Slow Cooker Pulled Beef (Printable Version)

Flavorful shredded beef slow-cooked to tender perfection and served on soft sandwich buns with 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 cloves evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
03 - Place the seasoned chuck roast on top of the onion and garlic bed, ensuring the meat sits flat.
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 incorporated.
05 - Pour the prepared sauce mixture evenly over the beef roast, ensuring some sauce reaches the onions at the bottom.
06 - Cover 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, removing and discarding any large pieces of excess fat.
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 saucy pulled beef onto sandwich buns and top with coleslaw, pickles, or additional barbecue sauce as desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender without any hands-on effort
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day
  • Everyone can customize their own sandwich toppings
02 -
  • Let the beef rest in the juices for at least 30 minutes before shredding for better flavor absorption
  • The finished beef can be refrigerated in its cooking liquid for up to four days or frozen for months
  • A immersion blender can puree the onions and sauce for a smoother texture if preferred
03 -
  • Sear the beef in a hot pan before slow cooking for deeper flavor, though it is not necessary
  • Use tongs to remove the beef so the cooking liquid stays in the slow cooker
  • The beef can be made with pork shoulder or brisket using the same method

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