Name: Tender Slow Cooker Garlic Steak Bites
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 11 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lbs top sirloin steak (1361 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoon brown gravy mix (1 packet); 2 tablespoon Au Jus mix (1 packet); 2 tablespoon Ranch seasoning mix (1 packet); 2 1/2 cups water (591 ml)

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This delicious recipe for slow cooker garlic steak bites is the perfect dish to make when you're craving juicy steak but don't have time to make a special meal. You'll love how quickly it comes together. The best part? Your house will smell amazing while the steak cooks.

Slow Cooker Garlic Steak Bites

Using your Crock-Pot or slow cooker is a fantastic way to enjoy steak without the fuss. These bites offer all the flavor and tenderness of traditional steak, but without any of the mess or hassle. The slow cooker does most of the work for you, so all you have to do is pop these little beauties in before you head out for your day and they’ll be ready when you get home!

It's a great way to use up a tougher cut of meat but works with your favorite sirloin or New York strip. If you like using your slow cooker, then you'll love this slow cooker Mississippi pot roast recipe as well or this tasty beef stew recipe.

What Cut of Beef is Best to Cook in the Slow Cooker?

Technically, there are many types of beef cuts that you can use to make slow cooker steak. I am using sirloin because it is an inexpensive cut of meat as well as perfect for the slow cooker. It breaks down easily and creates that melt in your mouth texture that is going to leave you craving more.

You can use other cuts of meat if you prefer like brisket, chuck, round roasts, rump roast, London broil, skirt steak, flank steam, or even hanger steaks.

How Can I Add Smoky Flavor to This Recipe?

Steak is often associated with having a smokey flavor because it is often cooked on the grill. Since this recipe is designed to be easy and not have you standing over the grill, you might be missing the smokey flavor.

You can add ½ to 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to give this steak that flavor you are craving. Another option is to add smoked salt to the recipe. It comes in a variety of flavors like oak, mesquite, and hickory that all add a different unique flavor reminiscent of the grill or smoker you might normally use for this recipe.

Can I Add Vegetables to This Recipe?

While this is just the steak and sauce, you can definitely add more flavor by mixing in some vegetables while it cooks. The best options for this recipe are to slice an onion and some mushrooms. Baby Bella or button mushrooms are best, but if you wanted to get a bit fancy you could add in shitake mushrooms instead.

Bell peppers or jalapeno peppers are another options that adds flavor to the mixture. Potatoes could also be added for the last 2 hours of cooking, but are best when cooked separately and served with gravy over the top instead.

What’s the Best Way to Cut Beef so It is Tender?

It is believed that the best way to cut meat is by cutting it against the grain. They are able to do this by cutting in a perpendicular direction to the meat. This is done by placing your knife at a 90-degree angle to the direction of the muscle fiber and then cutting without pressing down too hard. Cutting parallel to the muscle fiber, on the other hand, will produce more tough and chewy cuts of meat. In order to produce the best possible result, you should cut perpendicular.

What Goes in Ranch Seasoning?

If you can't find a ready-made seasoning packet or prefer to make your own, below is the recipe that I prefer. For this recipe, you would use 2 tablespoons of the mixture in place of the single packet of traditional Ranch seasoning.

½ cup dry buttermilk powder
1 ½ tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoon dried dill
1 ½ teaspoon dried chives
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

What Can I Use in Place of Au Jus Mix?

If you can't find a dry packet of au jus mix, you can substitute it for 2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons granulated bouillon in this mixture. An alternative is to replace the water and the bouillon with the same amount of beef broth as you would normally add water to this recipe.

Ingredients

Top sirloin or London broil
Garlic
Brown gravy mix
Au Jus mix
Ranch seasoning
Water

Handy Kitchen Tools

How to Make Garlic Steak Bites in the Crock-Pot

Slice beef into 1" strips against the grain.

Place the meat in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the minced garlic, Ranch seasoning, Au jus mix, and brown gravy mix over the meat.

Pour water over the meat until all seasoning is covered.

Cover and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 hours or on low heat for 8 to 10 hours.

Can I Make Steak Bites in the Instant Pot?

You can definitely make this recipe in your Instant Pot in a fraction of the time.

Slice beef against the grain into 1" strips.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Ranch seasoning mix, brown gravy mix, and au jus mix with the water until combined and no lumps remain.

Place the beef and the seasoning mixture into the Instant Pot and set the lid to seal.

Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes.

Once the cooking time is complete, allow it to naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.

Stir and serve.

What Goes with Crock-Pot Steak?

When it comes to steak, there is no end to the ideas that you can serve with it. One of the most popular recipes that go well with steak is potatoes. You can serve them baked, roasted, or mashed. I also like to make scalloped potatoes.

I love this homestyle cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe or these garlic butter Crock Pot mashed potatoes. You can make Southern-style baked macaroni and cheese or even a simple homemade creamed corn recipe. There is no end to the dishes that taste great alongside this steak recipe. Whether you like a nice vegetable side like candied carrots or a simple Mediterranean pasta salad, you can serve whatever you want with this meal and it will be loved.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6