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!
Watch How to Make It!
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 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 gluten free Italian Dressing Mix like Hy-Vee’s Good Graces brand, or Simply Organic. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix.
Add sliced pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of pepperoncini juice, and Chicago-Style Giardiniera which you can find in the olive/pickle aisle at the grocery store. I love Mezzetta brands for both, which is gluten free.
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 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 with two forks 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!
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Crock Pot Mojo Pork with Cuban-Style Black Beans
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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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 Italian salad dressing mix (see notes)
- 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.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- I like Simply Organic or Good Grace's gluten free Italian Dressing Mix. Good Season's Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix is a good option if you do not need to eat gluten free.
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, pepper rings, and Italian dressing mix really made the beef sing. SO GOOD. Hope you’ll give it a try sometime!
papapat (Pat) mucciante 07.25.2014
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.
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Novus 04.01.2014
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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wingert 03.09.2014
Love this. Excellent sandwiches and I found all the same ingredient at Fareway!
Lauren 02.27.2014
I looked today for the Chicago-style mix and was unable to find it. Wondering what a reasonable substitute might be?
Hayley 02.25.2014
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! :)
A Quijada 02.25.2014
If anyone has a world market in their town. I got it the mix there it’s by Marconi. Boom! Problem solved.
Amanda Q 02.24.2014
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?
Kelsey D. 05.07.2014
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 !
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Christopher B 02.22.2014
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.
Allison 02.18.2014
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!
Ed 02.13.2014
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.
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Kirsten 02.02.2014
TURNED OUT PERFECT! You were right. It just needed a couple more hours and it fell apart and shredded easily. Thank you.
Kristin 02.02.2014
Hooray! I’m so glad! :) Hope you enjoy the meal and the game!
Kirsten 02.02.2014
I’m panicking can you tell? I have people coming over today and I don’t have a back up meal.
Kirsten 02.02.2014
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?
Kristin 02.02.2014
The meat will stay in hunks until you shred it. You can always take one out and try to shred it!
Kirsten Young 02.02.2014
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!
Kristin 02.02.2014
If you doubled the recipe it will definitely need a few more hours – maybe 3 more? Maybe (hopefully!) 2?