Slow Cooked Middle Eastern Spiced Beef (baby + family friendly)
This Middle Eastern inspired shredded beef is the ultimate slow cooked beef recipe for busy families who want big flavor. It's slow simmered until perfectly tender and easy to shred, which makes it a perfect texture for your baby or toddler. This slow cooked beef delivers rich, warming spices in every bite.
This blog post is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Canada Beef and their Think Beef program. As always, all opinions are our own.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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"This was the tastiest thing I've eaten all year! Bonus points that I now have three extra meals in my freezer." - J
We know that dishes like this (aka - a pot of greyish brown stuff) can sometimes be a bit of a hard sell since our appetites begin with eyes. So why don't you just close your eyes and picture this:
Tender, slow-braised beef, infused with the tang of sumac and warm Middle-Eastern inspired spices, and bathed in a broth of caramelized onions - it practically melts in your mouth! But that's just the beginning. Wrapped in a warm pita, and filled with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, crunchy almond slices, and drizzled with almond tahini sauce, this sumac beef is irresistible!
The best part? The beef is 100% baby friendly!
Why this recipe works
🕒 Virtually hands free, can be prepared in a slow cooker or oven
🌎 Exposes your family to flavourful spices from around the world
🔄 Serve it in a range of ways--in a pita, over rice, or with naan
🥩 Great source of iron from beef, which is an important nutrient for little eaters
👶 Baby friendly from 6 months+
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Jump to:
- Why this recipe works
- One Family, One Meal
- How do I know I'm buying Canadian beef?
- Buying budget friendly beef
- Key ingredients
- Allergen information & substitutions
- How to make this recipe
- How to adapt tender pull apart beef for your baby's age and stage
- But, can my baby have spices?
- How can this be customized for my family?
- Recipe FAQ
- FREE Recipe Booklet!
- More baby and family friendly recipes
- Slow Cooked Middle Eastern Spiced Beef (baby + family friendly)
One Family, One Meal
We are big BIG fans here at Happy Healthy Eaters in the movement to include your baby at the table with you while you eat your meals. Why is that? Oh, let us count thy ways!
- Modeling: Your baby gains so much when they eat with you, including learning how to actually eat, which is a new skill they're developing that takes until age four to completely master!
- Earlier acceptance of family foods: Instead of getting your baby used to the flavour of baby food then switching them over to family foods in toddlerhood, your baby will get a head start in developing a palate for these tastes.
- Balanced meals: You know the drill of a balanced meal - meat (or alternative), veggies/fruit, grain, and calcium source. You're likely already using this formula for yourself - which makes it easy to ensure baby is also getting balanced meals!
- Less work - Instead of doubling up on meal prep time, you just need to modify the meal you're already making to make it safe and nutritious for your baby!
- Less pressure - Some babies greatly dislike when they're at center stage. When your baby joins you at the table, it becomes less of a show of watching your baby's every eating move, and more of a moment for family bonding.
- Makes it easier to ensure the parents get nourished too! -Have you ever carefully crafted gourmet, balanced meals for your baby only to sit back, tired out from the effort, and grab a bag of chips for yourself to eat? Let's avoid that, shall we? Put that effort into a meal you can ALL eat!
How do I know I'm buying Canadian beef?
We love a good rhyme…so here's one you can memorize. Pick the beef with the leaf! Look for the Canada Beef logo on the label-this ensures you're getting 100% Canadian beef.
If you don't see this label (see image below), just ask your local butcher or someone who works in the meat department. It's quite likely they'll be able to provide you with answers!
Buying budget friendly beef
We remember what life was like having a baby…you're trying to stretch your dollar and make the most out of the food you purchase! Actually, we're STILL trying to do that! Those kids just get more expensive as the years go on (hello there, hockey enrolment and piano lessons!).
When purchasing beef, here are some tips you can keep in mind to save money:
- Go for budget-friendly cuts - Ground beef, chuck, brisket, and stewing beef tend to be more affordable and cook up beautifully in slow-cooked or one-pot meals.
- Buy in bulk & freeze portions - Larger "family" style packs often cost less per pound. Once you bring them home, divide them into meal-sized portions and freeze for easy, budget-friendly meal prep.
- Shop for sales & markdowns - Keep an eye on grocery store flyers and clearance sections. Some stores discount meat close to its sell-by date-perfect if you're planning to cook or freeze it soon!
- Stretch it further - Boost volume and nutrition by adding lentils, beans, or finely chopped veggies to ground beef dishes like tacos, chili, or pasta sauce - kinda like what we did for our Sofrito Beef, Rice and Beans dish and our Prune Beef Burger recipe!
- Consider local butchers or farms - If you have access to a local farm, buying beef directly (or as part of a meat share) can be more cost-effective than grocery store prices in the long run.
Suggested reading: Make The Most of Your Beef (free download!)
Key ingredients
Beef roast: for this pull apart recipe we're using a blade roast. Compared to other cuts, this cut of beef is often more economical. For our friends in the USA, you may find this labeled as a chuck roast.
Beef broth: we opted to use no added salt broth so it can be served safely to babies. Babies don't need a lot of salt since their kidney's are developing, so always keep that in mind!
Spices: the flavour is this recipe comes from a combination of spices. Trust us, you want all of these here: allspice, coriander, cardamom, cumin, black pepper, and of course the star of the recipe- sumac!
Red onions: why use one onion why you can use four? Onions help carry through a lot of flavour for this recipe and they end up being caramelized at the end of cooking.
Pita: you can stuff your pita with the finished shredded beef--we've also used naan and rice, all these options work beautifully!
Garlic: we're using an entire head of garlic for this recipe because...flavour!
Lemon: a bit of citrus offers this recipe that zing and carries all of the flavours through.
Tahini: this is sesame paste, and it's usually found in the international section of the grocery store - it's going to be used for the sauce!
Allergen information & substitutions
The pull apart beef itself does not contain any allergens, which is the good news! However, the recommended sauce contains tahini which is a sesame paste and one of the top priority allergens we need to be mindful of. The sauce also contains almonds, which is a tree nut. All this to say, you can swap this for another nut or seed butter your baby does tolerate or omit the sauce all together. It will still be delicious.
Worried about allergens? Feeling stressed about getting through them all? Honestly, that's why we exist. To make it EASY on you. Visit our video lesson about allergens in the Start Solids Confidently, your go-to resource for feeding babies.
How to make this recipe
The full recipe is below, but here are a few key steps to visualize the process.
- Start by browning your beef on all sides in your desired oven safe pot or in a slow cooker that allows for a sear function (like an Instant Pot!). Remove beef and set aside on a plate.
2. Add onions, garlic and spice mixture to pot; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in broth and lemon juice.
3. Add the browned beef back into the same pot. Cook in the oven or in your crockpot.
4. Once your beef is cooked through and tender, it should be easy to pull apart with a set of forks. Add shredded beef back into the pot with the onion and broth mixture.
How to adapt tender pull apart beef for your baby's age and stage
- Puréed Texture: Combine shredded beef mixture in a blender or food processor. Blend until you reach a consistency that suits your baby's ability, adding water, breastmilk or formula if necessary. Serve tahini sauce alongside or fold it into the mixture. This is great for a baby who is just starting solid at 4-6 months old.
- Chunky Mash: Use clean kitchen scissors to cut the beef into small pieces. Serve tahini sauce alongside or fold it into the mixture. This is great for a baby who is ready to be challenged with a bit more chewing at 6 to 8 months old.
- Toddler Finger Foods: Serve shredded beef mixture with rice or bite-sized pieces of pita. Offer tahini sauce alongside or drizzle it over the beef. This can be offered at about 9 months old or when your baby has their pincer grasp.
- Interested in baby led weaning? The great thing about this recipe is that it is actually perfect for this feeding style. You can simple serve the shredded beef at 6 months to your baby. They will use their palmar grasp to pick up the food and eat!
- And if you're wondering about whether spoon feeding or baby led weaning is the best way to start solids, we answer all your questions here!
But, can my baby have spices?
Short answer: Yes! Babies can and should enjoy flavourful foods.
Long answer: There's no need or scientific reason to serve babies bland meals-introducing different herbs and spices early helps expand their palate and makes mealtime more exciting.
Having said that - babies, just like adults- are all uniquely wired! Some babies may find strong flavours overwhelming and may prefer more bland food. It's all about experimenting to find what your baby enjoys best! If you want a more traditionally North American flavoured shredded beef, try our baby-adapted version!
This tender pull apart Sumac Beef recipe features fun flavours like sumac, coriander, cardamom, and garlic, all of which are completely baby-friendly. At Happy Healthy Eaters, we encourage feeding your baby meals that reflect how your family eats. If there's another recipe you're eager to share with your baby, you can learn more about adapt that recipe to be baby friendly here.
Something however to keep in mind is to avoid cayenne, hot chili flakes, and spicy chili powders-not because they're unsafe, but because they can cause discomfort or pain for your baby who is just learning to eat.
Ready to spice things up? You might just fall in love with this Sofrito, Beef Beans and Rice dish or this authentic daal recipe.
How can this be customized for my family?
One of the reasons we adore this recipe is because it can be served in so many ways. Here's just a few options but please don't stop here. We'd love to hear how you plan to enjoy it:
- In a pita: serve the sumac beef over a pita, loaded with your desired toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, sliced almonds, etc) and the almond sauce.
- Along with naan: we've also loved this with a soft buttery naan with a salad on the side.
- In a bowl: got rice? Serve the sumac beef over long grain rice, with your topping and sauce.
- Deconstruct it: if you have a toddler who prefers deconstructed meals, this is easy to do with sumac beef. Depending on their abilities, you can even encourage them to self-plate. Toddlers love to make their own decisions!
Recipe FAQ
Yes! This recipe freezes beautifully. We love to make a large batch and then freeze flat into resealable bags to use as a quick meal for our future tired selves! You can also freeze into ice cubes to defrost and reheat as needed for a baby-sized portion.
Sumac is a spice made from the berries of the sumac flower. It tastes earthy and citrusy, lending a bit of acidity to the dish. Where we live, it's typically in the international section of the grocery store.
No big deal - if you have a slow cooker that will do just fine! After searing the beef, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low heat until the beef easily falls apart when pulled with two forks. For our slow cooker, this was about 7 hours on low.
Yes, they can! We actually have a dedicated post to introducing your baby to meat, including beef. In fact, the World Health Organization encourages meat be a first food since it is nutrient dense.
FREE Recipe Booklet!
Want more baby friendly beef recipes? You're going to love this Baby at The Table resource from our friends at Canada Beef and their Think Beef program!
More baby and family friendly recipes
If you tried this tender, pull apart sumac beef recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Slow Cooked Middle Eastern Spiced Beef (baby + family friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground sumac
- 1 teaspoon EACH ground allspice and coriander
- ½ teaspoon EACH ground cardamom, cumin and pepper
- ¾ teaspoon *salt (approx, optional)
- 2 lb Beef Blade Pot Roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 red onions thinly sliced
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup beef broth (sodium free or low sodium)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Almond Tahini Sauce
- 1 head garlic
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoon almond butter
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon *salt (optional)
To Serve
- Pitas
- Diced tomatoes
- Torn lettuce
- Sliced almonds
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine sumac, allspice, coriander, cardamom, cumin, pepper and *salt to your taste (if cooking for baby omit salt at this stage). Set aside.
- Pat roast dry with paper towel. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or enamelled cast-iron roaster; brown beef all over, turning with tongs, for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add onions, garlic and spice mixture to pot; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in broth and lemon juice. Return meat and any accumulated juices to pot.
- Cover and cook in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 2 to 3 hours or until fork-tender.
- Almond Tahini Sauce: Meanwhile, slice about ¼ inch off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place garlic on a sheet of foil. Drizzle a little olive oil on the exposed cloves. Fold the foil around the garlic to enclose. Place foil packet in a small baking dish and roast in the oven, alongside the beef, for 45 minutes, until very soft.
- Unwrap garlic and let cool slightly. Squeeze soft garlic out of the skins into blender; discard skins. Add remaining oil, tahini, almond butter, lemon juice and ¼ cup water. Blend on low speed, then gradually increase to high speed and blend until smooth. Stir in *salt to your taste (if cooking for baby omit salt at this stage). Set aside.
- Transfer beef roast to a bowl. Cut off strings; use two forks to shred the meat. Skim fat from the sauce and combine with the shredded meat.
- To serve for Baby/Toddler, see modified textures (above). For the rest of the family, season beef and sauce mixture with salt to taste. Serve in a pita or over rice with tomatoes, lettuce, almonds, and parsley, as desired. Drizzle with a spoonful of Almond Tahini Sauce.
This was the tastiest thing I’ve eaten all year! Bonus points that I now have three extra meals in my freezer.
My family adores this recipe. We've done it as a bowl situation but also on naan! Both of boys like it and I tend to set aside a portion to freeze for our future tired selves.
Love the simplicity of this recipe! And how delicious it is!
Hands down, my favorite new beef recipe. We don’t make the suggested sauce every time, instead serve w hummus or store bought tzatziki and it’s a hit.
We couldn't agree more!