These Slow Cooker Steak Bites Au Poivre are an easy, cozy spin on the classic French steak dish. Tender buttery beef is slow cooked with cognac, rosemary and tons of crushed black peppercorns, then finished with a creamy cognac peppercorn sauce and spooned over my Boursin Mashed Potatoes.
Why You'll Love It
Classic steak au poivre is traditionally made by coating steak with crushed peppercorns, searing it, then building a creamy pan sauce with cognac or brandy. It's incredible, but it's also the kind of dinner that requires you to stand over the stove and pay attention.
This version takes those classic flavors and turns them into something much more weeknight-friendly. nstead of individual steaks, I'm using chuck roast cut into big bite-sized pieces. It slowly cooks in butter, water (or beef broth!), cognac, rosemary and coarsely crushed whole black peppercorns until ridiculously tender. Then we finish the cooking liquid with heavy cream, Dijon, Worcestershire and another splash of cognac.
Adding some of the cognac and peppercorns at the end is important here. After four hours in the slow cooker, those flavors mellow considerably. Finishing with more brings that signature au poivre flavor right back to the front.
And if you've been around here for a while, you know steak bites are definitely not new territory for me. My Garlic Steak Bites with Boursin Cheese are another favorite when you want buttery, garlicky steak without cooking whole steaks. For this version, though, we're letting the slow cooker do the work.
And then there are my Boursin Mashed Potatoes. These creamy, garlicky, herby potatoes are basically MADE for catching every drop of that cognac peppercorn sauce. They're super simple to make, and using Boursin means you get cheese, garlic, herbs and creaminess without adding a million different ingredients.
I highly recommend making them while the steak bites finish in the slow cooker. By the time that creamy au poivre sauce is ready, you've got a whole cozy steakhouse situation ready to go.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chuck Roast: Chuck is perfect for slow cooking because all that connective tissue breaks down over several hours, leaving you with incredibly tender beef. Cut it into roughly 1½-inch chunks so the pieces cook evenly.
- Salted Butter: Yes, we're using the whole stick. It adds richness to the cooking liquid and eventually becomes part of our creamy peppercorn sauce. Unsalted butter works, too. Just adjust the salt accordingly.
- Kosher Salt: Season the beef at the beginning, then taste the finished sauce before adding more.
- Whole Black Peppercorns: This is important! Freshly ground pepper is delicious, but coarsely crushed whole peppercorns give au poivre its signature punch and texture. I like crushing them with a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy skillet.
- Dried Rosemary: Rosemary isn't traditional in steak au poivre, but I love the cozy flavor it adds to slow-cooked chuck. We're only using a teaspoon so it complements the peppercorns rather than taking over.
- Water or Low-Sodium Beef Broth: This gives the cooking liquid much more savory depth than plain water. I prefer low-sodium broth because the butter, Worcestershire and Dijon bring additional seasoning.
- Cognac: Cognac gives au poivre sauce its distinctive warmth and complexity. Brandy works beautifully, too. Whiskey will work in a pinch, although the flavor will be slightly different.
- Cornstarch + Cold Water: These are whisked together to create a slurry that thickens the slow-cooker juices into an actual sauce.
- Heavy Cream: This transforms the peppery cooking liquid into that luxurious, creamy au poivre sauce.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon adds tang and helps balance all the butter and cream.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Just a little Worcestershire adds savory depth without pushing the sauce too far into gravy territory.
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes: Technically optional, but HIGHLY recommended. My Boursin Mashed Potatoes are creamy, garlicky and basically designed for soaking up this sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Steak Bites Au Poivre
- CRUSH THE PEPPERCORNS: Coarsely crush the whole black peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy skillet. You want visible pieces of peppercorn rather than a fine powder. Reserve about ½ tablespoon for finishing the sauce.
- LOAD THE SLOW COOKER: Add the chuck roast, butter, kosher salt, 1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns, dried rosemary, water or beef broth and ¼ cup cognac to your slow cooker.
- SLOW COOK: Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring about once every hour. The beef should be incredibly tender and easily pull apart with a fork.
- MAKE THE SLURRY: Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until completely smooth.
- THICKEN THE SAUCE: Stir the slurry into the slow cooker. Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for about 20 minutes, or until the cooking liquid becomes glossy and noticeably thicker.
- MAKE IT AU POIVRE: Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ½ tablespoon crushed peppercorns and 2 tablespoons cognac.
- FINISH THE SAUCE: Leave the slow cooker uncovered and cook on HIGH for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This gives that final splash of cognac a chance to mellow while keeping its flavor much more noticeable than if we'd added all of it at the beginning.
- TASTE: Taste the sauce and add additional kosher salt if needed.
- SERVE: Prepare my Boursin Mashed Potatoes while the steak bites finish cooking. Spoon a generous pile of mashed potatoes into each bowl, then top with the tender steak bites and LOTS of creamy cognac peppercorn sauce. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
- SAVE: Let the steak bites cool before transferring them to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently over low heat or in short intervals in the microwave so the creamy sauce stays smooth.
Tips for the Best Steak Bites Au Poivre
- Don't use finely ground pepper. Au poivre literally means "with pepper," so pepper isn't just background seasoning here. Coarsely crushed peppercorns give you those little bursts of spicy, floral black pepper that make the dish distinctive.
- Split the peppercorns between the beginning and end. The first addition flavors the beef as it slow cooks. The second keeps the finished sauce bright and peppery.
- Do the same with the cognac. Adding ¼ cup at the beginning gives the beef plenty of time to absorb its flavor. The final 2 tablespoons keep the finished sauce from losing that recognizable cognac character after hours in the slow cooker.
- Don't judge the sauce by its color. Au poivre sauce doesn't need to be dark brown. Once the heavy cream goes in, you're looking for a creamy tan sauce that's visibly speckled with peppercorns.
- Give the chuck enough time. Chuck roast can look cooked before it's actually tender. If you test a piece and it's still chewy, it needs more time. You're looking for beef that's incredibly tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
What Is Steak Au Poivre?
Steak au poivre is a classic French preparation featuring steak and crushed peppercorns, typically served with a rich pan sauce often made with cognac or brandy and cream. This obviously isn't the traditional stovetop preparation-and I'm not pretending it is.
Instead, I'm borrowing those signature peppercorn, cognac, Dijon and cream flavors and adapting them to chuck roast and the slow cooker. You lose the peppercorn-crusted sear of a traditional steak, but you gain fall-apart-tender beef and a mostly hands-off dinner. And sometimes that's exactly what Tuesday needs.
What to Pair It With
First things first, serve these steak bites over my Super Simple Creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes. They're creamy, garlicky and herby, which makes them the perfect base for catching every drop of that buttery cognac peppercorn sauce.
For something green, my Cacio e Pepe Roasted Green Beans and Carrots are one of my favorite choices here. The roasted vegetables, Parmesan and black pepper echo the flavors in the au poivre sauce while adding some much-needed veggies to the plate.
You could also serve everything with my Shortcut 1905 Salad. It's crisp and tangy enough to cut through all that butter, cream and Boursin without competing with the main dish.
Or keep things super simple with my Air Fryer Asparagus. The fresh green asparagus is exactly the kind of easy vegetable side this rich, cozy dinner needs.
And for more related recipes, try these:
- Braised Beef Chuck Short Ribs Recipe
- Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere & Crispy Breadcrumbs
- Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
- Crockpot Steak Bites with Garlic, Rosemary & Honey Balsamic
- How To Make The Best Steak Butter Recipe (4 Ways)
Recipe
Slow Cooker Steak Bites Au Poivre
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chuck roast cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1 stick Salted butter (8 tablespoons )
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1½ tablespoons Whole black peppercorns coarsely crushed and divided
- 1 teaspoon Dried rosemary
- ½ cup Low-sodium beef broth
- ¼ cup Cognac brandy or whiskey
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Cold water
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Cognac brandy or whiskey, for finishing
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes for serving
Instructions
- Coarsely crush the black peppercorns. Reserve ½ tablespoon for finishing the sauce.
- Add the chuck roast, butter, kosher salt, 1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns, rosemary, beef broth and ¼ cup cognac to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is incredibly tender.
- Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until completely smooth.
- Stir the slurry into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ½ tablespoon crushed peppercorns and remaining 2 tablespoons cognac.
- Cook uncovered on HIGH for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is creamy and the cognac has mellowed.
- Taste and season with additional kosher salt as needed.
- Spoon the steak bites and plenty of creamy cognac peppercorn sauce over Boursin Mashed Potatoes.
- Finish with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately.
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