Slow Cooker Italian Beef

The best slow cooker Italian Beef recipe made with chuck roast, seasonings & pepperoncini. Flavourful, tender beef for sandwiches!

Italian Beef is actually a Chicago area specialty sandwich that is a twist on the classic french twist sandwich.

It is typically thinly shaved beef served with drippings and peppers on a crusty italian bun.

What is the best cut of meat for Italian Beef:

So here is the thing. You won’t find beef labelled as “chuck roast” here in Canada. Yet that is what most pot roast and shredded beef recipes call for.

The chuck roast is actually a shoulder cut that is very inexpensive. It’s perfect for long and slow roasting.

If you are Canadian you will need to look for a blade roast but otherwise you can easily get away with using a round roast.

How do I store leftover shredded Italian Beef?

You can store any uneaten Italian Beef in the refrigerator with drippings for up to 3-4 days, or place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container (without drippings) for up to 3 months.

How long to cook 3 lb roast in crock pot?

A 3-4 lb chuck roast turns out best when cooked in a crock pot on low heat for about 10 hours.

If you’re using a larger or smaller cut of beef, you may need to increase or decrease the cooking time slightly.

Cooking times may vary because of roast size or just the normal variance between different slow cookers.

You’ll know for sure that your slow cooker Italian Beef is ready when the meat falls apart when you go to shred it with two forks.

How to Serve Italian Beef

Serve your Italian Beef on a crusty italian bun complete with drippings, peppers, cheese and if you like, giardiniera.

Personally I prefer to keep it simple and omit the gardiniera.

I recently shared my recipe for Italian Sandwich Buns which are exactly perfect for Italian Beef.

If you don’t like sandwiches, you can definitely serve Italian beef up with some traditional roast dinner sides like roasted veggies and mashed potatoes.

Looking for more AMAZING Beef Recipes?

Check out some of my favourites recipes for beef:

One of my most popular recipes is for Copycat White Castle Sliders and for good reason. It’s an authentic tasting recipe that will have you reaching for more!

You will also want to check out my recipe for Sirloin Tip Roast – it uses a slow roasting method that results in perfect evenly cooked beef roast that is full of flavour, juicy and just perfection.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef 

Yields: 8 Servings | Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 10 hrs.

Ingredients:

• 3 c Beef broth
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Ground pepper
• 2 Tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tsp Dried onion
• 1 Tsp Dried parsley
• 1 Tsp Garlic powder
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix (package of dried salad dressing mix.)
• 3-4 lbs chuck roast
• ½ cup chopped pepperoncini
• ¼ cup pepperoncini juice

Instructions:

Combine beef broth, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, diced onion, parsley, garlic powder, Bay leaf, and Italian salad dressing mix.

Put the roast in the slow cooker.

Pour mixture over top of the roast.

Add chopped pepperoncini and liquid over roast

Cover and cook on low for approximately 10 hours or until pull=apart tender.

When done take out the Bay leaf.

Shred meat with two forks

Serve topped with mozzarella cheese and extra peppers if desired.