Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are a 5-ingredient crock pot recipe version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. This easy dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser!
Last week I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends if they’d like to see a crock pot recipe on the blog this week. There were so many exclamation marks in the comments, which I took to mean, ‘heck yes!’ that I immediately started brainstorming.
Everyone knows crock pot recipes are a busy person’s best friend but many of them can be heavy and unappealing at times. While brainstorming a new and interesting crock pot combo I decided the recipe would have to meet the following criteria:
- Beef-based as I have exactly one beef crock pot recipe on the blog – Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce.
- Easy. Nobody likes crock pot recipes with several cooking steps before you even plug the dang thing in.
- Very delicious, unique, and not gloopy whatsoever.
With the aforementioned criteria in mind, I settled on Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches. A mouthwatering, 5-ingredient flavor combo that has just the right amount of zip and zing!
Chuck roast is slow cooked for 10 hours in a mixture of pepperoncini peppers, Giardiniera, Italian dressing mix, and beef broth then shredded and served on a chewy hoagie bun with melted provolone cheese. Crazy (CRAZY) good, and did I mention that it’s made with just 5 ingredients?!
Ben was skeptical about eating the crock pot version of one of his favorite sandwiches, which is typically made with thinly sliced beef. “Oh…I’ve never heard of a shredded Italian beef sandwich before…” he said in a tone that I knew meant, I am definitely going to hate this.
But guess what? He didn’t! While I stood eating the shredded beef straight out of the crock pot like the refined woman that I am, he inhaled an entire sandwich in under 2 minutes. That is to say, this dish was a total hit!
How to Make Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches:
Start by trimming any large pieces of fat off a 3lb chuck roast then cut the roast into seven or eight big hunks and place them in the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot.
Next sprinkle in a packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix. I like this pre-packaged mix because I recognize all the ingredients.
Edited to add: this mix is NOT gluten-free! Use a homemade Italian Dressing mix (halve or eliminate the salt called for in the recipe,) or look for a gluten free mix like Simply Organic.
Add 8oz sliced pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of pepperoncini juice plus 8oz Chicago-Style Giardiniera which you can find in the olive/pickle aisle at the grocery store.
I’d never had Chicago-style Giardiniera, a type of relish made with pickled olives and vegetables that’s packed in herbs and oils, but Ben insisted it go into this dish. I’m so glad he did because OH MY GOSH it is so good! It’s supposed to go over Italian beef sandwiches, but I could have eaten forkful after forkful all by itself.
Because it’s packed in oil though, which would add unnecessary fat to the dish, I scooped out the mix with a fork and let it drain away. You can get Giardiniera that’s packed in vinegar, but I found this style to be a real treat.
Finally, add a can of beef broth then place a lid on top of the crock pot and let it cook on low for 9 hours, or until the beef can be easily shredded with a fork.
Once the roast can be easily shredded with a fork, shred then slip the meat back into the slow cooker to cook in the juices for 1 more hour on low. Scoop the meat onto hoagie buns then slap a slice of provolone on top to melt from the heat of the beef. Serve with extra pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, and you’re set!
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Description
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are the 5-ingredient crock pot version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. This easy dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 3lb chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat and cut into large hunks
- 1 envelope Good Seasons Zesty Italian salad dressing mix (SEE NOTE FOR GF)
- 8oz pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice (plus extra for serving)
- 8oz Giardiniera (Chicago-Style Italian Sandwich Mix,) drained (plus extra for serving)
- 14.5oz can beef broth
- provolone cheese slices
- hoagie buns
Directions
- Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 5.5 - 6 quart crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up chuck roast pieces to get broth underneath. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred then place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Split buns in half then scoop the shredded meat mixture on top and add provolone cheese slices. Top with additional pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, if desired, then serve.
Notes
- I have this crock pot >
- Good Seasons Zesty Italian salad dressing mix is NOT gluten-free. Look for a homemade Italian Dressing Mix recipe (halve or eliminate salt called for in recipe,) or use a gluten free Italian Dressing Mix like Simply Organic.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes to date. Could not have been easier to make and the flavors from the pickled vegetables and pepper rings really made the beef sing. Let’s not forget that chewy hoagie bun either, which soaks up all the yummy juices. SO GOOD. Hope you’ll give it a try sometime!
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This sandwich looks delicious. It has got my husbands name all over it.
I made this yesterday, and it was delicious! So flavorful!
Definitely keeping a pin in this one.
I made this tonight and it was great. My bf went back for thirds it waw so good. Def making this again!
[…] – Breakfast – Baked French Breakfast Donuts – Dinner – Italian Beef, potato chips, apple […]
Zoo Wee Mama!! This was AWESOME!! I could not find the sandwich mix so I substituted some spicy peppers but all I can say is wow. When I gave a small sample to my husband in a ramekin bowl, he was literally drinking the broth. He said it was the best he ever had (and just ate it over rice) – I had the sandwich and it was fantastic.
First, let me start off by saying that I love your blog! Thanks for all the awesome recipes!
I’d been dying to try the Pioneer Woman’s recipe, but with cooking for two, I try not to make too much and have been having a hard time finding a small roast. I was curious about making it in the crock pot, then I saw your recipe.
I made this yesterday and it exceeded my expectations!
I made fries along with them, so while I was waiting for those to cook I wrapped the sandwiches in foil and baked them for about 5 minutes. The buns got steamy & the cheese melted nicely. Heavenly!
What hyvee did you buy the Chicago style mix at?! We can’t find it anywhere!
I’ll email you!
Looks great! I’m having trouble finding the sandwich topper too…I found some that is whole vegetables in vinegar. Should I just cut those up or leave them out all together? Love your blog! My husband loves everything I make of yours (at least a few a week!!) He thanks you :)
Yeah maybe try draining them then chopping up the veggies and throwing in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let me know how it turns out – I’d love to add a note to the recipe for others who can’t find the Giardiniera!
I’ve made several of your recipes recently and loved them, but this sandwich is over the top amazing! My husband already packed his lunch for tomorrow and is talking about how jealous his coworkers will be. Thanks for the awesome dinner!!
These were amazing! Better as leftovers!!
[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches […]
Thank you for an awesome crock pot recipe! It was a big hit tonight in our house.
[…] pot pulled [insert meat name here] sandwiches. The latest was Iowa Girl Eats’ italian beef sandwiches and they were […]
[…] Recipe: http://iowagirleats.com/2013/10/23/crock-pot-italian-beef-sandwiches/ […]
Hello – I want to try this recipe out this weekend but I can’t find the Mezzetta chicago-style Italian sandwich mix! Cub doesn’t carry it and I researched online for Target and Walmart grocery and it said it wasn’t carried there… any suggestions?? Thanks!
I would try looking in the olive bar section at your grocery store. If you still can’t find it, I’d just leave it out!
There are other brands, Bella is one of them. I find it in the pickle section. It’s packed in water, and it’s labeled California style, perhaps because its in water not oil? It’s not as good as the Chicago style when I can find it, but it is better than leaving it out!
We tried this last night and it was AMAZING. This is a keeper for sure!
[…] Italian Beef – http://iowagirleats.com/2013/10/23/crock-pot-italian-beef-sandwiches/ […]
I wanted to tell you that I made this recipe for just my husband and I knowing it would be too much food. Before I even served up the sandwiches, I scooped out enough meat and broth to make THIS recipe.
This Italian beef was so easy and wonderful, and then two days later we had another great meal with it! Thank you!
[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches | Iowa Girl Eats. […]
[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are a mouthwatering, slow-cooked version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. Just 5 ingredients in this hearty meal that’s perfect for half time. Check your grocery store’s olive bar for the Giardiniera mixture if you can’t find it in the pickle aisle. […]
This sounds perfect for Super Bowl. I agree, it’s all about the food.
Also, just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. I have tried many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. And being a mother of 2, I love reading about Lincoln. He is so adorable. And I enjoy watching him grow.
We rarely have beef in our home because I just always seem to cook it poorly. However, I tried this tonight because it seemed like the perfect thing to eat with playoff football. My fiance and i both loved it! Please do more crock pot recipes soon! They truly are sanity savers
It totally is the best food for playoff football! That’s why we made it too. And I couldn’t agree more about crock pot recipes!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME!! So delicious and couldn’t have been easier! Can’t wait to have (multiple days of) leftovers :)
Hey fellow Southerners – I just wanted to let everyone know you can find these ingredients (even same brands!) at Publix. I went to Whole Foods and Trader Joes first thinking I would have the best luck there and struck out so I decided to try Publix just to see and it was all there!
This is amazing! So easy, so good. It’s a family favorite now. Great for when you are not exactly sure of the precise time you will be eating. You can’t overcook it, it just gets better the longer it steeps in those juices.
Fixed these tonight and we LOVED them! I fix a lot of recipes from Iowa Girl Eats, and this one may be our favorite. Thanks so much for sharing it!
[…] adapted from Iowa Girl Eats Tweet Pin […]
Can I cook this recipe on high? If so, how long? This recipe looks delicious but I don’t feel like waking at up 6AM to make this dish in time for the superbowl to start:-)
Hey Rose! This cut of beef really does best cooked low and slow. It wouldn’t come out as tender if it were cooked on high, unfortunately!
I, like many others, had problems finding the Mezzetta Chicago-style Italian sandwich mix. First, let me say I live in St Louis. So, I knew from the giddy up it would be difficult finding anything label “Chicago style” on it. LOL
After five grocery stores, I hit pay dirt! In the pickle/olive/relish section I found a spicy pizza topping named Alpino. It has all the name ingredients and even made in Chi-town! I also found from the same company, same exact ingredients but, a smaller jar labeled muffuletta.
I could not for the life of me find the Chicago-style sandwich mix in the grocery store so I am using the regular giardiniera… I hope it turns out just as good! Will report back!
I have a question that I hope you can answer quickly! I have been cooking for mine for 9 hours so far on low and I still have the original large chunks of the beef. It is a chuck roast and I did trim the large sections of fat off the roast. I had about 10-12 chunks. It does not seem to want to shred at all and the meat seems like it’s cooked through. I followed your recipe but doubled the recipe. Do you think it needs to cook longer or is it already overcooked and that’s why it won’t shred? NEED HELP QUICK….It’s in the crock pot now!
If you doubled the recipe it will definitely need a few more hours – maybe 3 more? Maybe (hopefully!) 2?
Thanks for getting back to me so quick. So you just think it needs to cook longer? The meat just is not cooked enough? It seems cooked though. Is that how it is (still in chunks) before it falls apart and shreds?
The meat will stay in hunks until you shred it. You can always take one out and try to shred it!
I’m panicking can you tell? I have people coming over today and I don’t have a back up meal.
TURNED OUT PERFECT! You were right. It just needed a couple more hours and it fell apart and shredded easily. Thank you.
Hooray! I’m so glad! :) Hope you enjoy the meal and the game!
[…] Italian Beef Sandwiches […]
[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches […]
So utterly fantastic, and yet so easy.
Originally I thought it would be a pain to shred the beef, but after 9 hours on low, it picked apart so easily.
I used hot Giardiniera for a little extra spiciness. It is delicious and not too overpowering at all. (Just right.)
Thanks for an awesome recipe.
I ‘ve made this twice now. Love love LOVE it! We love spicy . . . I also whipped together done jalapeno mayo to spread on the rolls first. Hubby couldn’t get enough!
This sounds wonderful. I just made this using a recipe I got from my girlfriend last week. Her’s omits the Italian dressing mix and instead uses garlic, a couple Tbsp. of onion powder, Italian seasoning, a Tbsp of fennel seeds, and a Tbsp of anise extract… which I think is WAY too much. In addition to the beef broth, it calls for adding an entire jar of banana peppers… I prefer them whole… complete with all the juice from the jar for the last hour or so.
The fennel seeds add a nice flavor to the beef, though I found the anise extract kind of over does things and results in too much of a licorice flavor.
My girlfriend’s recipe calls for using the Italian seasonings available in the spice section as someone mentioned above, rather than the Italian dressing mix. But the mix sounds very good and I’ll use it next time.
Since first trying giardiniera a year or so ago, I have become an absolute giardiniera FREAK. ha. I LOVE the stuff, and tell everyone I can about it. I try it on many different things and it adds such a wonderful blast of flavor that’s strong but subtle at the same time. Love the whole vinegary, salty, crunchy veggies thing. Can’t be beat. Like you, I could eat it on it’s own.
I’ve tried several brands and each is different. Some use olive oil, others use vegetable oil. I ended up preferring good old Vienna Beef brand, which is THE Chicago style giardiniera. I also prefer mild, as the stuff packs a great flavor blast without any heat needed.
One great option is that, at least at my store, it comes in both regular, with medium sized chunks of veggies, and a relish version with the same stuff, only chopped smaller. I’ve started using the relish version as topping on Italian beef sandwiches because you can get more mixed in there and it also tends to stay in place on the sandwich a little better.
I also like to use “Better Than Bouillon” brand bouillon paste. It’s very salty, but great flavor and you can make it as strong as you wish.
I plan to try this recipe and add some garlic and onion powder and some fennel seeds and see how it comes out.
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I live in Tucson AZ and I can’t find this “mix” anywhere! I work full time at a fire dept. and I have to cook tomorrow for my crew.
Thought this would be a good choice. Now I’m just panicking. What do I add to substitute or make something comperable to this mix?
Amanda- You are in luck. I have started a business selling giardiniera out in Arizona. AJ’s fine foods actually carries our brand called Kelsey D’s Giardiniera. I know it is a little late but at least you know for next time. Also if you are interested we can sell it to you by the gallon, so that you can keep it at the fire station for sandwiches, pizza, etc. Just contact us on our website http://www.Kelsey-ds.com !
If anyone has a world market in their town. I got it the mix there it’s by Marconi. Boom! Problem solved.
This beef was so delicious! I wasn’t able to find the Chicago-style mix, so I used the Vlasic Farmer’s Garden Zesty Garlic mix. It’s carrots, peppers, and pickles, so not quite the same, but I chopped up the veggies in small pieces and put in a splash of that juice, too. Super tasty! :)
I looked today for the Chicago-style mix and was unable to find it. Wondering what a reasonable substitute might be?
Love this. Excellent sandwiches and I found all the same ingredient at Fareway!
[…] View the Full Recipe Preparation Instructions […]
My giardiniera turned into gross mushy slime. If I make this again, I wouldn’t add it to the crockpot until the last hour or so of cooking.
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[…] Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches from Iowa Girl Eats […]
I ran a beef stand in Chicago.. I am now in Denver.
Needless to say I am horny for a good Italian Beef. So I think you have a great recipe. But I think I may try it with a pressure cooker. Should take about 45 minutes. And the meat will be infused with all the flavors. (I think) LOL. Thanks for your posting.