The BEST Italian Beef! This recipe gives you tender, juicy, and flavorful beef and the best part is that the slow cooker does almost all of the work. Pile the beef on toasted buns, add a bit of my lightened up garlic aioli, some melty cheese, and you’ve got the easiest weeknight dinner recipe that everyone will love!

Why You’ll Love This Italian Beef Recipe

Hands-off – All you have to do is sear the meat, combine the ingredients, and let the slow cooker do all the hard work. Prep the recipe in the morning, and come home to dinner waiting for you!
Flavorful – The combination of herbs, spices, and jarred peppers and veggies gives the beef incredible flavor. Plus the beef is cooked low and slow and the meat becomes unbelievably juicy and tender.
Versatile – I love to use this recipe to make sandwiches. However, you can use the meat to make bowls, stuffed baked potatoes, or whatever your heart desires!

Watch How to Make Italian Beef

Recipe Ingredients

Chuck Roast: you’ll need a 3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast for this recipe. I prefer to use a boneless chuck roast to make shredding the beef easier at the end.
Olive Oil: this is used to sear the beef which is such an important step in ensuring that beef is as flavorful as possible.
Beef Broth: I recommend using a low-sodium beef broth for this recipe to make sure that it’s not too salty.
Onion and Garlic: these help to create a strong flavor base for the beef.
Bay Leaf: dried bay leaf really gives the beef some delicious flavor.
Italian Seasoning: this is a combination of a variety of dried herbs like thyme, basil, etc.
Pepperoncini Peppers: we’re using both the peppers and the juice in this recipe. The peppers add the perfect amount of tang and a bit of kick to the beef.
Giardiniera: this is a spicy mix of pickled vegetables including carrots, cauliflower, and bell peppers. I typically find it in the canned vegetable aisle of my local grocery store and it’s usually near the pepperoncini peppers as well!

What Kind of Roast is Best for Italian Beef?

I prefer to use chuck roast for this recipe. A beefy cut from the shoulder of a cow, it has more fat and marbling than other cuts, which cooks down beautifully creating lots of flavor and becomes fall-apart tender. However, you can also use a top round or bottom round if preferred.

beef with peppers and onions in slow cooker

How to Make Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

Step One: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Step Two: While the skillet is heating, pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Next, sprinkle half the salt and fresh cracked black pepper onto one side of the chuck roast.

Step Three: Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil. Place the chuck roast in the skillet salt side down. Then, sprinkle the remaining salt and more black pepper on the other side of the beef.

Step Four: Sear the beef for 6-8 minutes on each side until it has developed a golden brown crust. Remove the beef from the skillet, and transfer it to the slow cooker.

Step Five: Reduce the skillet heat, and add ¼ cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan. Then, bring the heat back to medium-high and add the sliced onions and smashed garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step Six: Pour the onion and garlic mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Next, add the bay leaf, Italian seasoning, pepperoncini peppers and juices, giardiniera, and the remaining beef broth.

Step Seven: Cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6-8 hours until the beef is fork tender and easy to shred. Use two forks to shred the beef. Then, stir to combine it with the juices.

Step Eight: Assemble the sandwiches. Split the rolls in half lengthwise, stopping before you cut all the way through. Toast until lightly golden. Then, pile on your desired amount of Italian beef, and top it with cheese. Add more peppers and giardiniera, if desired, and enjoy!

Ashlea’s Tips and Tricks

Don’t skip searing the beef: Trust me on this one! I know it can seem like just another step, but searing the beef before adding it to the slow cooker really helps to develop extra depth of flavor and makes your Italian beef even better.
Cook the beef until tender: if your beef is hard to shred then that means it needs to cook longer. When you can easily shred the meat with two forks that’s how you know it’s done.
Freeze half for later: this recipe makes a good amount which is great because you can freeze half the beef for later and pull it out on a busy day when you need to hit the easy button on dinner.

How to Store

Store: Transfer any leftover Italian beef and juices to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freeze: Once cool, transfer leftover beef to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: When you’re ready, thaw the Italian beef in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the microwave, a skillet over medium heat on the stove, or in a slow cooker set to warm.

More Delicious Beef Recipes

I hope you give this Slow Cooker Italian Beef recipe a try! It’s tender, zesty, and versatile. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 6-8 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

The BEST Italian Beef! This recipe gives you tender, juicy, and flavorful beef and the best part is that the slow cooker does almost all of the work. Pile the beef on toasted buns, add a bit of my lightened up garlic aioli, some melty cheese, and you’ve got the easiest weeknight dinner recipe that everyone will love!

Ingredients

Scale

3–4 pounds chuck roast
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups beef broth, divided
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
8 oz sliced pepperoncini peppers, plus 1/4 cup juice
8 oz mild Giardiniera, drained (plus more for serving)

For Serving

4–6 crusty Hoagie Rolls or French sub rolls
melted butter
garlic aioli
sliced provolone cheese
sliced pepperoncini peppers
giardiniera

Instructions

Heat a large cast iron skillet oven over medium-high heat.
While the skillet is heating, pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Next, sprinkle half the salt and fresh cracked black pepper onto one side of the chuck roast.
Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil. Next, place the chuck roast in the skillet salt side down. Sprinkle the remaining salt and more black pepper on the other side of the beef.
Sear the beef for 6-8 minutes on each side until it has developed a golden brown crust. Remove the beef from the skillet and transfer it to the slow cooker.
Lower the skillet heat and add 1/4 cup of beef broth to deglaze the pan. Bring the heat back to medium-high and add the sliced onions and smashed garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the onion and garlic mixture over the beef in the slow cooker.
Next, add the bay leaf, Italian seasoning, pepperoncini peppers and their juice, giardiniera, and the remaining beef broth.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high until 6-8 hours until the beef is fork tender and easy to shred. Use two forks to shred the beef and then stir so the juice and beef are well combined.
Assemble the Sandwiches: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split the rolls lengthwise and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush the rolls with melted butter and toast for 5-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove the tops of the rolls from the sheet pan, spread on a bit of the garlic aioli, and set aside. On the bottom roll, spread some of the garlic aioli and then pile on your desired amount of Italian beef, extra giardiniera, and pepperonicini peppers, and then top with cheese. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, top with the other half of the rolls, and serve!