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:
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Brown beef cheeks aggressively – this is key for flavour!
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Saute garlic, onion, carrots and celery – our soffrito, the flavour base for the sauce;
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Add braising liquid ingredients;
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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;
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Puree sauce to thicken into a gravy-like consistency;
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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:
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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
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Paris Mash (ultimate creamy mashed potato!) or Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
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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…..
Can I use boneless beef shank?
Be sure to cut your beef cheeks to 250g portions. The ones we got from Cole’s were 400g each and took 18hrs to tenderize. It was pizza for us and cheeks the next night!
Making this a second time. Looking forward to this! Humble ingredients, but the taste is so rich! And your recipe is perfect, thank you! I’m going to try your barbacoa with my next cheeks. I haven’t had a mediocre recipe from you yet, nevermind a failed one – I always check you first. Thank you for showing more obscure parts, as well. Means a great deal to me.
Faultless 10/10
This was just gorgeous, the meat falling apart when you cut into it and a lovely rich sauce. Paired with mashed potato and the brown sugar roasted carrots…had so many compliments from the family! Your recipes are so user friendly, Nagi, it makes me feel like I can impress anyone.
How far in advance can I pre cook this or will it Re Heat ok from fully cooked
This one is even better if cooked a few days in advance and it reheats beautifully!! You could cook it up to 4 days ahead. N x
I’ve made this before as per recipe and it is amazing but today I couldn’t find beef cheeks! I bought osso bucco instead but I’m wondering if they will work as a substitute or should I switch recipes?
Osso cooks a lot faster than cheeks so I would try this one Mel: https://www.recipetineats.com/osso-buco/ N x
Nagi, I’m cooking this tomorrow. I’ve never commented on any cooking sites but I frequently use yours and I just want to thank you for taking the time to write these detailed recipes. Every single one has been a winner. I’m so truly grateful to have your site available to make wonderful meals for my family and friends. Keep it up, you’ll always be my go to and favourite! No fail receipts every single time. So much love x
Recipes*** even! I’m sure you knew what I meant haha
I hope you like the beef cheeks as much as the other recipes Chelsey! N x
When does the stock go in?
At Step 3 where it says “add all the other ingredients!” N x
Loads of yumminess! I tried it and we all do love it!
Made these last night and phenomenal doesn’t do them justice!! I used a good Malbec and it’s the best beef dish I’ve ever cooked. 8.hrs in slow cooker and the cheeks just fell apart. This will be a regular staple from now on!! Thank you Nagi 🙂
Oh yes!! That sounds delicious!! N x
Did you do it on low or high, please? Thanks
On high, Diana -8 hours. I also added button mushrooms in for the last 45 mins – it was delicious!
I’ve done it yesterday, and it was AMAZING! The best dish I have ever cooked. 😋😋
I came across beef cheeks in an Egyptian cookbook for the first time & promptly asked my friend for some as she was getting ready to slaughter 6 bovine creatures. From the butcher I got a large bag of cheeks that once unthawed looked nothing like the ones in your pictures!! Not sure the butcher ever had a request like mine….I proceeded with the recipe and wow, extremely tender & the gravy was delicious!! My boyfriend is kind of put off with the idea of eating cheeks … so more for me! Thanks for a great recipe!!
They are one of my fave cuts of beef – SOOO much flavour! I am glad that you enjoyed them!! N x
Can I make this a few hours in advance? And re-heat? Or will this ruin the flavour and meat?
Absolutely magnificent taste follow the steps and it will turn out beautiful every time.
So I’ve got everything in my slow cooker pot but the liquid doesnt cover the cheeks. Is that ok or does the beef need to be submerged?
Hi, I’ve currently got the same issue. How did they turn out?
I’ve made this several times now and guests are always so impressed and say it’s restaurant quality! Beautifully paired with your Paris Mashed Potatoes recipe! 5 Stars!
Beef cheeks are the best! I’m cooking this today and wondered whether you had a preference for the cooking methods. While in the past I would have prepared it in a slow cooker, I am leaning toward oven now. I think there is a difference. Thoughts?
Don’t trim any fat or sinew from the meat – this will break down over LONG cooking and become liquid gelatine, adding body & flavour to the sauce.
If you go with the oven or stove top cooking method, should the pot be covered for the duration?
Yes Kate – as per Step 2 you place the lid on for the oven method. N x
i’m a little confused by your oven and stove top directions. Are the beef cheeks supposed to be cooked on the stovetop for 2 hrs then in the oven for 3hrs? The numbering suggests that it’s sequential. Is it either stove or oven or both?
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!