Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

This slow cooker BBQ beef recipe is perfect for summer! You’ll get tender, flavorful beef that’s perfect for sandwiches, baked potatoes, and BBQ bowls, all without heating up the kitchen!

It’s summer, which means it’s time for BBQ’s, picnics, and cook-outs galore. Lots of pool days and soaring temperatures mean I don’t *really* feel like cooking. Slow cooker to the rescue!

Slow cookers aren’t just for winter! They can cook without heating up your kitchen like the oven and stove will, and can basically take care of dinner for you, while you spend time outside, in the pool, or off at work.

This Crock Pot BBQ Beef recipe is a great example. You do a little prep, pop it in the slow cooker, and hours later, you’ve got tender, flavorful beef that’s perfect for sandwiches!

While you *can* just toss the beef + some BBQ sauce in the slow cooker, I’ve found that a few simple ingredients and a twist to your technique make a BIG difference in flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

Gather Your Ingredients

• Beef Chuck Roast. Boneless chuck roast is a GREAT cut of beef for slow cooking. We love it for recipes like pot roast, peperoncini beef sandwiches, and this slow cooker BBQ pulled beef because it gets SUPER tender with time and has enough fat to stay moist.
• A Little Oil. We recommend browning the beef first for the best flavor and texture, so you’ll need a little oil for that.
• Salt & Pepper. A generous amount of kosher salt and black pepper helps build and elevate flavors. Speaking of which…
• Brown Sugar, Cider Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce & Garlic. These little extras make a BIG difference in flavor. The BBQ sauce gets watered down when it cooks with the beef and can loose some of it’s oomph. Adding some extra acidity, sweetness, and flavor boosters keep that delicious flavor you’re looking for.
• Your Favorite BBQ Sauce. Last, but not least, you’ll need at least 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, whether that’s store-bought sauce or our simple homemade BBQ sauce.

How To Make Slow Cooker BBQ Beef, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. If You’re Making Homemade Sauce, Make That First. Combine all BBQ sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Simmer BBQ sauce 30 minutes on medium low heat to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally to prevent any burning. Taste and add additional brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire or black pepper, to taste. (If making the sauce in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze until you’re ready to use it. Sauce will keep in the fridge up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.)
2. Prep & Season The Beef. If you haven’t already, cut the beef into 4-5 pieces. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Brown The Beef. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, cook just 2-3 pieces of beef at a time for 6-8 minutes per side, or until deeply browned. Set the browned beef into the crock of the slow cooker and repeat until all the beef is browned. (This step can be done in advance the night before, if needed to help with prep! Just store the browned beef in the fridge overnight until you’re ready to cook it the next day.)
4. Slow Cook The Beef. Once all the beef is browned and in the slow cooker, sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Add 1 cup BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH heat 5-6 hours or LOW 8-10 hours, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
5. Shred The Beef. Remove the beef and place on a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the beef, pulling out any fatty spots and discarding those. Reserve 1 cup of the drippings/sauce in the slow cooker and discard the rest. 
6. Finish With More Sauce. Stir the remaining 1 cup of BBQ sauce into the beef with the reserved 1 cup of drippings. Serve warm on buns, scoop over baked potatoes, or enjoy in bowls with coleslaw and potato salad.

Make It A Meal!

We usually use this beef to make slow cooker barbecue beef sandwiches, which are perfect for a summer cookout or easy weeknight dinner. You can use any of your favorite sides, but some of our favorite side dishes to go with BBQ beef are:

• Classic Potato Salad. Some classic potato salad always goes over well at a BBQ! Ours is bright and tangy without being too heavy.
• Coleslaw. Another classic for a cookout. Scoop some homemade coleslaw on your BBQ beef sandwich or serve it on the side.
• Watermelon Fruit Salad. UNBELIEVABLY good in the summer! Fresh watermelon, fresh berries, and a bright tangy dressing to tie it all together.
• The BEST Corn on the Cob. The perfect summer side dish!
• Refrigerator Pickles. Whether you add these to your sandwich or serve them on the side, they’re so good you’ll keep coming back for more.
• French Fries. We love these crispy baked sweet potato fries, but you can use your favorites! 

Any other summer favorites will totally work here, like macaroni salad, three bean salad, baked beans, fresh fruit, or grilled veggies!

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

Try Homemade Sauce! If you have the time, or don’t have a bottle of barbecue sauce on hand, I recommend our easy gluten-free BBQ sauce recipe. It’s tangy, sweet, smoky, and delicious! So good in this crock pot BBQ beef!

Extras To Try. If you want to up the flavor even more, you can rub the beef with your favorite spice rub before slow cooking or add a tiny splash of liquid smoke to mimic that BBQ flavor. Or, you can slice up an onion and toss it in with the beef!

Freeze it For Later. This crock pot barbecue beef recipe makes about 8 generous servings, so if you’re not going to eat it all in one go, you can easily freeze some for another night. I like to spoon it into a freezer bag, press out all the extra air and freeze it flat in the freezer. It’s easier to store and will thaw faster this way!

More BBQ Favorites To Try

Fall-Off-The-Bone Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Classic Potato Salad

Bang Bang Chicken Burgers

Recipe Card

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This easy slow cooker BBQ beef is perfect for summer! You get tender, flavorful beef that’s perfect for sandwiches & baked potatoes.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For The BBQ Beef:

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 4–5 pieces
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1–2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup your favorite BBQ Sauce, for cooking (or homemade, see below)
• 1 cup your favorite BBQ Sauce, for finishing 

For Homemade BBQ Sauce (If Needed)

• 1 cup ketchup (like Heinz)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove minced garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

---

Instructions

1. If You’re Making Homemade Sauce, Make That First. Combine all BBQ sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Simmer BBQ sauce 30 minutes on medium low heat to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally to prevent any burning. Taste and add additional brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire or black pepper, to taste. (If making the sauce in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze until you’re ready to use it. Sauce will keep in the fridge up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.)
2. Prep & Season The Beef. If you haven’t already, cut the beef into 4-5 pieces. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Brown The Beef. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, cook just 2-3 pieces of beef at a time for 6-8 minutes per side, or until deeply browned. Set the browned beef into the crock of the slow cooker and repeat until all the beef is browned. (This step can be done in advance the night before, if needed to help with prep! Just store the browned beef in the fridge overnight until you’re ready to cook it the next day.)
4. Slow Cook The Beef. Once all the beef is browned and in the slow cooker, sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Add 1 cup BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH heat 5-6 hours or LOW 8-10 hours, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
5. Shred The Beef. Remove the beef and place on a plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the beef, pulling out any fatty spots and discarding those. Reserve 1 cup of the drippings/sauce in the slow cooker and discard the rest. 
6. Finish With More Sauce. Stir the remaining 1 cup of BBQ sauce into the beef with the reserved 1 cup of drippings. Serve warm on buns, scoop over baked potatoes, or enjoy in bowls with coleslaw and potato salad.

Notes

• Why We Drain The Beef! The beef will release some of its own juices during cooking as the meat cooks and the fat renders, so the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker will get watered down a bit by the beef juices. While you don’t *have* to drain most of the drippings, your finished product will be much thinner and wetter than mine. 
• Extras To Try. If you want to turn up the flavor even more, you can rub the beef with your favorite spice rub before slow cooking or add a tiny splash of liquid smoke to mimic that BBQ flavor. Or, you can slice up an onion and toss it in with the beef!
• Cook Time. The exact cook time will vary based on the brand, model, and size of your slow cooker and the size of your beef roast. Make sure to cut it into 4-5 pieces as directed so it cooks more evenly and quickly! 

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5-6 Hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
• Calories: 372
• Sugar: 37.2 g
• Sodium: 1075.7 mg
• Fat: 8.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.5 g
• Fiber: 1.1 g
• Protein: 27.5 g
• Cholesterol: 80.4 mg