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…..
Thank you for your lovely recipe. After decades of throwing out lots of leftover cooking-grade wines, your comment on storing leftover wine was a revelation — thank you!!! , ” measure out cups and pour them into ziplock bags and freeze them. Handy to have when you need wine for other recipes.”
You’ve done it again Nagi! Your recipes are always wonderful just as this was. Pinning it into my favourites for using again and again. I only had two large cheeks in the freezer so no leftovers worst luck.
Hi Sue, thanks so much for the feedback – I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Hi Nagi,
I am usually not a fan of anything cooked with alcohol But wanted to try these beef cheeks. Followed the recipe, except didn’t see the bay leaves. This is wonderful! I can’t stop eating it! Will have to get more beef cheeks and make again so I have leftovers to try the ragu.
YES!!!!! SO happy you loved it!
I found you don’t need to blitz the sauce it is fine to serve how it is
Yes you can totally leave as is if you prefer! x
Hi, Ma am Nagi.
Thanks for posting and sharing this recipe.
I’m cooking this tonight for my employer’s family.
It’s my first time to cook this dish but I’m very confident to your recipe that they’ll love it.
Thank you. Keep it up.
At least the 4th time I am making these as hubby & I absolutely love the way this comes out. I cook it in the oven for the recommended time & temperature and you can literally eat it with a spoon – fall apart and delicious!
That’s great! So pleased you enjoyed this Cha – N x
Ok so i made this today WOW now i cant cook, i mean i even burn sausages. I struggle cooking any meat. This was the easiest mean i have ever made. I got home from work and walked inside my 6 year old said “mummy whats thats beautiful smell” I said thats your dinner he was so excited and had 2 bowls. Thank you for this.
That’s so great to hear Claire!! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
I’m planning on making this for guests this week. If I want to make larger quantities of beef, (I have 2kgs), do I need to double the quantities of the other ingredients. Don’t want to compromise the flavour of the sauce. Thank you! 🙂
Yep please scale everything! Click on servings and SLIDE! 🙂 N x
I love all your recipes and want to try this for tonight!! What if I don’t have a handheld blender? Is there another way to blend the sauce?
Hi June! I would strain it 🙂
Hi. Would it be ok to blend the sauce in a regular blender?
Sure can!
They look lovely , can i cook them for 8 hours in a low oven instead of a slow cooker , say 120 deg ?
Delicious! Made this tonight. I always did beef cheeks in the pressure cooker for about 40 minutes but this time I did 50 minutes and so much better. Next time I’ll try an hour.
We had this for dinner this evening, it was absolutely delicious. Everyone in the family loved it. I served it with mashed potato and cauliflower cheese. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing. It’s a real winner!
Whoot! Love hearing you enjoyed this so much Claire, thanks for letting me know! N x
I splashed out for my family of 5 ($$$) this recipe looked so good I cooked mine in the slow cooker for 10 hours on low I followed the recipe to a T although tender( more like steak) my beef cheeks did not fall apart and I wasnt a fan of the sauce I’m so devastated 😭😭😭😭 I dont know what I did wrong
I’m so sorry to hear that Lisa. How large were your cheeks? It seems strange that they weren’t tender after 10 hours, are you sure your slow cooker was working? The sauce flavour develops with the cooking of the cheeks so they go hand in hand. N x
Super tender, totally delicious and such an easy recipe. First time for beef cheeks, they’ve been hiding away in my freezer for nearly a year just waiting for an outing. Now I want more!
That’s great to hear Tracy! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
These came out really good. 4 hours at 160 Celsius. Meat fell apart. First time doing cheeks though I have done brisket like this before and was equally impressed. Definitely a fan of cooking these tough secondary cuts low and slow. I love the versatility too as I separate the various servings out and transform some into a Ragu while other servings I leave per recipe and add to vegetables or make a stew. Great recipe.
Thanks for the recipe my dinner was a big success.
I have just had lamb cheeks served to me on a train, you can imagine trying to cut it I had to stab a fork into it in case it flew off the plate, I also had to cut the fatty bit off but I really enjoyed it.
If you cook beef cheeks slow and low, they will literally fall apart.
Looks fantastic.
Hope you love it Brett!
The best! 2nd time I’ve made them, I cook them in the oven at 130 degrees Celsius for 6 hours. 👍😀
That’s so great to hear M! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
Amazing! So easy! Honestly the best thing I’ve tasted in a while and making the leftovers into the pasta tonight! So excited!
I’m glad you enjoyed this Alicia! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 N x