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Coconut Red Curry Drip Beef

Coconut red curry drip beef is a slow-cooker Thai-American main dish with fall-apart shredded chuck roast drenched in a creamy coconut-red curry broth. Cook low until tender, then shred and finish with bright lime for a savory, aromatic finish over steamed rice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Thai-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Use chuck roast for maximum shred-tender texture.
Coconut milk
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Red curry paste
  • 3 tbsp red curry paste
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
Fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
Fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
Brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
Lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
Lemongrass stalk
  • 1 lemongrass stalk Bruise before adding.
Cumin
  • 2 tsp cumin
Beef broth
  • 1 cup beef broth
Steamed rice
  • 1 steamed rice For serving.
Cilantro
  • 1 cilantro For serving.
Lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges For serving.
Red chili
  • 1 red chili Sliced, for serving.
Salt and pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and build the curry sauce
  1. Season the chuck roast generously with salt and pepper, coating all sides for deep flavor. Let it sit while you mix the curry sauce.
  2. Whisk coconut milk, diced tomatoes, red curry paste, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, brown sugar, cumin, and beef broth until smooth and fully combined.
  3. Place the beef in a Dutch oven and pour the curry sauce over it. Add the bruised lemongrass stalk so it steeps throughout the cook.
Slow-cook until fall-apart tender
  1. Cook on Low until fall-apart tender, 7-8 hours, so the beef becomes shred-friendly. Keep the lid on to maintain steady heat.
  2. Remove the lemongrass stalk and discard it, since the flavor has infused into the broth. Shred the beef in the sauce until evenly distributed.
  3. Stir in the lime juice and simmer gently for 5 minutes to marry flavors and bring brightness forward. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
  1. Serve the coconut red curry drip beef over steamed rice, letting the sauce drip and pool around the meat. Top with cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced red chili right before eating.

Notes

Pro tip: for the best “drip” texture, shred the beef directly in the sauce while it’s still hot, then give it a short gentle simmer after adding lime juice to thicken slightly. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months, then thaw overnight and reheat thoroughly. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium fish sauce and low-sodium beef broth.