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Home / Main Dishes / Beef

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef

4.04
/5
8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
73 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 04/12/2017

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


Tangy, slightly spicy Italian beef is slow cooked all day until it’s fall apart tender, and then shredded.  Perfect on it’s own, on a bun, or a baked potato!


If you’re looking for a great no-fuss meal, you have to try this amazing Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef!  It cooks away in your slow cooker (hello easy weeknight meal!), until it’s so tender it practically falls apart by itself, then shredded.  It’s tangy, a little bit spicy (totally customizable though), and SO versatile!

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

I love using my slow cooker year- round… that way you don’t have to heat up your kitchen by having your oven or stove top on, plus, dinner practically cooks itself!

This Italian beef is unbelievably easy… you don’t even have to sear the beef first!  Of course you totally can, if you have the time and feel like it.  About half the time I make this beef I sear it, and the other half I skip it.  Sometimes, it’s more work than I feel like doing lol.

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

I like to use an English cut chuck roast for this (because of the great marbleization and I like the relatively flat cut), but feel free to use your favorite cut of beef that you usually use for a roast.

Have you heard of the famous Mississippi Pot Roast?  This Italian beef is fairly similar, except it uses no packets full of additives.  You just add your seasonings and chopped peppers to the bottom of your slow cooker and stir in the vinegar.  Add your beef on top of that, top with some extra peppers and a few tablespoons of butter.  Pop a lid on the slow cooker and cook on low all day.  Easy as pie!!

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

So now that you have this gorgeous slow cooker full of the most tender and flavorful beef ever… what are you going to do with it?  Well you can do a few things…

  • Serve it up by itself, with some great side dishes alongside (I’ll link to my favorites later in the post)
  • Toast a buttery brioche bun and pile the beef on with some extra peppers
  • Bake some potatoes and top them with plenty of butter and Italian beef
  • Bake some crispy oven fries (or even fries from a bag), and top them with beef and some mozzarella cheese

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

I actually have another recipe using this Italian beef coming up next week… so stay tuned for that… you definitely don’t want to miss it!

Alright, so some side dishes that are great with this beef are

  • Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  • Garlic and Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
  • Cheesy Brussels sprouts with Bacon
  • Crispy Oven Fries

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

Can’t you just imagine sinking your fork into that bowl full of succulent beef?!

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

The next time you’re craving some comfort food on a weeknight… whip up this Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef and prepare to fall in love!!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef

4.04 from 76 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Calories: 249
Servings: 8 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Tangy, slightly spicy Italian beef is slow cooked all day until it's fall apart tender, and then shredded. Perfect on it's own, on a bun, or a baked potato!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp dried minced onion
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 - 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 7 pepperoncini peppers, chopped (I use the mild jarred ones)
  • 7-10 banana pepper rings (I use mild)
  • 2-3 lb beef chuck roast
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp butter

Instructions

  • Spray slow cooker insert with cooking spray.  Add vinegar, dried onion, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, chopped pepperoncini peppers, and banana pepper rings to bottom of slow cooker.  Stir to combine.
  • Add beef chuck roast on top of spice mixture, season both sides with salt and black pepper.  Top with butter.
  • Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Remove beef from slow cooker and shred.  Return to slow cooker to soak up any residual juice and serve.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

For extra flavor, place some whole pepperoncini peppers and banana pepper rings on top of beef before cooking.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Slow Cooker Shredded Italian Beef | Tangy and spicy, this Italian beef is easily cooked in a slow cooker until fork tender, then shredded, for the ultimate in delicious easy weeknight dinners! | http://thechunkychef.com

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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4.04 from 76 votes (47 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Robin Morgan says

    Posted on 12/22 at 4:33 pm

    Making it now! TBC

    Reply
  2. Ree says

    Posted on 8/2 at 3:40 pm

    Could I make this a day ahead and reheat in crockpot?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/2 at 4:14 pm

      Absolutely! When reheating, you might want to add a little beef broth so it doesn’t dry out though.

      Reply
  3. Cody says

    Posted on 6/23 at 1:58 pm

    Ever used this recipe in an instapot? How long does it take to cook if so?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/23 at 10:56 pm

      Hi Cody 🙂 I haven’t tested this one in my instant pot yet, so I can’t say for certain, unfortunately.

      Reply
  4. Patricia Ann Barkley says

    Posted on 3/25 at 7:06 pm

    If my roast is 5 lbs., should I double the spices???

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/25 at 8:42 pm

      Hi Patricia 🙂 I would either double all the ingredients, or 1.5x the ingredients, so it has the same flavors.

      Reply
  5. Jacqueline Lauria says

    Posted on 3/7 at 4:28 pm

    This was super easy and delicious! Thank you for the idea!

    Reply
  6. Laura says

    Posted on 2/17 at 4:10 pm

    I made this and it turned out fantastic! Slightly spicy and so flavorful! I also had leftovers for the week which is a win! I’ll definitely make this again soon.

    Reply
  7. Kathleen says

    Posted on 2/12 at 9:00 pm

    I don’t use a slow cooker. How would I cook it in a conventional oven? It sounds like a wonderful recipe. Kathleen

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/12 at 9:18 pm

      Hi Kathleen, I’ve never not made this in a slow cooker, so I can’t guarantee the results…. but I would bake it at 275 in a dutch oven for about 5 hours, or until very tender and easily shredded.

      Reply
  8. Rob says

    Posted on 1/24 at 9:58 pm

    I tried it – everyone loved it and wanted more of it. My only concern is the quantity of beef. I would seriously almost double the quantity of beef for 8 servings.

    Reply
  9. Catherine says

    Posted on 11/7 at 4:01 pm

    This was delicious! I used red wine vinegar since that’s what I had and I added some dried Italian herbs just because. I eat low carb/keto, so I just reheated it over low heat in a skillet, melted some mozzarella/provolone on top and served it with a side of roasted broccoli. So so good and super simple to make. Definitely adding this to my meal rotation.

    Reply
  10. Mark says

    Posted on 10/25 at 1:57 pm

    Absolutely Amazing!!! Thank you

    Reply
  11. Sarah F says

    Posted on 8/7 at 8:15 pm

    LOVE this recipe!
    I made homemade potato chips, and served them with this pulled beef, homemade guacamole and sour cream. (I edited this recipe for my children’s mild taste-buds – lots of capsicum instead of the multiple chillis, with a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes).

    It was delicious – a healthy version of nachos. My three children and hubby absolutely devoured this meal. I will definitely make this again as an easy midweek meal.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/8 at 10:03 pm

      Hi Sarah 🙂 I’m SO glad to hear that everyone loved the meal!! LOVE your idea to serve this with homemade chips, guacamole and sour cream 🙂

      Reply
  12. Morgan Myers says

    Posted on 8/2 at 5:49 am

    Making this today! I like that your recipe doesn’t call for the packaged dressing mixes. Hoping it is as good as it looks 🙂

    Reply
  13. Justin says

    Posted on 7/18 at 8:30 pm

    Made this today and it was awesome! Served it on fresh bread I had made and the whole family raved. Thank you for sharing this recipe and I look forward to trying more that you have posted.

    Reply
  14. Genie says

    Posted on 4/28 at 1:28 pm

    Couldn’t you use the peppercini juice from the jar instead of the vinegar? Seems like it would give more flavor, not that it doesn’t have enough flavor but would enhance it. Delish and will definitely be making it again and will try the jar juice. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/29 at 9:31 am

      Hi Genie 🙂 Oh yes, you could absolutely do that!

      Reply
  15. Jen says

    Posted on 4/17 at 9:11 pm

    This looks So good! Would be perfect for busy weeknights!!

    Reply
  16. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

    Posted on 4/14 at 5:18 pm

    That looks so good, pass me a sandwich please!

    Reply
  17. maris (in good taste) says

    Posted on 4/14 at 2:23 pm

    Anything in the slow cooker is a-ok with me!

    Reply
  18. Katerina @ diethood .com says

    Posted on 4/14 at 3:57 am

    I LOVE this! Such a great idea! I looks and sounds incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  19. Delaney | Melanie Makes says

    Posted on 4/13 at 10:37 pm

    This is a great weeknight dinner!

    Reply
  20. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    Posted on 4/13 at 8:53 pm

    I love this technique for cooking a roast! I have never tried the baked potato! Such great idea!

    Reply
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