My Braised Beef Cheeks recipe turns one of the most overlooked cuts of beef into a dish rich enough for a dinner party. The cheeks simmer low and slow in red wine and stock until the connective tissue breaks down completely. The meat gets so tender it falls apart with a fork.
The technique is simple, mostly hands-off time in the oven while the wine and stock do the work. It's a genuine make-ahead dish too, the flavor only gets better if you cook it a day or two in advance.
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For the mash, my Pomme Puree - Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe is silky enough to complement the rich sauce. This stew is also great served over buttery Turkish Rice with a side of sautéed green vegetables.
Beef Cheeks (also known as ox cheeks) are highly valued by professional chefs in top-class restaurants/hotels for their full-bodied flavor and unique texture.
Similar to my Braised Chuck Roast dish, this fantastic recipe takes an affordable cut of beef and transforms it into an elegant dish that you would expect to enjoy at a fine dining restaurant.
What are Beef Cheeks?
A beef cheek is a small pocket of facial muscle meat taken from the cheek of the cow. They are hard-working muscles and are often tougher cuts of meat that you need to braise slowly in liquid, usually stock or water.
Beef cheeks are an inexpensive cut of meat and are often overlooked at the grocery store or butcher. They contain a fair amount of connective tissue known as collagen. When you braise them down slowly, this collagen breaks down and becomes slightly gelatinous, producing a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture full of flavor.
Why This Recipe Works?
- A budget cut of meat turns into a dish rich enough for a dinner party once the collagen breaks down and the meat turns silky.
- The method is mostly hands-off. Once everything is in the pot, the oven or slow cooker does the work for a few hours.
- Braising in red wine and stock builds a deep, glossy sauce, you can even puree it for an extra smooth finish.
- It's a genuine make-ahead dish that tastes even better the next day, ideal for entertaining.
- Works equally well in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker, so you can pick whichever fits your schedule.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Beef Cheeks
Each cheek weighs about 12 to 14 ounces (350g to 400g) before cooking. After cooking, there will be some shrinkage, bringing the weight down to roughly 9 to 10 ounces (250g or 300g), which is a generous portion size.
Beef cheeks should be completely trimmed, with every bit of sinew removed. You can buy them from some of the butchers, but generally, they don't stock them in-store. You might need to give a few days' notice before buying them.
Alternatively, you can use beef short ribs for this recipe.
- Stock - I prefer using Homemade Beef Stock for braising. However, Chicken Bone Broth works great as well. You can use store-bought stock or stock cubes if you don't have any stock in hand. Make sure you don't add too much salt as ready-made stocks and stock cubes contain salt already.
- Red wine - Use a good quality wine that you would be happy to drink. Skip it if you are cooking for kids and add extra stock.
- Onions - I use button onions or small shallots for this dish but you can use any onions you have in hand.
- Aromatics - Bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and celery work great with this dish.
- Tomato paste - It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
How to Make Braised Beef Cheeks?
Dutch Oven Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170° C (340° F). Heat a large heavy-based pan or Dutch oven on the hob with medium to high heat, and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
When the pan is hot enough, add the beef cheeks and brown them on both sides. Do it in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Remove the beef cheeks on a plate and then set them aside. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the rest of the olive oil, and sauté the shallots or onions along with the celery for a few minutes.
Add the carrots to the pan and cook them for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, flour, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, and then give them a good stir.
Pour in the red wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the stock along with the beef cheeks, bring the pan to a boil, close the lid, and put it in a preheated oven.
Cook the beef cheeks for 3 hours, or until they are tender and fall apart easily when touched with a fork. Make sure you check the stew every 40 to 50 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the beef cheeks.
Remove the bay leaves, check the seasoning, and add some salt if necessary before serving.
Slow Cooker Instructions
This Beef Cheek dish is much simpler to cook in a slow cooker if you have one. Sear the beef cheeks and sauté the vegetables as stated in the recipe card (stages 1,2,3,4 and 5).
Place the beef cheek meat in your slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and turn the slow cooker on low. Cook them until they are tender, for about seven hours.
Remove the bay leaves, check the seasoning, and add some salt if necessary before serving.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- When browning beef cheek meat, use a very hot pan and do it in 2 batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Check the stew every 40 to 50 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the beef cheeks.
- Add the salt to the stew at the very last stage of cooking. Ready-made stock or stock cubes contain some salt and you might end up with a very salty dish after the stock has reduced and formed a gravy.
- For deeper flavor, marinate the beef cheeks in the wine, herbs, and aromatics for a few hours or overnight before browning. This is optional, but worth it if you have the time.
- Once the beef is tender, you can puree the braising liquid for an ultra-smooth sauce, or simmer it uncovered on the stovetop to reduce and thicken it.
- Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan when you add the wine. This "fond" is packed with flavor and becomes part of the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
We love our slow braised beef cheeks along with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and some steamed greens or Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.
Other side dishes that would complement this hearty dish are Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto Alla Zucca), Swede and Carrot Mash, Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole, Beetroot Salad, and Bulgur Pilaf.
Leftover meat and sauce also make a great pasta dish, toss it through pappardelle or another sturdy pasta shape.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
The leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to five days when refrigerated and for up to three months when frozen. When you are ready to eat, remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost overnight in the fridge.
To reheat, place the beef cheeks in a pan with a bit of broth or water. Cover the pan with a lid and set it over low heat. Stir occasionally while heating for 10-15 minutes.
Make Ahead
Braised Beef Cheeks are a genuinely good make-ahead dish. Cook the stew up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, the flavor actually improves as it sits and the sauce turns into a richer gravy. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or water before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Beef cheeks are the facial muscles of the animal. Because it's quite a used muscle, there's quite a bit of sinew when they come into a butcher.
To get tender beef cheeks, you must trim them properly.
When beef cheeks are nicely trimmed, the perfect look is a marbled cut of meat.
Yes, you can replace wine with beef or vegetable broth if you prefer.
It will alter the flavor slightly, but the dish will still be delicious.
This usually means they haven't cooked long enough. Beef cheeks are full of connective tissue that needs time to break down, so keep cooking on a low, gentle heat and check again every 30 minutes until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
Yes, beef short ribs or a well-marbled chuck roast both work well as a substitute. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the cut, so check for tenderness rather than relying on time alone.
Searing isn't strictly essential for the braise to work, but it builds a lot of flavor through browning and is worth the extra few minutes. Don't skip it if you have the time.
Related Recipes
For more delicious stew recipes, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these melt-in-the-mouth Braised Beef Cheeks as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
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Braised Beef Cheeks
Ingredients
- 4 beef cheeks (12 to 14 ounces- 350g to 400g each)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions or 5-6 small shallots (roughly chopped)
- 10 oz sliced carrots (300 grams)
- 2 sliced celery sticks
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 cups red wine
- 3 cups beef stock or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cooking Beef Cheeks in a Dutch Oven or Pan
- Preheat the oven to 170° C (340° F) and heat a large heavy-based pan or Dutch oven on the hob medium to high heat, and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- When the pan is hot enough, add the beef cheeks and brown them on both sides. Do it in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Remove the beef cheeks on a plate and then set them aside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, add the rest of the olive oil and sauté the onions and the celery for a few minutes.
- Add the carrots to the pan and cook them for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, flour, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, and then give them a good stir.
- Stir in the red wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Add the stock along with the beef cheeks, bring the pan to a boil, close the lid, and put it in a preheated oven.
- Cook the beef cheeks for 3 hours, or until they are tender and fall apart easily when touched with a fork. Make sure you check the stew every 40 to 50 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the beef cheeks.
- Remove the bay leaves, check the seasoning and add some salt if necessary before serving.
Cooking Beef Cheeks in a Slow Cooker
- Sear the beef cheeks in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then remove them to a plate.
- Add the rest of the olive oil to the same pan and sauté the onions, celery, and carrots.
- Place the seared beef cheeks and sautéed vegetables in your slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and turn the slow cooker on low.
- Cook the beef until tender, for about seven hours. Remove the bay leaves, check the seasoning and add some salt if necessary before serving.
Notes
- To store: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Make ahead: cook the stew up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate, the flavor deepens as it sits and the sauce turns into a richer gravy.
- Substitutions: beef short ribs or a well-marbled chuck roast both work in place of beef cheeks, check for tenderness rather than relying on the timing alone.
- No wine? Swap it for extra beef or vegetable broth, the flavor will be a little lighter but still delicious.
- Sear the beef cheeks in a very hot pan in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot, this builds a lot of flavor.
- Check the stew every 40 to 50 minutes while it cooks to make sure there's enough liquid.
- Add salt at the very end of cooking, ready-made stock already contains salt and the sauce can turn too salty once it reduces.
- For deeper flavor, marinate the beef cheeks in the wine, herbs, and aromatics for a few hours or overnight before browning.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta to soak up the sauce.
Joanne says
Oh, my god, this is the best dish ever, inexpensive to produce and easy to multiply . Everyone loves it and requestion it
Yrig says
Thank you for your recipe. I plan on making it. But, how long in an Instantpot which to me seems appropriate to braising.
Ayla Clulee says
Hi Yrig,
Beef cheeks the size of 350g-400g each would take around 65 to 75 minutes in an instant pot plus 15 minutes of natural pressure release before releasing pressure.
I hope that helps 🙂
Ayla
Hanna says
Making this a second time. Looking forward to this! Humble ingredients, but the taste is so rich! And your recipe is perfect, thank you!