Homemade Apricot Beef

This apricot beef recipe is absolutely heavenly. Slow-cooked with tomatoes and spices until fork tender. A little zing of apricot jam takes it to its ultimate result. It takes only 10 minutes of hands-on work and the oven does the rest of the work. A perfect dish for busy days.

The kids are on summer vacation, so business is low. Many people are traveling overseas with the family. The weather is hot! I mean hot!! Sometimes you can’t step outdoors. Like 40 C. Yep!! And yet, we love summer – don’t we? My Aadi loves summer because there is no school. He’d rather be playing soccer or basketball than sit doing homework. You know! Boys!!

Recently, I’ve been a bit bored cooking in the kitchen. I always check with the kids what they feel like for lunch or dinner and that helps me plan my weekly menu. So, while it helps the kids make the decisions, it also mentally prepares them to eat what they have asked me to cook for them.

Apricot and Beef

The first time I tried apricot beef was on my travel to Istanbul. It was a gorgeous slow-cooked beef tagine dish with lots of apricots. A bit too many apricots, but I loved the idea very much. When I came back, I experimented with a few chicken and apricot variations, which were very delicious. Have you tried my Slow Cooked Apricot Cranberry Chicken with couscous yet? Oh, you must try it! My kids favorite.

We often make couscous to go with this dish. And yet, steamed rice, mashed potatoes or even creamy polenta also work great.

About this slow-cooked apricot beef

This slow-cooked apricot beef is absolutely heavenly. It takes only 10 minutes of hands-on work, and then the oven does the rest. The slow cooking makes the meat fork-tender and melt in your mouth. The apricots add a rich fruity flavor and complement the beef and spices really well.
Here I am serving it with couscous. In fact, I am using the instant couscous here. I’ve shown you how I make my couscous so it comes out light and fluffy. You could serve it with white rice too.

Classic Apricot Beef, Slow-Cooker Apricot Beef or Instant Pot Apricot beef

I like slow cooking on busy days because I can plan ahead and organize my day. So, when I’m busy cake decorating, I choose slow-cooked dishes. Sometimes, I make the best use of my slow cooker, but then there are times when I’m not organized and need a quick meal. Then, I use my Instant-pot and make this in about 30 minutes.

But, I have been making this apricot beef in the oven long before I got my slow cooker or instant-pot. Which is why I will share with you how to make this slow-cooked apricot beef – in the oven, the slow-cooker or the instant pot. I hope you will find it useful.

Let’s talk ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)

• Beef – It’s best to use meats that work well for slow cooking. I use a shoulder or leg which is delicious and cooks to be fork-tender.
• Onions – If you like a sweet taste to your meat, use red onions. The apricot does add a tad sweetness, so I used a regular brown onion.
• Ginger and garlic – For me, meat dishes have to have ginger and garlic. They add so much of flavor to the meat. Grating them makes sure they get completely dissolved in the dish.
• Apricot jam – I make homemade apricot jam, and yet any store-bought jam would work just as well. 2 tbsp does not sound like a lot but trust me it does add so much flavor.
• Paprika – If you like spicy, use hot paprika. Otherwise, smoked sweet paprika will do. In addition to the flavor, paprika also adds a nice color to the dish.

Useful Tips and Tools

• Slow cooker or Crock-Pots are easily available these days and quite affordable too. They make meal planning so much easier than last-minute stress of what’s for dinner? If possible, choose one that has the option to saute, so you can do everything in one pot including browning the meat. My only regret is that I can’t brown the meats or saute the onions in the same pot.  By the way, the Instant Pot has a slow cooker option too and I’m pretty excited that I will be able to use it for slow cooking too.
• Also, if you plan to cook it on the stovetop, use a heavy bottom skillet that will endure the long slow cooking. You can also use a heat tamer or heat diffuser that you can place under the pan to distribute the heat evenly.
• And, I usually use a wooden spoon, but a silicon Spatula works too. A longer handle might help with splattering spices.
• Chopping board and kitchen knife to chop the meat.

How to Make Slow Cooked Apricot Beef  or Crockpot Beef Recipe (Save/Pin)

Method:

Classic Apricot Beef (Oven-baked)

• Preheat oven to 150 C / 300 F.
• Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with flour and coat well.
• Set aside for a few minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute pan and brown the beef on all sides. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove beef from pan and keep warm.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and beef back to the pan. Saute for two minutes.
• Add the can of crushed tomatoes, followed by apricot jam, and lemon juice.
• Add parsley, one cups water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• When it comes to a boil.
• Place pan covered in the oven and cook at 150 C / 300 F for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.
• Halfway through cooking stir, check the consistency. If too dry add some more water.

Slow-Cooker Apricot Beef

• Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with flour and coat well.
• Set aside for a few minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute pan and brown the beef on all sides. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove beef from pan and add to the slow cooker
• To the same pan – add remaining oil and saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon. Saute for two minutes.
• Pour the mixture over the beef in the slow cooker.
• Then add the can of crushed tomatoes, apricot jam, and lemon juice to the slow cooker.
• Followed by the parsley, one cups water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover the slow cooker and set on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours until fork-tender
• Taste and adjust seasoning before you serve.

Instant Pot Apricot Beef

• Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. (do not coat with flour)
• Set aside for a few minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute’ pan and brown the beef on all sides. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove beef from pan and keep warm.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and beef back to the pan. Saute for two minutes.
• Add the can of crushed tomatoes, followed by apricot jam, and lemon juice.
• Add parsley, one cups water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Close the lid and steam valve of the instant pot.
• Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes
• When done – release pressure naturally for 10 minutes.
• Substitute flour in the recipe for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
• Mix cornstarch in 1/4 cup water and add to the instant pot.
• Cook for five minutes until thickened.
• Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Prepare Couscous

• Place couscous in a bowl. stir in the olive oil well.
• Add salt to the boiling water.
• Pour boiling water over the couscous. Cover with a lid and let sit for 20 minutes.
• After 10 minutes fluff with a fork.
• Add cranberries or pomegranate and parsley.

Frequently asked questions

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You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

Slow Cooked Apricot Beef with Couscous

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Calories: 293kcal

$10

Adjust Servings Here: 6 servings

Description

This apricot beef recipe is absolutely heavenly. Slow-cooked with tomatoes and spices until fork tender. A little zing of apricot jam takes it to its ultimate result. It takes only 10 minutes of hands-on work and the oven does the rest of the work. A perfect dish for busy days.

Equipment /Tools

• Skillet
• Saute pan 5 quarts (Calphalon)
• Baking Tray
• Oven
• Cutting boards
• Kitchen Knife
• Spatula

Ingredients

For the Apricot Beef

• 900 grams Beef cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp All purpose flour
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 cup Onion chopped fine
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2 inch Ginger grated
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Cinnamon stick 1 large or 2 small 
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp Sweet or hot paprika
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Apricot jam
• 400 grams Canned crushed  tomatoes
• 250 ml Water
• 1/4 cup Parsley

For the Couscous

• 2 cups Instant couscous
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 liter Boiling water
• 1/2 cup Cranberries Or
• 1/2 cup Fresh Pomegranate pearls
• 1/2 cup Parsley chopped

Metric – US customary

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 6 servings

Conversions – Switch between Metric & US for other measurement options

Instructions

Oven Baked Apricot Beef

• Preheat oven to 150 C / 300 F.
• Cut beef into large bitesize pieces.
  Season with salt and pepper. 
  
• Coat flour and coat well.
  Set aside for a few minutes.
  
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute pan. Brown the beef on all sides.
  About 3 to 5 minutes just until browned not cooked.
• Remove beef from pan, set aside. Keep warm.
• Add remaining oil to the pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and beef back to the pan. Saute for two minutes.
• Add the can of crushed tomatoes, followed by apricot jam, and lemon juice.
• Add parsley, water. Salt and pepper. Let come to a boil. 
• Cover the pan and place in the oven.
   Cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
• Halfway through cooking stir, check consistency.
  If too dry add some more water.

Slow Cooker Apricot Beef

• Cut beef into large bitesize pieces.
  Season with salt and pepper. 
• Toss with flour and coat well.
  Set aside for a few minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute pan. Brown the beef on all sides.

  About 3 to 5 minutes just until browned not cooked.
• Remove beef from pan, and place it in the slow cooker. 
• Using the same pan.
  Add remaining oil to the pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon. Saute for two minutes.
  Then add it the slow cooker with the beef.
• Add the can of crushed tomatoes, honey, apricot jam, and lemon juice to the slow cooker. 
• Add parsley, water. salt and pepper.
• Cover the slow cooker –
  Set low for 6 hours to eight hours or on high for 4 hours or until fork tender
• Taste and adjust seasoning before you serve. 

Instant Pot Apricot Beef

• Add salt to the boiling water.
• Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. (do not coat with flour)
  Set aside for a few minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute’ pan and brown the beef on all sides. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
  

  Remove beef from pan and keep warm.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, saute onion, garlic, and ginger for two minutes.
• Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and beef back to the pan. Saute for two minutes.
• Add the can of crushed tomatoes, followed by apricot jam, and lemon juice.
• Add parsley, one cups water. Season with salt and pepper.
• Close the lid and steam valve of the instant pot. 
  Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
  When done – release pressure naturally for 10 minutes.
• Substitute flour in the recipe for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. 
  Mix cornstarch in 1/4 cup water and add to the instant pot.
  Cook for five minutes until thickened.
• Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Prepare Couscous

• Place couscous in a bowl. stir in the olive oil well.
• Pour boiling water over the couscous. Cover with a lid and let sit for 20 minutes.
• After 10 minutes fluff with a fork.
• Add cranberries or pomegranate and parsley.

Recipe Notes

Note:

• If you do not want to use the oven – make it on the stovetop. 
  Continue to cook on the stovetop stirring frequently (ever 10 minutes) until meat is cooked thru –
• Takes about 2 hours on a low simmer.
• Add water as needed to prevent it from sticking on the bottom.   

Recipe Video

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Nutrition Information

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.8g | Protein: 21.8g | Fat: 9.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 2.7g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Keywords – Apricot Beef with Couscous, Slow cooked Apricot Beef Recipe

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it was.Mention @veenaazmanov or tag me on Instagram #veenaazmanov

What else can you make with fresh apricots?

• Homemade Apricot Jam without Pectin
• Apricot Crumble bars
• Homemade Apricot Creme Brulee
• Slow-cooked Apricot Chicken
• Homemade Apricot Flan
• Apricot Creme Caramel

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