This slow cooker Amish apple butter beef is the kind of comforting supper that feels made for busy days when you still want something hearty on the table. Apple butter brings gentle sweetness and deep spiced flavor to the beef as it cooks low and slow, creating a tender main dish with a rich gravy-like finish. It has that homespun, practical style often associated with Amish-inspired cooking, where a few simple pantry staples come together into something everybody looks forward to eating.
Serve this beef over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or fluffy rice so none of the savory-sweet sauce goes to waste. It’s also wonderful with roasted carrots, green beans, glazed sweet potatoes, or a simple side salad, and warm dinner rolls make a nice addition if you’re feeding a hungry family around the table.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Amish Apple Butter Beef
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 to 2 1/2 pounds beef Denver steak
1 cup apple butter
1 packet onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. Place the beef Denver steak in the slow cooker. Spread the apple butter all over the top of the raw beef, then sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over it.
2. Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce around and over the beef. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beef is very tender and easy to pull apart with a fork.
3. Remove the beef from the slow cooker and slice or shred it, depending on how you’d like to serve it. Spoon some of the cooking sauce over the top before bringing it to the table.
4. Serve hot over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice, with extra sauce spooned over each portion.
Variations & Tips
For a thicker sauce: If you like more of a gravy texture, remove the cooked beef and whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir it into the liquid in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
For picky eaters: Slice the beef instead of shredding it for a neater presentation, and serve the extra sauce on the side. That way everyone can add as much or as little as they like.
Make it a full meal: Tuck in baby carrots or thick onion wedges during the last 2 to 3 hours of cooking if you want the slow cooker to handle more of dinner for you.
Use the right cut: Denver steak becomes wonderfully tender in the slow cooker, but chuck roast also works well if that’s easier to find at your store. Just keep the cooking time in the same range and check for fork tenderness near the end.
Balance the sweetness: Apple butter brands can vary, so if yours is especially sweet, add an extra splash of Worcestershire sauce or a pinch of black pepper to round out the flavor.