• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Eat Well Spend Smart
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Money Saving Tips
    • Meal Plans
    • Gardening
  • My Products
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Money Saving Tips
  • Meal Plans
  • About
  • My Products
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Slow cooker Italian beef: Video tutorial

    February 19, 2019 by Tara Buss Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Slow cooker Italian beef is a perfect low maintenance weeknight dinner.  Great for sandwiches or without bread alongside a salad for a low-carb version. No seasoning packets or processed ingredients in this recipe, but the flavor results are still awesome.

    Ingredients needed: 3 lb. chuck roast, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

    Italian beef hoagie sandwich topped with peppers on a white plate. Salad in the background.

    Italian beef: childhood favorite

    Not many kids learn how to make Italian beef when they are twelve years old, but I did, and I am oh so thankful. My mom was an excellent cook and made sure I knew my way around the kitchen before I left the nest. Italian beef was one of our family favorites that I memorized early on, and I'm pretty sure my college roommates were thankful for those cooking skills too.

    This recipe has evolved over the years though. When my mom first taught me, we made it on the stovetop and boiled the meat in water with spices and beef bouillon cubes. While it was totally delicious and one of my absolute favorite meals, I have adapted as I've gotten comfortable in my own kitchen.

    I no longer use bouillon cubes since switching to a more unprocessed diet. I also ditched the stovetop method, and simplified it for the slow cooker since I tend to gravitate towards more hands-off cooking methods these days.

    This slow cooker Italian beef has become a family favorite in my own home and I couldn't be happier.  Every time I make it, I think back to my own childhood and smile. Don't you just love old family recipes?

    shredded Italian beef in a black slow cooker

    Tips for perfect Slow cooker Italian Beef

    • Don't be afraid of the seasoning. It looks like a lot, but beef needs a lot of seasoning to make the flavors pop. Also don't be fooled by the simple seasonings.  They have big flavor!
    • Cook it on low all day if you can. High for 5 hours works too, but low and slow will yield the most tender beef.
    • Don't open the slow cooker.  Opening the slow cooker lets out all of the steam and lowers the temp. You will get a more tender Italian beef if you just let the slow cooker work without fussing with it.
    • If you are using hoagie buns, toast them first and use a thick bread.  All that juice meat needs a substantial bun to stand up to.

    Suggested side dishes

      • oven fries
      • cucumber and dill salad
      • garden salad
    shredded beef topped with peperoncini peppers on a hoagie bun. Salad in background on a white plate.
    Print Pin

    Slow cooker Italian beef

    Tender Italian shredded beef made in the slow cooker. Perfect for sandwiches or on its own.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword Italian beef, slow cooker
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 8 hours hours
    Total Time 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings 8
    Author Tara Buss

    Ingredients

    • 3 lb beef chuck roast
    • 2 tsp sea salt I love Redmond real salt
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 4 tsp Italian seasoning
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1 c. water

    Instructions

    • Place chuck roast in slow cooker along with water and seasonings.
    • Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
    • After elapsed time, shred beef with forks and remove any fat.
    • Serve by itself or on a toasted hoagie bun with provolone cheese and peperoncini peppers.

    Notes

    This produces fairly salty beef, but if you are concerned that it will be overly salty, start with 1 ½ tsp and add more after tasting at the end.

    Looking for more slow cooker recipes?

    • Pot roast, potatoes, and carrots
    • Split pea soup
    • Tomato soup
    • White chicken chili
    • Crockpot pinto beans
    • Beef stroganoff
    • Red beans and rice
    « How to save money on groceries
    60 easy and healthy slow cooker recipes »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Tara Buss headshot

    Hi, I'm Tara! Mom, wife, and frugal living expert. I believe you can feed your family well even when money and time are tight. Let me show you how.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Sack lunch ideas- no refrigeration
      50 Easy Sack Lunch Ideas (No Refrigeration)
    • Southern crockpot pinto beans
      Crockpot pinto beans
    • Homemade biscuits on a baking sheet
      Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe (Without Buttermilk)
    • baked potato topped with butter on a white plate
      16 Delicious Ways to Use Leftover Baked Potatoes

    Grab my E-book

    Eat well spend smart ebook

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Eat Well Spend Smart