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 yields super flavorful and tender BBQ shredded beef that goes well with our Homemade BBQ Sauce.
It was a very bad day when my husband left the BBQ beef leftovers out overnight. I knew it was an accident but I REALLY liked these sandwiches and was REALLY looking forward to having them for lunch that day.
You’ll understand why I love these when you watch this short video of how these come together:
Ingredients
I know you’re going to love the simplicity of this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 (3 lb) boneless beef chuck roast
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups of this homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought version
That’s it!
Want to Make it in the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
What kind of BBQ sauce should I use?
I think the secret to this recipe is in the sauce.
The BBQ sauce that is. The homemade BBQ sauce that we have on our site is killer and a non-negotiable for this recipe in my opinion.
But, if you are in a crunch, I guess you can use your bottled BBQ sauce. I can’t promise you it will be worth getting mad at your husband over but I empower you to make choices for your own life. Just be sure to read the ingredients on BBQ Sauce. Some of them contain some nasty ingredients.
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 ONE: 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 TWO: 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!
Want more freezer-friendly Crockpot meals?
We have SO many to choose from in this roundup of 20+ Crockpot Freezer Meals. Make sure to hop over and browse around.
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
- Strawberry Avocado Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Boiled Baby Potatoes
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
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
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
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!
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.
I made this recipe as close to your instructions as possible (I had to fudge the seasoning a bit using what I had). The final result was a gloriously delicious smelling, easy freezer meal.
Using the 2 compartment ziplock food prep containers, I loaded the smaller side with beef, squirted a bit of extra BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s) and froze them overnight. In the morning, I added a big ole hamburger bun on the other side. I wasn’t sure if the bun would become soggy while the beef froze and didn’t want to risk it. I ended up with 6 freezer meals for my grateful father-in-law. We both thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Tammy! What a wonderful servant you are. Looks like you made several of our recipes for your father-in-law. Thank you for letting others know not only that you liked the recipes, but also how you took freezing them to another level with the extras in the 2-compartment containers.
Awesome love it
Thank you fry
★★★★★
Thanks Norma!
Quick question… I was going to omit the BBQ sauce so they can pour their own on the meat. If I do this is the meat going to be too dry??
The BBQ sauce helps add flavor and moisture to the meat as it cooks. However, you could add a little broth to the bottom of the cooker to help with moisture if you don’t want to add the BBQ sauce. I think it will still turn out fine.
I have this in my crockpot right now, but don’t have 8-10 hours. Lol can I cook this on high? If so for how long?
Sorry that I just saw this! Yes, you can cook on high for 4-5 hours (until it shreds easily). Hope it worked out!
Very easy and very tasty!
★★★★★
Great to hear that! Thanks for the review, Aneesha.
This was great, my third recipe that I’ve made from this site. (Also had the teriyaki shredded beef and insta-pot mashed potatoes). I’ll be searching for more here for sure! Thanks for posting great tasting recipes that are pretty easy/ quick to make.
★★★★★
We love hearing that, Katie. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!