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Front shot of a shredded beef bbq sandwich on a wooden cutting board
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4.67 from 3 votes

Dutch Oven BBQ Beef

Tender, juicy, savory and sweet -- this Dutch Oven BBQ Beef transforms an affordable cut of meat into a delicious and satisfying lunch or dinner. 
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword bbq beef, bbq beef sandwich, shredded bbq beef
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 633kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 275° F.
  • Mix the flour with ¼ cup of the brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin on a sheet of waxed paper. Pat the roast dry; dredge it in the flour mixture on all sides.
  • Heat butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Brown the meat to give it nice color, but don’t let the sugars burn (about 3 minutes per side).
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add beer. Cover with the lid and bake in the 275° F oven for 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, remove the lid and continue baking for another 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
  • Remove beef from Dutch oven and let rest while you prepare the barbecue sauce.

Make the Barbecue Sauce:

  • To the pan drippings in the Dutch oven, whisk in ketchup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
  • Shred beef using two forks. Toss shredded meat with about half of the barbecue sauce. Serve on buns, if desired, with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

  • Don't want to cook with beer? You can braise the meat in an equal amount of beef broth instead.
  • Use a pork butt or pork shoulder instead of the beef roast.
  • Spicy beef barbecue: add some cayenne to the dry rub, and serve the beef with crushed red pepper flakes, sliced jalapeños, or hot sauce.
  • Slow cooker bbq beef: while it's not my preference, you can use the Crock Pot instead of a Dutch oven to cook this barbecue. To do so, rub the beef with the seasoning blend, transfer to a slow cooker, add the beer, cover, and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours (or until the meat is fall-apart tender). Remove the beef from the slow cooker, shred with two forks, and then toss with your favorite barbecue sauce.
  • Don't want to make your own sauce? Toss the shredded beef with your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce. If you're using store-bought sauce, you'll need a total of about 3 cups.
  • Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour. This helps the beef caramelize and brown, while the flour also thickens the liquid in the pot.
  • Brown the meat. This is an extra step, but it's worth the effort. The caramelized surface gives the beef extra flavor, while the browned bits and drippings in the pot add even more flavor to the barbecue sauce.
  • For tender, juicy barbecue, it's important to cook the beef long enough to break down the tough connective tissue and fibers. If your meat is still tough after about 3 hours, cook it for a little bit longer.
  • Remove the lid from the Dutch oven during the final 45 minutes or so. This will allow some of the liquid to evaporate from the pot, condensing the flavor in the drippings, and creating a nice base for the barbecue sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1983mg | Potassium: 1102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 1464IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 6mg