Slow Cooker Italian Beef

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings

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Easy shredded Italian Beef made in the crockpot, just six ingredients! Tender chuck roast is simmered in a tangy broth for fall-apart goodness, perfect for serving on sandwiches. Includes Instant Pot method and step-by-step video.

tongs lifting italian beef out of white crockpot.

Looking for more easy slow cooker recipes? You’ll love Slow Cooker Mongolian BeefSlow Cooker Beef Barley Soup, and Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings!

As much as I love a classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast or a big bowl of Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Beef Stew, slow cooker Italian Beef is a fun and flavorful twist on crockpot beef that everyone loves!

This low-effort twist on a Chicago classic involves tender beef infused with savory flavors from the Italian dressing mix and pepperoncini peppers for a tangy, flavorful comfort meal.

The result is fall-apart shredded beef that’s perfect for sandwiches, quesadillas, and more — see my list below of ways to store it for later or use it up!

Why you’ll love this Italian Beef recipe:

  • Classic copycat: This recipe gives you that same iconic Chicagoan sandwich flavor without ever leaving your kitchen!
  • Feeds a large crowd: This recipe makes up to 12 servings, so it’s perfect for large families or for eating leftovers throughout the week!
  • Perfect make-ahead meal: This crockpot Italian Beef is the perfect make-ahead meal because it needs 10-12 hours of cook time to break down and become tender, so get it started early in the morning, and you won’t have to think about making dinner!
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Italian Beef ingredients:

ingredients needed for crockpot italian beef.
  • Beef roast (chuck, blade, or round recommended): This cut of beef is loaded with fat and flavor! As it slowly cooks in the crockpot, it becomes super tender and easily shreds with a fork!
  • Salt and black pepper: Just a pinch for flavor. 
  • Italian dressing mix or garlic herb seasoning: This is the “Italian” part of the recipe! Use your favorite Italian dressing mix or garlic herb seasoning.
  • Low-sodium beef broth: This is the cooking liquid for the beef, giving it that beefy flavor and adding moisture to the beef. 
  • Pepperoncini peppers with juice: Grab the whole peppers with juice. 
  • Sub or hoagie buns: Use your favorite brand or make your own!
  • Provolone, havarti, or mozzarella cheese: Use any kind you like. 

How to make Italian Beef in a slow cooker:

This low-effort recipe only has a few basic instructions! Jump down to the recipe card for the full list of instructions!

  • Place the roast in the crockpot and season thoroughly.
  • Strain some of the pepper brine into a measuring cup.
  • Pour beef broth and pepper brine into the crockpot, adding a few peppers if desired.
  • Let it cook in the crockpot for several hours until it’s tender. Shred as desired.

Recipe Tip

For extra flavor, you can brown the roast in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side to form a nice crust!

How do I store leftover shredded Italian Beef?

You can store leftover Italian Beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or place it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave. 

Need some creative ideas to use up your leftovers? Try these:

  • Quesadillas
  • Tacos
  • Sliders
  • Pizza
  • Over pasta or Buttered Noodles.
  • Nachos
  • Shepherd’s Pie
  • Beef Pot Pie
shredded italian beef in crockpot with peppers on top.

Where did Italian Beef originate?

Believe it or not, Italian Beef is not an Italian recipe (spoiler: most Italians probably don’t use a whole lot of Italian dressing mix ๐Ÿ˜‰ ).

Italian Beef is a Chicago-style recipe, and there are piles and piles of places to get an amazing authentic Chicago Italian Beef sandwich. Traditional Chicago Italian Beef sandwiches are made with thin slices of beef, but this recipe is more of a shortcut using shredded beef. 

I also I don’t generally load mine up with pickled vegetables like many are down in Chicago, but you definitely could!

What is the best cut of meat for Italian Beef?

Because we are cooking this roast beef low and slow, there are many different cuts of beef that will work just as well.

Typically, most pot roast or shredded beef recipes call for “chuck roast,” which can be difficult to find labeled in Canada.

The chuck roast is from the shoulder of the cow, is leaner, and has a lot of connective tissue. When cooked quickly, it’s not that appetizing, but in the slow cooker? It develops amazing flavor!

In Canada, look for “blade” or “cross rib” roasts, though I have used almost any roast in this recipe — the long cooking time breaks down the meat that would otherwise be tough.

If you don’t have a blade or cross-rib roast, a round roast would be your next best bet!

Can I make this shredded Italian Beef in a pressure cooker?

You can easily make Instant Pot Italian Beef by combining all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot and cooking for 70-90 minutes, depending on the size of your roast.

If you want to cook it more quickly, or you have a very large roast, you may want to break the roast down into 1-1.5 lb chunks just to ensure it is tender when you pop it out!

Serve with buns and cheese as desired.

hands holding a crockpot italian beef sandwich over a plate.

Serving suggestions:

This shredded Italian Beef makes one amazing sandwich, which is normally how it’s served, with crusty rolls and provolone cheese.

Not into sandwiches?

Try serving with some of my favorites:

It’s also wonderful over plain cooked egg noodles or rice!

More comforting slow cooker recipes you’ll love:

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Italian Beef recipe

5 from 53 votes
Easy shredded Italian Beef made in the crockpot, just six ingredients! Tender chuck roast is simmered in a tangy broth for fall-apart goodness, perfect for serving on sandwiches.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 12 servings
Calories 433.66cal

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb beef roast (chuck, blade or round recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 package Italian dressing mix or garlic herb seasoning
  • cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 jar pepperoncini peppers with juice*
  • 12 sub or hoagie rolls
  • 12 slices provolone, havarti or mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Place roast in a 4-6 quart crockpot. Season all over with salt, pepper and Italian dressing mix.
  • Pour beef broth and ¾ cup brine from the jar of pepperoncinis into the bottom of the crockpot. Add ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers on top. (*For less spice, use only the brine and no peppers)
  • Cook on low for 10-11 hours until fall apart tender (if you want it to cook more quickly, cut into 3-4 smaller pieces and cook for 8 hours).
  • Shred beef in juices and serve on buns with cheese and additional pickled pepperoncinis as desired.

Notes

  • Spice level: With ½ cup pepperoncini juice and no peppers, this beef has good flavor but is not spicy. You can up the spice level by adding more juice or adding in the sliced peppers. 
  • For serving: Italian beef is commonly served with giardiniera, but we love it just with the pepperoncini and some cheese on a toasted ciabatta bun. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 433.66cal | Carbohydrates: 26.97g | Protein: 34.35g | Fat: 20.86g | Saturated Fat: 10.72g | Cholesterol: 97.56mg | Sodium: 896.13mg | Potassium: 495.12mg | Fiber: 0.62g | Sugar: 0.16g | Vitamin A: 261.14IU | Calcium: 230.96mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Keywords italian beef, shredded beef

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Marilyn K Heitmann says

    We’ve made it several times. Both me and my son love to cook and try new recipes. I prefer the pepperocinis alone my son loves it with the giardinaria. We can eat on it for quite a few days, but usually freeze some for a quick bite on a busy day.
    This time I’m halving the recipe and using a smaller crockpot. I’m sure it’ll be delicious.

  2. Kathy Barbour says

    We made this tonight (December 23) and enjoyed it while watching Christmas movies. It was delicious and really easy to put together. We decided to make it a tradition! Loved it exactly as written.

  3. Maggie says

    Can you cook two roasts at a time? Trying to do this for a pretty large party but trying not to need 6 crockpots. Looking to feed probably 50-60 people.

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Maggie! I haven’t tried it myself. I think it is going to depend on the size of your crockpot and if the meat fits. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

  4. Kari says

    I am trying this for the first time today. Question- it does seem that with the 2 cups of both & the pepperoncini brine that there is a lot of liquid – is that normal?

  5. Arlene says

    Hi Ashley! Iโ€™ve made this several times and itโ€™s delicious! I wonder if I could make this a day ahead of time and take it to work the next day in the slow cooker to warm for an afternoon party. How long will it take to warm but not dry out? Itโ€™ll be 8 hours at work before we eat.
    Thanks for your time

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Arlene! You can definitely make it ahead of time but I have never done what you are asking so I really couldn’t say. I’d probably place it in the refrigerator and allow it to warm for 1-2 hours (not 8).

  6. Katie Kretschmar says

    My husband and I LOVED this recipe, so easy and delicious!! We will definitely be trying this one again, the pepperoncinis added great flavor and texture to the sandwich. Great recipe, Ashley, thank you!

  7. Raegan Dyck says

    Not a bite left. I used this recipe without the pepperchinis (just didn’t have any) and cooked my round roast on high for 5 hours then shred it and cooked in the juices for another hour and added all the peppers I had in the fridge. I got my idea too late but I’ll definitely try the real recipe. Turned it into philly cheese steak type supper. Lots of M. Jack cheese melted on the buns with meat in the middle and they ate everything. Winning! and I didn’t heat up the house on a super hot day.

  8. rosa says

    i want to try this in the oven. After i sear it, can i just cook it in the oven low and slow? what temp?

    thank you

    • Robert Cusick Jr says

      Hi Rosa, I have a Masterbuilt smoker and I do everything at 225ยฐ. So, even in my oven I use that temp, although most guys do 275ยฐ. Anywhere in that range will work. Most important is cook to the temp of the meat instead of cooking to a certain time. It’s done when it’s done.

  9. Sara VanLeeuwen says

    Made this for Christmas and it got rave reviews from the family. Thanks for such a tasty and easy recipe! This will be a standard in our house from now on!

5 from 53 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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