Description
Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches are juicy, tangy, and packed with Chicago-style flavor thanks to tender chuck roast, pepperoncini, giardiniera, and a rich au jus.
Ingredients
3–4 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed into chunks
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4–6 garlic cloves, smashed
1.5 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup sliced pepperoncini + 1/2 cup brine
1/2 cup chopped giardiniera (plus more for serving)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil (for searing, optional)
To serve:
6–8 hoagie or Italian rolls
8–12 slices provolone or mozzarella
Instructions
1. Pat chuck roast dry, season, and sear in oil until browned on all sides, 6–8 min per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add onion, garlic, broth, Worcestershire, pepperoncini + brine, giardiniera, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook until fork-tender — 8–10 hrs on LOW or 4–5 hrs on HIGH.
4. Shred beef in the juices; let soak 20–30 min for flavor.
5. Toast rolls. For Chicago-style, dip cut side of rolls in hot jus.
6. Pile beef onto rolls, top with provolone or mozzarella, and serve with extra jus.
Notes
Use chuck roast for the best shredding texture.
Taste jus before adding salt; brines add plenty of seasoning.
Shred beef and let it soak back into juices for max flavor.
Toast rolls to prevent sogginess.
Store beef + jus together up to 5 days in fridge or 3 months frozen.
Reheat gently on stovetop, in slow cooker, or sous vide at 140°F.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 95