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
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
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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