Italian Beef Sandwiches

Just like a chopped cheese brings a taste of New York, this slow cooker Italian beef recipe brings classic Chicago Italian beef right to my kitchen. It’s perfectly beefy, with a touch of tangy goodness, and so tender it almost melts in your mouth. I make this recipe with tender, juicy chuck roast slow-cooked in Italian seasonings with mild peppers and giardiniera, the traditional Italian pickled relish.

My favorite way to serve this crockpot beef? A homemade Italian beef sandwich. Tucked into a fluffy hoagie roll, topped with melty provolone and extra pickles, shredded beef sandwiches are perfect for game day, tailgating with friends, or a casual dinner at home.

About This Juicy Slow Cooker Italian Beef

• Juicy beef, without the grease. I especially like that this crockpot Italian beef recipe is not as “fatty” as other recipes. I purposefully pulled back on the fat, skimming it off the juices before adding the shredded meat back to the slow cooker. There’s still plenty of tasty juice left, just without all the fat and grease.
• Rich, savory flavor. I upped the beefy flavor with some high-quality beef bouillon. Chuck roast has such great texture and flavor when it cooks low and slow, and I gave it just a little boost with the bouillon. The result is fantastic!
• Hands-off cooking. This Italian beef recipe is ideal to throw together before work or the night before game day. Since it requires 8 hours in the slow cooker, you can return later to fall-apart-tender beef that’s ready to shred.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This easy crock pot Italian beef is made with just a few ingredients. Here’s a shopping list for you, with notes. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for the full, printable recipe.

• Beef chuck roast – Cut the beef into 6 equal pieces and trim away any excess chunks of fat. See below.
• Beef broth – Use low-sodium broth to control the saltiness.
• Italian dressing mix – My shortcut to easy Italian seasoning. I use the Good Seasons brand.
• Beef bouillon – This bumps up the beef flavor in the juices. You can use more or less depending on your preference for beef flavor and sodium content.
• Mild pepper slices (with juice) – I love the tang that this gives to the beef and cooking juices! Here’s the pepper slices I use.
• Mild chopped giardiniera – I use an oil-based Chicago-style giardiniera mix that is chopped small, perfect for adding to sandwiches. Be sure to drain away excess oil before adding to the slow cooker. Here’s the giardiniera I use for this recipe.
• Provolone slices – Provolone pairs perfectly with the Italian flavors and melts easily. You could also use sliced or shredded mozzarella.
• Hoagie buns – For making into sandwiches. Any roll or bun works here. You could even make this recipe into sliders with homemade Rhodes rolls.

What’s The Best Beef to Use?

If this were a traditional Italian beef recipe, it would be made with very thinly sliced sirloin. However, that doesn’t translate well to slow cooking and shredding. So, in this easy crockpot version, I opt for a roast instead.

While you can use various types of roasts for slow cooker beef recipes, including top round, bottom round, shoulder, or chuck roast, I always recommend using a boneless chuck roast. I use this cut to make my crockpot Italian beef stew and Hungarian goulash, and, in my opinion, it’s the best cut of meat for this Italian beef recipe. Chuck roast has plenty of fat marbling (and I cut away any excess chunks of fat), which translates to tender beef with melt-in-your-mouth beef flavor when cooked long and low.

How to Make Italian Beef in the Slow Cooker

Slow cooker Italian beef is easy to make and requires minimal hands-on time. The crockpot does most of the work!

• Season the beef. First, season the beef chunks with salt and pepper. Let the beef rest at room temperature for a few minutes.
• Sear the beef. Searing locks in delicious flavor, so don’t skip this step! If your slow cooker/multicooker has a “Sauté” setting, sear the beef in the slow cooker until a browned crust develops. If your slow cooker doesn’t have this function, use a Dutch oven or large skillet to sear the beef. Then, transfer the chunks to the slow cooker.
• Prepare the sauce. Meanwhile, whisk together the beef broth, Italian seasoning, bouillon, and pepper juice to make the broth.

• Assemble. Pour the sauce over the beef in the slow cooker. Add the pepper slices and giardiniera on top.
• Cook. Lastly, cover and cook on high for 8 to 9 hours, or until the beef shreds easily. If the beef is still a bit tough, that’s a sign that you need to cook it for longer.

• Shred the meat and discard the fat. Shred the beef using two forks. Discard the fat from the meat juices leftover in the slow cooker, using a fat separator or by skimming away the fat with a large spoon. If you want au jus for dipping, reserve some of the juice.
• Finish. Add any of the peppers and giardiniera back to the slow cooker, along with the shredded beef. Stir the contents back into the juices. Finally, cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes, until everything heats through. Enjoy!

Easy Italian Beef Sandwich

This shredded beef is typically served in Italian beef sandwiches, on toasted buns topped with provolone cheese.

I personally like to split the hoagie buns and toast them under the broiler, then add the shredded Italian beef, provolone, and additional pepper slices and giardiniera, and broil again. It makes them perfectly melty and toasted.

You can use other cheeses besides provolone, of course. Provolone just has a mild flavor that pairs perfectly with Italian spices, and it melts easily. Some roasted red peppers and/or sauteed onions would also be good. I also highly recommend reserving some of the au jus for dipping!

More Serving Suggestions

Italian beef is delicious in more than just sandwiches! Serve the flavorful beef over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, or use it to fill tacos. It would also be great with this Italian chopped salad.

Tips for Perfect Italian Beef

• Sear the beef. Though it does add an extra hands-on step, searing the beef is 100% worth it. It not only locks in flavor, but also adds another layer of texture to the tender beef.
• Switch up the peppers. While I love mild pepper slices and giardiniera, you could also add in whole pepperoncinis to your Italian beef as well. And if you like heat, use hot pepper slices!
• What if my roast doesn’t shred easily? If the roast doesn’t shred easily using two forks, it needs to cook longer. No two cuts of beef chuck will ever be the same, and slow cookers vary as well, so you may need to cook for more or less time. Just know that a perfectly cooked chuck roast will shred very easily and be super tender.
• Keep an eye on the saltiness. I definitely recommend using a low-sodium beef broth when making this crockpot Italian beef, as this will give you more freedom to adjust the salt content. Also, keep in mind that the bouillon will add more sodium. If you’re sensitive to salt or sodium, you may want to opt for a little less bouillon or use a low-sodium bouillon. The Italian seasoning mix will also play a part in the salt content. Some mixes have more salt than others.
• Drain the giardiniera. This type of chopped vegetable relish is typically packed in oil. I prefer not to add any more oil to the beef, and always drain it before adding it to the slow cooker.

How to Store Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Leftover Italian beef can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store with the peppers and at least some of the meat juice to ensure it stays moist.
• Reheat. The easiest way to reheat this beef is just in the microwave. If you’re reheating large portions, you can do so on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.
• Can I freeze this? Yes, Italian beef can be frozen. Once it has cooled, transfer to a freezer bag or container with some of the juices. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

• Slow Cooker Chili
• Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
• Slow Cooker Island Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Beef Curry
• Slow Cooker Beef Barley Stew