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!
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Last week I asked myFacebookandTwitterfriends 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 knowscrock pot recipesare a busy person’s best friend but many of them can be heavy and unappealing at times. While brainstorminga new and interesting crock pot combo I decided the recipe would have to meet the following criteria:
- Beef-based as I have exactlyone beefcrock 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 ashreddedItalian 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 roastthen 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.
Addsliced pepperoncini peppersplus a splash of pepperoncini juice, andChicago-Style Giardinierawhich 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, atype of relish made with pickled olives and vegetablesthat’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.
Becauseit’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 thenplace 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
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- 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
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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
serves 6
- 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.
Adapted from Pioneer Woman
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!
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494 Comments
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I love this recipe and make it for my family of six all the time! But I wanted to make it for my extended family when we go to the beach this summer and will need about 20 pounds of meat. Obviously, this will not work in a crockpot. How would I go about cooking it on the stove? At what temperature and for how long before I try to shred it? Please help.
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This stuff was awesome! And trust me being raised in Chicago I know a good Italian beef sandwich. Unfortunately where I currently live down south they have some crazy versions of a true Chicago style Italian beef. Won’t be trying any more of those when they can be so much healthier and better tasting. Great job!!!
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Bryan 05.19.2024
Our family likes looking for new recipes to cook or grill and there are so many delicious looking recipes here. The Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches looks so good and easy to make, we can’t wait to try. Thanks for sharing!
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Absolutely love this. I pepper the meat but don’t salt it, and use low sodium broth. I pour some of the broth in first, so you don’t have to lift up the meat. If using Packaged provolone, thin sliced melts faster.
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Hi! I by accident bought pork shoulder butt instead of chuck roast. Can I use that in the recipe instead of chuck roast?
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Can I cook this recipe on high? And if so for how long? Would the beef be less tender?
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They have changed the name of the Mezzetta spread mix, here is the new name, Mezzetta Italian Olive Salad & Sandwich Spread, I checked their website.
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Hey Rob! This is the Mezzetta Chicago-style Giardiniera this recipe uses: https://www.mezzetta.com/products/chicago-style-italian-sandwich-mix-mild-giardiniera
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Oh nooo – here’s a link to the product on the Mezzetta website! https://www.mezzetta.com/products/chicago-style-italian-sandwich-mix-mild-giardiniera
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Walmart is where I found the Mezzetta brand here locally, but it was renamed Mezzetta Italian Olive Salad & Sandwich Spread, 16 fl oz Jar for $4.78 Also I saw the exact same thing under a different name in another link, but that’s what I found near me. They did sell at Walmart online the exact name & bottle as it appears in this recipe photo, but it was $26.78 for a case & another $13 shipping, I’ve never found a single Jar with the exact name of Mezzetta Chicago Style Italian Sandwich Mix, even on their own website.
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Hy Vee no longer has the packet & Simply organic is impossible to find. I bought everything already so I’m going to have to try bottled dressing but expecting too much oil/fat even w/ a good trim of the roast. Could tweak your recipe using individual ingredients instead of an impossible to find packet? (An online search of a copycat recipe is overwhelming 10-15 ingredients, gotta be something easier!)
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I have made this recipe many times for my family. I want to know how much to make to feed a crowd of about 25 people. Could you help me with this? Thanks!
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I’ve played with this recipe several times. First, I did exactly as written. I didn’t drain the gardeneria. Bad move. Added too much oil to the mixture.
After the first attempt, my wife suggested I leave the finished product in the refrigerator overnight and skim off the fat that had risen to the top. She’s not a fan of grease/fat, but personally I think it adds greatly to the flavor. The mixture also was too salty. Next time I used low sodium broth. Much better. I’m making the sandwiches as I write now. I couldn’t believe the gardeneria. . It had four huge crowns of cauliflower which took up most of the space in the jar. Next time, I’ll save the money and make my own. I do now add a few skinny slices of green peppers and add a few slices of banana peppers.
All in all, it’s a great recipe! Very tasty!!Reply
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hi, i'm kristin!
I’m a Midwestern wife and Mama, and after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013 I began sharing delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Welcome!
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