Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Beef for Sandwiches or Tacos

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef is a savory, tender recipe for your shredded beef sandwiches or sliders, or to eat by itself! Includes an easy au jus dipping sauce recipe.

With cooler weather comes savory, comforting food! It’s officially fall here in Kansas City and the weather has me craving food just like this Slow Cooker Pulled Beef. Yes, you read correctly – pulled BEEF!

I made this tender, flavorful pulled beef in my slow cooker last week, and our little family of three made several meals out of it.

“Absolutely delicious! Will be cooking again soon. No leftovers in this house!” – Courtney

I love this recipe because it turns a typically tough cut of meat into something tender and delectable by slow cooking it, which breaks down all of the connective tissue! You only need a few simple ingredients to get amazing flavor.

” Made this yesterday for company and got rave reviews. Got several requests for repeat dinners with these sandwiches. Au jus is so tasty. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. A win-win for me. Couldn’t find hoagie rolls so made on toasted ciabatta rolls. Worked great. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.” – Kathy

I strive to incorporate beef into our dinners 2-3 times per week. Beef is my son’s favorite protein, so I know that if I make it, he will eat it!  I also love that he is getting a meal high in protein, because he is so active. He can eat this tender beef with or without a bun, and he’s happy either way. I also like to make this easy shredded beef for meal-prepping!

We have a ton of beef in the freezer because we purchase a quarter cow every year, so I do have to get creative with the cuts we receive. I love using my slow cooker to make the roasts from our cow, and also use the crockpot for the cube steak with this easy Slow Cooker Cube Steak recipe.

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Check out my other slow cooker recipes on Blackberry Babe.

“Made this yesterday for the first time, won’t be the last!! My family LOVED this, it was so tasty, the meat was so tender and delicious. We used Portuguese buns, and added sauteed onions and peppers, YUMMY!!” – Trish

To use this crock pot recipe to make BBQ pulled beef, drain the juice out of the crockpot, shred the beef, and add a cup of tangy BBQ sauce!

Mix up and allow it to continue slow cooking over low heat for 10-20 minutes before serving warm. 

“These are delicious! A big hit with my family of four.” – Nichole

You can also use this recipe to make Mexican shredded beef! Drain all but 1 cup of the juice in the crockpot. To the juice, add a packet of taco seasoning and the shredded beef.

To the juice, add a packet of taco seasoning and the shredded beef, then serve with fresh avocado, lime juice and fresh cilantro. Stir to combine and allow to sit at low heat for 10-20 minutes before serving warm.

Recipe Substitutions

Instead of the beer, consider using beef stock or a dry red wine. 

I think the best cut of beef for this great recipe is beef chuck roast (shoulder roast), but you could also use arm roast, chuck eye roast or sirloin roast! Either will have great flavor.

“Very good result from this recipe! Delicious!” – Faye

Serving Suggestions for Slow Cooker Pulled Beef

When I first made this recipe, I used the flavorful beef to make pulled beef sandwich and sliders, topped with melted cheese and a splash of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar. Add sauteed onions and peppers to make it a meal. You can use hamburger buns like brioche buns, or hoagie rolls!

I usually serve these sandwiches with a simple Italian salad, air fryer potato wedges, or air fryer sweet potato fries. Or you can serve the beef over rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

You can also use this beef for beef tacos, beef enchiladas, nachos or quesadillas! Pretty much anything that involves tortillas will work.

Storing Leftover Pulled Beef

Save leftover tasty pulled beef in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Or transfer portions into freezer bags and remove all of the extra air before sealing the bag. Then, store in the freezer for up to four months.

We usually do have leftovers, and this recipe is so versatile that I am able to re-purpose the leftovers into more delicious dinners. For example, I’ve chopped the beef and added it to pasta sauce and served over spaghetti. I also used the leftover beef in grilled cheese, which was amazing!

The next time I make this crockpot pulled beef, I am going to try it as the base for a shepherd’s pie or pot pie! I love how versatile this easy beef recipe is.

If you make end up making this recipe, I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below!

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Author: Michelle Goth

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef is a savory, tender recipe for your shredded beef sandwiches or sliders, or to eat by itself! Includes an easy au jus dipping sauce recipe. 

4.72 from 167 ratings

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Ingredients

 

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For the beef:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
• ▢ ½ tablespoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons oregano
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Crockpot additions:

• ▢ 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• ▢ 1 cup beef broth
• ▢ 1 cup light beer or stout beer
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Optional, for sandwiches:

• ▢ provolone sliced cheese
• ▢ hoagie rolls

Instructions

 

• Pat beef roast dry with paper towels. Season the surface of the beef with salt, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Warm oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
• Sear seasoned beef on both sides until a beautiful brown sear color occurs, about 4 minutes per side.
• Remove beef and place into the crockpot.
• Into the same skillet, add onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Be careful not to allow the garlic to burn.
• Transfer sauteed onions and garlic into the crockpot.
• Add remaining ingredients into the slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours.
• Once beef is cooked, remove beef and set to the side on a cutting board. Drain leftover juices through a fine-mesh sieve. The juice left over is the au jus that can be thickened if desired. See comments below for instructions.
• Shred beef and return to the slow cooker with some of the leftover liquid to keep moist.
• Serve as sandwiches or by itself over mashed potatoes.

Notes

If you'd like to thicken the leftover juice, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1.5 tablespoons of flour, whisk and stir to combine and form a loose paste. Add leftover juices from crockpot. Remember to strain first to remove fat blobs and impurities.

To the butter and flour paste, whisk in 1-2 cups of the leftover juices from the crockpot. Whisk and allow to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the au jus to sit for a few minutes to thicken further before serving with the pulled beef.

Serving: 1, Calories: 640kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 178mg, Sodium: 896mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

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If you love this Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe, I think you’ll also enjoy these recipes:

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• Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Sauce
• Easy Flank Steak Tacos
• Grilled Flank Steak with Caramelized Onion Sauce
• Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps