Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef
If you’re looking to feed a crowd with very little effort, then this Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef is the answer! It’s delicious, and it only takes 5 minutes to prepare!
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I’m almost embarrassed to share this recipe today. Key word: Almost. This Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef could possibly be one of the easiest recipes ever. You literally put a beef chuck roast in a slow cooker and pour in a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. I did doctor the sauce up with some extra spices, and I highly recommend taking the extra 60 seconds to do that. The spices add a fun depth of flavor to the finished sammiches. If you’ll commit to spending 5 minutes of prep time in the morning, then you’ll have dinner ready and done that night. (And chances are you’ll have leftovers, too!)
We love to entertain. On any given weekend, we’re either planning a chill game night with friends or hosting a bigger outdoor grilling party. (In the winter, the grilling party moves indoors and becomes a gumbo party or a make-your-own fajita party.) Because of that, I’ve always got a short list of party recipes stashed away in the back of my brain. These are recipes that (1) are delicious, (2) require very little effort to make/serve and (3) are delicious. This Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef hits all 3 of those requirements!
Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef
Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded BeefI used a boneless chuck roast for this recipe, but honestly you could use any beef roast that happens to be on sale. Now that we’re heading into the colder months here in upstate New York, there seems to be some sort of roast on sale every week at the grocery store. Use whatever you can find! Just look for a roast that’s in the 3.5-4.5 pound range.
As far as how to serve this Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef, we opted for sammiches. Delicious, saucy barbecue sandwiches. After slow cooking for 7-8 hours, that beef roast will shred quite easily. In fact, I basically just stirred the sauce with a spoon, and the beef roast fell apart. Let the slow cooker simmer for another ~30 minutes or so to thicken the sauce, and you’ve got a pile of BBQ shredded beef that’s perfect for all sorts of recipes!
Other easy recipe ideas:
- Bake up a plate of frozen french fries and top ’em with this shredded beef.
- Or take the easier route and make nachos using a pile of tortilla chips.
- Another option is to bake up several potatoes (the really big ones) and top ’em with a spoonful of shredded beef.
- Or maybe place a spoonful of beef on a tortilla, add some mozzarella cheese and turn it into a quesadilla (or just a taco).
The options here are endless! I personally like the sandwich idea as the crunch from the cole slaw is a great contrast to the saucy BBQ shredded beef. But get creative! Let me know how you used this shredded beef. I’m always looking for new ideas in the kitchen!
Did you make this Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Happy (slow) cookin’!
Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef
Ingredients
For the Shredded Beef
- 4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 18-oz. bottle barbecue sauce
For the Sandwiches
- 8 hamburger buns
- prepared cole slaw
- sliced pickles
Instructions
- Spread mustard on top of roast and then place into slow cooker. Sprinkle spices over roast and then pour barbecue sauce on top.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours.
- Transfer beef to a large cutting board; shred using 2 forks. Return beef to slow cooker and stir until well combined.
- Continue cooking for 1 more hour. (Tip: Remove the lid of the slow cooker for the last 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.)
- Place several spoonfuls of shredded beef onto each bun. Top with prepared cole slaw and sliced pickles.
Looking for other tasty recipes for feeding a crowd? Check out some of my other favorites:
Meatball Parm French Bread Pizza
Nothing better than letting the slow cooker do all the work! These sandwiches look so delicious and would definitely feed a crowd. Sometimes the simplest recipes are the absolute best!
I’m with ya, Kathy! You know me. I love getting into the kitchen and playing around, but sometimes the easy recipes are the best kind. This shredded beef really is an easy recipe! 🙂
No embarrassment necessary, my friend, because this looks DELICIOUS! The fact that it comes together so easily is just a bonus! Pile on the pickle and maybe (definitely) some chips on the side 😉 ?? Awesome recipe, my friend! Happy Monday!
You make an excellent point, Dawn! Sometimes the easiest recipes are the ones you need. It’s been super busy around here lately, and a nice and easy dinner recipe is certainly much appreciated. Also, chips are definitely required on the side here. No maybe about it! 🙂
I don’t have a slow cooker but this recipe makes me think I need one. This looks perfect for game day parties and tailgaters! Have a great week, David!
This really is an easy recipe for tailgating, Kelsie! Also, slow cookers are kinda magical. Just sayin’.
Nothing to be embarrassed about my friend! This is one delicious recipe! I love how you have served it too – it’s basically all of my favourite things in a delicious meal. Will be getting that slow cooker out soon!
Haha…you’re heading into the heat of the summer, Alex! These BBQ shredded beef sandwiches would still work for a summer picnic, though. They’re easy and delicious…perfect for a crowd! 🙂
Can you imagine raising young kids without a slow cooker, I can’t. Luckily it was an everyday appliance by the mid-1970s and thus me and my kids survived. Although, to this day, they will not allow Crock-Pot tuna casserole in their house. My bad, it was so easy. I wish I would have had your Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef recipe then as I might have spared the kids the bad memories of Crock-Pot tuna casserole. Great post David and I loved the images.
Oh man, you’re telling me, Ron. I know slow cookers can get a bad rap, but we can change that around. This shredded beef is so insanely easy, and it’s a great way to feed a crowd…or a hungry family! Also, I was just telling Laura the other day that I was craving tuna casserole. How funny is that!? I haven’t had tuna casserole in probably 20 years, but I was literally just talking about it. Haha! Thanks for the kind words, Ron!
David,
There’s nothing I love more than a simple “set it and forget it” recipe, like this one. And everyone in my house loves all of the shredded, barbecued meats. I totally love them with sweet pickles on top, or with those sweet/hot jalapeños. So delicious, made even better by the ease.
Ooo…good call on the jalapenos here, Laura! I’m thinking next time I make a batch of these sandwiches, I should get all crazy with the toppings. That little bit of spicy heat would be so good with bbq sauce, too!
Never (even almost) be embarrassed by a recipe! No matter how easy, it’s you making it, and putting your own touch on it. And this recipe looks so amazing. Those pickles are the icing on the cake here. 🙂 ~Valentina
Why thank you very much, Valentina. You’re too sweet! 🙂 Also, the pickles really are required here. So good!!
Well yum. Need I say more? I love a good slow cooker recipe, makes feeding the family much easier. Shredded beef, it just sounds, and looks, great!
Oh, this recipe is so good, Matt! I don’t know if you guys can get BBQ sauce over there in the UK, but I highly recommend trying this one out. It’s insanely easy, but it’s a huge crowd pleaser at the same time! And I recommend serving this up with a nice cold beer. Yum!
I love this recipe. I love using the slow cooker, which makes everything much easier.
I’m totally with ya on the slow cooker, Dawn! I love coming up with fun new ways to use it. 🙂
Nope. No shame here. This is fabulous. Idea. I recently made a bunch of pulled pork that I was going to turn into chili verde but then i had to freeze it when I left town. When I got back, I didn’t have chili verde ingredients yet but I did have everything for chili, so that’s what I used it for. It wasn’t terribly pretty, but it was the best damn chili I’ve ever made. You might want to do it with your pulled beef!
Oooo…pulled beef chili? Now you’re onto something, Mimi! That would be an awesome chili recipe, and it wouldn’t require too much effort either. Excellent thinking, my friend!
This shredded beef looks so juicy and loaded with flavor!! As you said, perfect party fare and a fantastic way to feed a big, hungry family over the holidays too!
This really would be an excellent recipe over the holidays, Marissa! It’s easy and it feeds a crowd. No one here was disappointed with the sandwiches…and the pulled beef makes great leftovers, too! 🙂
This looks really good, sink your teeth into some tasty solid food. I have to make it when I get home.
Yes! Definitely put this one on the list, Gerlinde. It’s easy comfort food…the best kind, right?? 🙂
David, I’m so drooling over these bbq sandwiches! So easy, but what an inspiration! Love the slaw and pickles on them, too!
The slaw and pickles are key to these sandwiches, Kelly! I guess you could go all sloppy joe style without ’em, but I love the crunch they bring. Overall, this recipe is crazy (like CRAZY) easy and super delicious, too. 🙂
OK, so I’m literally sitting here, drooling over this post, David! It looks absolutely divine!
Thank you so much, Katerina! These sandwiches are so simple to make, but man are they delicious! 🙂
Great recipe and nothing to be embarrassed by. We love easy recipes that taste fabulous. I’m pretty crazy about your idea to smother a plate of french fries with this.
Thanks so much, Dahn! I do love how easy this recipe is, and I’m thinking I totally need to try the fries + shredded beef idea out pretty soon here. That sounds like an awesome gameday appetizer, right?? 🙂
This is a great idea David. I still have some BBQ sauces left in my cupboard. And I’ve never done a slow cooker shredded beef recipe before. It’s a win win with me. Can’t wait to try it.
Yes! Pull out one of those bottles of bbq sauce and use the slow cooker. It’s incredibly easy, and it’s so tasty. Plus, I’m loving all of the ideas on how to use the shredded beef. These sandwiches are good, but there are a bunch of other fun ways to use it in recipes, too! Thanks so much, my friend!
i love the recipe i have known some of the recipe of this kind i may be starting my blog site too so i’ll put those there i hope you’ll appreciate it because my inspiration is you to start it 🙂 thanks
Thanks so much, Mary! I love how easy this recipe is. Good luck with the blog site! 🙂
Hi, I made your slow cooker BBQ Shredded Beef recipe last night.
It was AMAZING!! Everyone loved it. It’s a keeper!
Hey Connie! I’m so glad to hear everyone loved this recipe…it really is a good one. And it’s easy, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back by and leave a comment. Cheers!