minutes until onion is becoming translucent.
- Add the celery and carrot,s sauté for a further 3 minutes.
- Follow directions for your chosen cooking method below.
Slow Cooker Directions
- Pour the onion mixture into the slow cooker and place the beef cheeks on top.
- Pour the wine into the pot and return to heat. Turn the heat up to high, bring to simmer and let it simmer for 1 minute (to cook out the wine a bit). Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan so it mixes in with the wine.
- Pour the wine into the slow cooker, then all the remaining ingredients, starting with a pinch of salt and pepper (add more to taste later).
- Cook in the slow cooker on Low for 8 hours or High for 6 hours for 250g/8oz size beef cheeks or Low for 10 – 12 hours or High for 8 hours for 350g/12oz beef cheeks.
- Open the slow cooker and remove the beef cheeks. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves.
- Use a handheld stick blender to puree the braising liquid into a smooth Sauce – it will change from a dark brown to a lighter brown colour.
- Transfer liquid into saucepan, simmer on stove on medium high until the Sauce turns a darker brown colour and reduces by about 1/4 to 1/3, to a gravy consistency – about 10 minutes.
- Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning (salt and pepper) to your taste.
- Remove from heat, return beef cheeks to the Sauce, cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
Pressure Cooker Directions
- Follow the Slow Cooker directions but cook on high in your pressure cooker for 1 hour on high for small cheeks (around 250g/8oz each).
Stovetop and Oven Directions
- Pour the wine into the pot / casserole dish (with the onion mixture) and stir to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring wine to simmer for 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients, starting with a pinch of salt and pepper (add more to taste later), the place lid on.
- Stove: Simmer on medium low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the cheeks are very tender, turn at least once during cooking.
- Oven: 160C/320F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours .
- Remove the beef cheeks from sauce. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves.
- Use a handheld stick blender to puree the braising liquid into a smooth Sauce – it will change from a dark brown to a lighter brown colour.
- Bring the Sauce to simmer over medium heat and simmer until it turns a darker brown colour and reduces by about 1/4 to 1/3, to a gravy consistency – about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning (salt and pepper) to your taste.
- Remove from heat, return beef cheeks to the Sauce, cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
To Serve
- Serve beef cheeks on Paris Mash (ultimate creamy mashed potato!) or Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, drizzled with a generous amount of Sauce. Garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2014. Updated August 2019 with new photos, new process photos, new video, new writing. No change to recipe. I wouldn’t dare touch it, readers love it as it is!
Life of Dozer
His bib was soaked by the time the beef cheeks were in the pot…..
Love this dish. I couldn’t get beef cheeks from either butcher I tried (apparently it’s more of a winter cut?) but they recommended osso bucco made it exactly as the recipe said, and cooked in the slow cooker for 6 hours on high. The meat had fallen off the bone by the time was up. Perfect for a dinner party because you can do it all ahead of time. I served it with mash potato and a rocket salad. Will definitely make again!
Absolutely delicious. I thought the thyme would be over power the dish but it was perfect. Thanks for sharing xx
“This is just unbelievable,” was the comment from my husband when I made this for dinner.
I cooked it in the slow cooker, putting it on at 7am and serving it at 6pm, with mashed potatoes and peas.
What a dish. My family love my cooking. With this dish I have really impressed them, and myself 😁
It’s always good to impress yourself! 😂 N x
I cooked this last night, in the pressure cooker! I have always done dishes like this in the slow cooker, but wanted to try something different to see how it would turn out
I was a bit terrified to open the cooker once it finished, but I really think it turned out perfectly. It would not have been any better in the slow cooker. Very well received by my lovely husband too.
Thank you Nagi, I knew I could trust you!!
Thank you for posting your comment… I am cooking these in the pressure cooker today (not enough time for the slow cooker!) and am worried they will not be a good… your comment makes me feel more confident! Thank you!
Hope this went well for you Angela!
Can you substitute Beef Broth for Chicken Broth? 🙂
Can you use dried thyme instead of fresh
Haven’t got fresh time.. is it OK to use dried time
After cooking this last night I could only find two words to describe it-WOW… yummy. I only had one cup of wine so increased stock and added three small strips of orange peel for last half hour. Served it with cauliflower mash with a dessert spoon of yoghurt mixed in. This will not be the last time for this meal, well done Nagi
I’m thinking step 2 under the slow cooker instructions shouldn’t be there right? Am making this tomorrow. Ive never cooked with beef cheeks before but have had my eye in them since I saw your recipe. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out
My husbands favorite was lamb shanks until I made this. Incredibly tender and flavoursome. Followed recipe as is.
This recipe with just shy of 1.5 kg of pork cheeks was incredibly delicious. I added 2 tbsp of tomato paste to the vegetables and cooked it for a minute before deglazing with the wine. I tied thyme with rosemary in cheesecloth. Cooked on high 6 hours and they were perfectly cooked. It was the perfect amount of sauce after puréeing. I did thin it out a bit with just boiled water.
I made this last night using my pressure cooker. It’s a mutlicooker, but I have only used the pressure cooker for any recipes like this. Thank you for the different cooking options.
Hello. I made the lamb shanks last night and they were AMAZING, so I’m going to try this tonight. I have 400g of beef cheeks… how do you feel about the idea of adding lentils in to bulk this out? Thanks! 🙂
Hi there have made this prob 3-4 times doing it again 2moro but last I noticed maybe time b4 a little , it’s really strong tasting no idea why same wine etc, I use slow cooker to make this
This was absolutely devine, so tender and so much flavour. I served it with your paris mash and steamed greens. There was a fight for leftovers the next day. Will definately be making again, thanks!
Brilliant recipe. Excellent taste and blending the sauce worked really well. I used the oven method.
Hi Nagi
I am going to try this recipe today in the slow cooker. I think step 2 in that method has been copied from the stove top directions ? Step 3 should the move up to step 2 etc.
Melt in your mouth deliciousness!! First time I’ve cooked beef cheeks & these were amazing! I used the stove top method.
Hi Nagi. Love this recipe. I have some large cheeks (500-600g). Should i cut them in half before cooking? Thanks
Did you end up cutting them in half? Curious to hear if they shrunk
When i opened the pack there was 3 cheeks not just 2 i was expecting. So they ended up being about 400gm each so cant help sorry
Hi Nagi san, I have been trying your recipes since last Christmas, and love your recipe.
I am ‘henna’ Japanese – maybe like you? 😛. I made this in slow cooker. OMG this gravy is absolutely to-die-for. Couldn’t believe how flavoursome it was. Of course meat was super tender. I only had one cheek so bulked it up with gravy beef. I live on my own so will make with shredded beef ragu pasta and a pie. Looking forward to them.