Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Sandwiches (Printable)
Savory slow-cooked shredded beef piled on soft buns with smoky barbecue flavors and fresh toppings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 3 lbs chuck roast, boneless
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Sauce
04 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 cup beef broth
07 - 1 cup barbecue sauce
08 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
09 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
11 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
12 - ½ tsp chili powder
→ Sandwich Assembly
13 - 6 sandwich buns or rolls
14 - Optional: coleslaw, sliced pickles, extra barbecue sauce
# Directions:
01 - Pat the beef roast dry with paper towels and season all sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Arrange the sliced yellow onion and minced garlic evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
03 - Place the seasoned chuck roast on top of the onion and garlic bed.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and chili powder until fully combined.
05 - Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the beef roast in the slow cooker.
06 - Cover with the lid and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4-5 hours) until the beef is fork-tender and easily shreds apart.
07 - Transfer the cooked beef to a large bowl and shred using two forks, discarding any large pieces of excess fat as you work.
08 - Skim any excess fat from the cooking liquid remaining in the slow cooker, then return the shredded beef and toss thoroughly with the juices.
09 - Pile the hot pulled beef onto sandwich buns and top with coleslaw, pickles, or additional barbecue sauce as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
- Leftovers somehow taste even better the next time around
02 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking, every peek adds precious minutes to the total time
- Letting the beef rest in the juices for 15 minutes after shredding makes it incredibly moist
03 -
- Cook this on low and slow, high heat makes the beef stringy instead of tender
- Make it a day ahead, the flavors meld and intensify overnight in the refrigerator