Slow Cooker Sesame Beef

One of the great things about this season is all the get-togethers, parties, and family time. It’s definitely up there as one of my favorite ways to spend a weekend gathered with friends eating delicious food and catching up.

It makes me smile just thinking about it. I love thinking up what to bring, but I also like to bring stuff that you might not find at a get-together. Something a little off the main menu, yet still enjoyable by all. So, all season I have been bringing these Korean Beef Tacos and Asian inspired dishes to gatherings for a break from the typical holiday fare.

Sweet and spicy, they make a delicious and interesting main dish and the shredded beef tastes great in tacos, on sandwiches, or on its own.

However, because this has been my go-to staple, I wanted to mix it up a little and add a sesame twist. Today’s recipe mimics the flavors of traditional sesame beef but in a shredded, slow cooker version.

This weekend we ate it stuffed into hollowed-out French bread with quick-pickled veggies, cilantro, and jalapenos to make homemade banh-mi sandwiches.

Ideas for serving Sesame Beef

• I like to serve Sesame Beef over rice. White, brown, cauliflower, whatever rice you choose, it'll be delicious.
• If you read the word "taco" and now that's all you can think about, then by all means, add this Slow Cooker Sesame Beef to a taco. I like mine in a corn taco, but flour or low-carb tortillas or shells work well too.
• Lettuce wraps make a great no-carb option. I like to put the shredded beef into the lettuce leaf and top it like I would a taco — with alllllll the fixins.
• Snap peas and brown rice are delicious together. If you've never had cooked snap peas, you are totally missing out!
• Asian Peanut Slaw makes a great base for this slow cooked shredded Asian beef.

Tips & Tricks for Making Slow Cooker Sesame Beef

• You can make the sesame sauce up to two days ahead of time and store in a Mason jar in the fridge. That way, all you have to do is add your beef and pour over the sauce the morning you want to make this dish in the slow cooker. Or for a faster meal add the sauce to ground beef and cook it in a skillet, like in this ground beef bulgogi recipe.
• Don't skip the extra 30 minutes of the shredded beef cooking in the sauces. This allows the sauce to cook down some and really soak into the beef now that you've pulled it apart.
• If you don't have fresh ginger, you can substitute 1 tbsp of powdered ginger instead.
• I prefer using tomato paste because it will make your sauce thick. But ketchup works in a pinch. Make sure you're using just a tablespoon and not too much ketchup so the sauce doesn't get too watery and runny.
• If you don't have a top round roast, you can substitute a chuck roast or flank steak.
• You can also shred this beef with tongs if you prefer over forks.
• It will keep warm if you put it on the "warm" setting without the sauce getting too thick.
• Substitute minced garlic for garlic cloves if you don't have fresh or you don't have time to mince the garlic yourself.

Can I freeze Sesame Beef?

Wait until the beef has cooled to room temperature before freezing. You can freeze Slow Cooker Sesame Beef in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also portion this dish out into Ziplock baggies if you prefer. Make sure to get all the air out. I like to label the baggies as well to make sure I know what it is and when I froze it so I know to use it up before it goes bad or gets freezer burn.

How long will this keep in the refrigerator?

If you have leftovers, put those in an airtight container as well and into the fridge. You can keep Sesame Beef in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in a glass or dish in the microwave or oven. Or put it in a saucepan to bring warm it up if you prefer.

If it seems a little dry you can add a tablespoon or two of water to get it saucy again.