WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Balsamic Braised Beef
Today I'm sharing a recipe for Slow Cooker Balsamic Braised Beef that was a big hit when I made it several weeks ago. Lean beef roast and onions combined with balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and a bit of instant tapioca for thickening. Delicious!
Easy Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
Slow Cooked Balsamic Braised Beef Recipe Notes
This slow cooker balsamic braised beef is low in both fat and carbs, and can be served on its own, or over rice, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower mash, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles if you're watching your carbs and/or SmartPoints.
A green salad and/or vegetable makes the perfect side dish.
The flavor of the balsamic really comes through, so if you're not a fan you may want to use less. If it turns out to tart for your tastes, you can soften it by adding a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup, just adjust your points accordingly.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Balsamic Beef?
According to my calculations, each serving has 159 calories and:
4 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
And according to Gina's comments this takes 80 minutes in a pressure cooker.
The key to keeping the points low is choosing a lean cut of beef such as eye of the round or rump. Lean stew beef would also work, but would be done sooner. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
chicken – replace beef with 4 skinless chicken drumsticks, legs, or thighs
pork - replace beef ribs with boneless pork
more veg - chopped carrots, celery, sliced mushrooms would be good
If you like this skinny slow cooked balsamic beef, be sure to check out my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Slow Cooker Beef with Mushroom Sauce, Mom’s 3-Packet Slow Cooker Roast Beef, 3-Ingredient Crock Pot Italian Beef, Asian Braised Beef and Salsa Verde Beef
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
If you've made this Slow Cooked Balsamic Beef, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Braised Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-½ pounds lean beef (lean stew meat, eye of the round roast, rump roast, etc.)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons instant granulated tapioca (optional thickener)
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 4-Quart.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. (Or my favorite, Montreal Steak Seasoning.)
- Place beef in the slow cooker with the onions, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, bay leaves and tapioca, if using.
- Cover and cook on LOW until meltingly tender, 8 to 10 hours. (This will vary depending on the size of your slow cooker, size of beef, and how hot your slow cooker cooks.)
- To cook in the oven instead, add in a cup of water, cover and bake at 250F degrees for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is meltingly tender. Add in a little more water if the beef starts to dry out.
- Taste, season with salt and pepper if needed, and serve hot with your chosen accompaniments.
Recipe Notes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Here's a video showing ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Beef...
Even More Lightened Up Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef (OrganizeYourselfSkinny)
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Roast (SlenderKitchen)
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips & Gravy on Mashed Potatoes (MealPlanningMommies)
- Skinny Crock Pot Tomato Beef Macaroni Stew (SkinnyKitchen)
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips (LaaLoosh)
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs (SkinnyTaste)
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Beef (EmilyBites)
- Slow Cooker Spicy Braised Beef (SlenderKitchen)
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Ginger
I'm making this tomorrow. Do you have a pressure cooker, and if so what time should I cook this?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Ginger, I've never tried this with a pressure cooker, so I'm not able to suggest a cook time. If you try it, let us know what you discover. - Martha
Gina
80 minutes in a pressure cooker
Zuli
Can you cook this recipe on HIGH for 4 hours?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Zuli,
I haven't tried it but think it should be fine. Let us know how it turns out if you make it. Thanks!
Blair Williamson
I made this last night and it was delicious! I added a can of diced tomatoes. Didn't add the tapioca. Followed everything else the same. My roast was almost 2.5 lbs and still cooked great in my slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
Martha McKinnon
Love the idea of adding diced tomatoes! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Deb
Can you use a partially frozen roast?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Deb, Yes, it will just take longer to cook, depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. Hope this helps. - Martha
Carol
do you have recipes using a Instant pot or the new air fryers
Martha McKinnon
Here's a collection of Instant Pot Recipes: https://simple-nourished-living.com/weight-watchers-instant-pot-recipes-with-freestyle-smartpoints/
Here'a a collection of Air Fryer Recipes: https://simple-nourished-living.com/ww-friendly-air-fryer-recipes-giveaway/
Kathy
Very tasty and was very tender with the long slow cooking.