Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
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A crowd-pleasing dinner doesn’t get much easier than our Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches, which is a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe. The cooking method and spice mixture yield super flavorful and tender BBQ shredded beef that goes well with our Homemade BBQ Sauce.
“I just made this recipe for my husband’s Friday night fellowship group. There were a dozen hungry guys and they ate all 5 pounds of beef!. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!” – Susan
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- It’s EASY! Simply season the beef and cook it in the slow cooker with Homemade BBQ Sauce (or whatever your favorite store-bought brand is).
- It’s freezer-friendly. Shredded beef is a great recipe to double and freeze before cooking. You can also fully cook it and freeze it in small portions.
- It feeds a lot of people. One of the many reasons we love this Big Batch Recipe. When served on buns, this recipe can easily feed 10+ people. Here are 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for a Crowd if you want more idea
- It’s a Dump & Go Recipe. We know people love those!
- It can also be made in the Instant Pot. Try our Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Beef.
Ingredients
Only a few ingredients are needed to make this pot of melt-in-your-mouth sandwich filling.
Ingredient Notes:
BBQ Sauce – You can make homemade BBQ Sauce or use store-bought. We use this on our Crockpot BBQ Drumsticks as well.
Chuck Roast – An affordable beef cut from the shoulder, neck, and upper arm, transforms into tender, juicy perfection when slow-cooked in a crockpot. Opt for grass-fed beef for better nutrition, with a healthier fat profile.
Want to make it in the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot BBQ Beef SandwichesHow to Make BBQ Beef in the Slow Cooker
Here’s the quick and dirty overview for making shredded beef in the Crock Pot. See the recipe below for more details.
Step 1: Make dry rub with your seasonings.
Step 2: Pat the meat dry and toss with the seasonings in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Pour 1 cup BBQ sauce over the top.
Step 4: Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5.
Step 5: Shred the meat and stir back into the sauce.
Step 6: Serve the meat on toasted buns with more BBQ sauce.
How long do I cook a chuck roast in the slow cooker?
Great question! After testing hundreds (yes hundreds) of recipes for our cookbooks, we have really honed in on how long it takes to cook beef in the slow cooker.
For this particular cut of meat, you’ll want to cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds. We’ve written a whole post dedicated to how long to cook roast in the Crock Pot if you want to read more.
How to Freeze BBQ Beef Sandwiches
BBQ Beef makes a great freezer meal. You can prep it ahead and freeze before cooking OR you can fully cook it and freeze AFTER cooking. Both options work great.
FREEZER MEAL OPTION 1: Place the seasoned roast and the BBQ sauce in a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze. Freeze the buns alongside the roast. When you want to eat it, thaw it in the fridge for 24-48 hours and then follow the cooking instructions.
FREEZER MEAL OPTION 2: Follow all of the cooking instructions and let cooked meat cool. Freeze the buns alongside the roast. I like to freeze the fully cooked meat into smaller portions to have for lunches. Just an idea!
What to Serve With BBQ Beef Sandwiches?
These sandwiches work both in the summer and winter. Here are some side dish ideas that would go well with them.
- Corn on the Cob
- Oven Baked Steak Fries
- Coleslaw for Pulled Pork or Asian Slaw
- Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
Recipe FAQs
Chuck roast is a popular choice for BBQ shredded beef due to its rich flavor and ability to become tender when slow-cooked. Other options include brisket or short ribs.
Yes, you can make BBQ shredded beef ahead of time and freeze it for later use. Be sure to store it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and it should stay good for several months.
BBQ shredded beef is versatile and can be used in various dishes. Serve it on sandwich buns, over rice, in tacos, on nachos, or as a topping for baked potatoes. It’s a great addition to mac and cheese, too!
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
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Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches are worth the wait. So much delicious flavor from this slow cooker dish!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (3 lb) boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 1/2 cups of this homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought version
- 8–10 whole wheat hamburger buns
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Instructions
Make It Now
- In a small bowl, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper together.
- Rub the meat with the seasoning and place in the slow cooker.
- Pour BBQ sauce over the meat.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef easily shreds.
- Using two forks, shred the beef.
- Remove excess liquid and serve on whole wheat buns.
Freeze For Later
Rub the seasoning over the meat and place in a gallon-size freezer bag. Pour the BBQ sauce over the meat, press the air out of the bag, and freeze next to a bag of wheat buns.
Prepare From Frozen
Let meat thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Cook in slow cooker as directed. Let buns thaw at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Trim off as much excess fat as you can, or ask your butcher to do it for you.
- Freeze fully-cooked meat in small portions for easy lunches down the road.
- Try not to lift the lid of the Crock Pot while cooking!
Hello, so basically you can use anything between a 3 pound and 5 pound roast depending on how many you’re feeding? If you use a 3 pound roast and regular sized hamburger buns, rather than slider buns, approximately how many sandwiches does it make? Thank you!!
Hi Julie. A 3-pound roast will yield 8-10 hamburger bun sized sandwiches. Hope that helps!
Hello! What size of chuck roast is this recipe for? As in how many pounds? Thank you!
Hi Monica. The recipe card says to use a 3 lb. roast. I’ve generally found that a half a pound one over or under doesn’t hurt anything. Hope that helps!
My family LOVED this. My daughter called it “birthday meal” worthy. Was in a pinch, so did a store-bought sauce. We used Stubbs mesquite flavor. Served it with Polly and Rachel’s 5 ingredient coleslaw which is always a winner and used the honey wheat hawaiian rolls.
Birthday Meal worthy is high praise around here! So glad your daughter enjoyed it so much. The Hawaiian rolls and 5-ingredient coleslaw are a hit at my house as well… seems to take it up a notch. 🙂 Thanks for taking time to leave a review.