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Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Beef Bites

Slow cooker garlic butter beef bites with meltingly tender beef cubes and a glossy, golden garlic butter sauce that clings to every piece. The sauce reduces down as the crockpot cooks, finishing with herb flecks for a rich coating over mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 6 hours
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef stew meat or sirloin
  • 2 lb beef stew meat or sirloin, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Butter
  • 6 tbsp butter, cubed
Garlic
  • 6 clove garlic, minced
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Onion powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
Beef broth
  • 0.5 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
Fresh parsley
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley for garnish optional but recommended
Mashed potatoes or egg noodles
  • 1 mashed potatoes or egg noodles for serving for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear
  1. Season the beef generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Aim for an even coating so the surface browns deeply.
  2. Heat olive oil in a hot skillet over high heat and sear the beef in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to the slow cooker. Use the browned fond as flavor for the sauce.
Slow cook garlic butter sauce
  1. Add the cubed butter, minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, onion powder, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Stir once so aromatics and seasonings are distributed.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until the beef is fork-tender. Look for a very soft texture where the cubes break easily with a fork.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir gently to coat the beef in the garlic butter sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning. The sauce should look glossy and thick enough to cling to the bites.
  2. Serve the beef bites over mashed potatoes or egg noodles and garnish with fresh parsley. Plate so the herb flecks and glossy sauce show on top.

Notes

For best results, don’t skip the sear—browning the beef creates the deeper flavor that the slow cooker sauce clings to. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. Freezing works for the beef and sauce only (freeze up to 2 months), then thaw and reheat; cook fresh mashed potatoes/egg noodles when serving. If you want a lighter option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce the added salt to taste.