Crock Pot Italian Beef

This tender and juicy crock pot Italian beef is perfect for a busy dinner night! You can make homemade Italian beef sandwiches with this shredded beef recipe - just add cheese and giardiniera.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Crock Pot Italian Beef, Italian Beef recipe, Italian Beef Sandwich, Italian Roast Beef

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 8 15

Total Time 8 55

Servings people

Calories 481kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 small onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 (3-4 lb.) boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 14.5 oz. can beef broth
1 0.7 oz packet dry Italian salad dressing seasoning mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 pepperoncini peppers, from a 12-ounce jar, plus 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar
Optional, for serving: hoagie rolls; provolone cheese; giardiniera

Instructions

Arrange the onions and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker. Set aside.
Pat beef dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place beef in the pot and sear for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until browned all over. Transfer beef to the slow cooker (on top of the onions and garlic).
Pour the beef broth into the Dutch oven; turn the heat down to medium. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. These bits add a lot of flavor to the broth!
Pour beef broth over the roast. Add Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with dry Italian salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini to the slow cooker, along with 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Shred the beef with two forks (it should practically fall apart when it’s done). Discard any big fatty pieces. Stir the shredded beef into the juices in the pot.
To assemble sandwiches: split the hoagie rolls in half and toast lightly in a 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Add beef to each roll and top with provolone. Return to the oven just until cheese melts. Top with giardiniera and serve!

Notes

Instead of a chuck roast, try sirloin, top round, or bottom round in this recipe.
In lieu of the convenient packet of Italian seasoning mix, add your own blend of Italian herbs and seasonings to the slow cooker.
Provolone cheese is a great finishing touch on an Italian beef sandwich, but you can omit the cheese, or substitute with mozzarella, cheddar, or any other good melting cheese.
Sear the meat and get some really nice color on it before you begin the slow braising process. The caramelized surface of the meat will give the dish rich flavor and the browning process will help to lock in the juices.
Prep Ahead and Reheat: If you prepare the roast beef a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, skim off any solidified fat and reheat it gently in a warm oven or over low heat on the stovetop.
Why is my slow cooker Italian beef tough? Undercooked roast will be tough and chewy. If you're using tougher or bigger cuts of beef (other than a chuck roast), you may need to increase the cooking time to give the meat fibers plenty of time to break down and become tender and juicy. When the chuck roast is fully cooked, it should be fall-apart tender so that it shreds very easily with two forks.

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