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Our Italian Beef recipe is one of our favorite meals to make in the slow cooker! The meat is so juicy and flavorful and it’s perfect on a sandwich roll. Just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep!
I can’t lie to you guys. Sometimes I feel like a total weirdo with the recipes I share here.
For example, the grape jelly meatballs? That recipe has been around forever. My mama was eating those meatballs in the 70s. Then I come along and put it on the internet like it’s a new thing? Weird.
But, the fact is, many of you had never tried those meatballs and now you have and so my job here is done.
Goodbye forever.
Oh wait, no! I forgot. I have another recipe like that. It’s my Italian beef sandwich recipe. Nope, it’s probably nothing super new. Many people probably make their Italian beef just like this. But oh man. It’s a favorite.
That said, I’m aware that this recipe is totally going to get me hate mail, because “this isn’t even a recipe, it’s just a bunch of packaged crap in a crockpot.”
Then I’ll get told, “you didn’t make this up, my mom has been making this my whole life.”
But! I’m happy to risk it, because this is also a recipe that is going to get me comments like “my whole family loved this, THANK YOU!” <— Those are the people I’m trying to reach right now, k?
Much like my French dip sandwich and chicken and dumplings, this is a super easy dump and go sort of crockpot meal. Love recipes like this!
♥ What We Love About This Recipe For Italian Beef:
- Flavor: Slow cooked Italian beef is all about the flavor! Chuck roast is a tough cut of meat but it turns out super tender and flavorful after slow cooking. The Italian seasoning and banana peppers also add big flavor.
- Crowd Pleaser: We’re using a 3 to 4 pound chuck roast and that makes a lot of Italian beef for sandwiches! This makes it an excellent choice for large family gatherings or parties. You’ll likely have leftovers. See below for suggestions on how to use those up!
- Easy Peasy: This is one of those dump and go recipes! Just add everything to the crockpot and let the magic happen. When you’re ready to eat, shred the meat and make your sandwiches.
Ingredient Notes:
Chuck Roast – Chucke roast is a fatty cut of meat that can be tough if you don’t cook it properly. Luckily for us, low and slow turns it nice and tender. If your roast isn’t shredding easily, it’s just not done cooking.
Italian Dressing Mix – I’m adding two envelopes, or packets, of Italian dressing mix. Think ranch dressing mix, but for Italian dressing! You’ll find this in the salad dressing aisle.
Banana Peppers – We love these mild peppers for adding flavor without adding heat. Pepperoncini peppers could be used here in place of banana peppers, much like we do in our Mississippi pot roast.
Sandwich Rolls – You can use pretty much any type of sandwich roll, hoagie, or bun that you’d like to make the slow cooker Italian beef sandwiches! We like a sturdy, crusty French roll best.
Provolone Cheese – Our favorite cheese for topping Italian beef sandwiches! It gets perfectly melty and the flavor goes well with the spicy beef. You could use Swiss or other cheeses here instead if you have a preference.
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
Step by Step Instructions:
Add the chuck roast, seasoning, and peppers to the crockpot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Shred the beef with two forks. Remove some of the juice to a small bowl for dipping sandwiches.
Fill the rolls with the shredded beef and top with cheese and extra peppers.
Pro Tip!
We like to dip our sandwiches in the liquid from the slow cooker. For the best results, strain the liquid and use a fat separator to remove the excess fat.
You can either dip it just like it is or you can boil the liquid for a bit to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors.
Serving Suggestions:
This crockpot Italian beef is perfect for sandwiches but there are lots of other great uses for it too. This makes a lot so you can serve sandwiches one day and use the leftovers for your next meal.
Stuffed Peppers: Stuff some bell peppers with leftover Italian beef, cooked rice, shredded cheese, and diced tomatoes. Bake until tender!
Nachos: Spread the Italian beef over tortilla chips, top with your choice of cheese (we like shredded swiss cheese!) and sprinkle on extra peppers.
Pasta: Stir the leftover beef and some of the juice into cooked egg noodles. This will be similar to our beef and noodles.
Quesadilla: Add shredded cheese and Italian beef to a tortilla and cook over medium heat in a buttered skillet until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melty.
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
You can keep any leftover crock pot Italian beef stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave.
You can freeze this Italian beef recipe too! Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container. You can store it with or without the juice, or store the juice separately.
Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs:
It mostly comes down to the ingredients used when preparing the beef. Italian beef is prepared with Italian seasonings and peppers. Our French Dip is made with beef consomme, Au Jus gravy mix, and French onion soup.
Chuck roast is traditionally used for Italian beef and it is our favorite cut. It’s got so much flavor and just the right amount of fat.
We love these saucy Italian beef sandwiches with a side of french fries, but they also go well with a side salad, roasted veggies, or a pasta salad.
More Crockpot Recipes:
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound chuck roast
- 2 packets Italian dressing seasoning see notes
- 16 ounces mild banana peppers from a jar
- 8 sandwich rolls
- 16 slices provolone cheese
- extra banana peppers for serving
Instructions
- Place chuck roast, Italian dressing seasoning, and banana peppers (with juice) into a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. When the meat is tender enough to easily shred, it's done cooking. If the meat is tough, continue cooking until tender.
- Shred meat with two forks and place on sandwich rolls. Remove some of the juice from the crockpot to small bowls for dipping the sandwiches.
- Top with cheese and extra banana peppers, if desired.
Stacey Smith says
I’ve made this off and on over the years and I love it! ??
Karly Campbell says
So glad you enjoy the recipe!
John Craig says
I have made this many times, but I only put one Italian seasoning packet and a 32 ounce jar of banana peppers with the juice. Next time I’ll try the 2 Italian packets instead on one.
Jenny says
Making this tomorrow for dinner, excited to try it. Just wondering if there’s any kind of sauce that you would recommend putting on it? I.e mayo
Karly says
My husband does sometimes add mayo, but the rest of us don’t. It’s pretty saucy on it’s own from cooking in the liquid, so we don’t think anything else is necessary. 🙂
Jenny says
So so so good!! I took some suggestions from the comments and I also shredded it before the 8 hour mark and then let it simmer for awhile. I also put jalapeños on my sandwich for a little kick
Janey says
Could this be made with chicken?
Karly says
Hmm, I haven’t tried that. I think it’d be good, though!
Janice says
I have been making this for YEARS with chicken. My aunt used to make it for parties. She did it in one of those big roasters but only used the Chicken and Banana peppers. Juice and all!! ALWAYS a hit at my parties. Did not shred, but served with rice. I’m sure it can be shredded if boneless chicken is used. and doctored with other things, also….onions, bell peppers, etc. if desired.
Karly says
Delicious! 🙂
Joe says
I’ve seen some recipes that add beef broth and cook on hugh for 7 hours? Is a little beef broth a good idea or no?
Karly says
Hi Joe!
It won’t hurt anything to add broth to the slow cooker, but I generally never do. The meat releases so much juice that it’s not necessary, but go ahead and add it if you like. 🙂
Jennifer says
I made this today with a rib eye, because it was on sale. When I took the meat out to shred it, I added 1 tablespoon of butter mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour to the liquid to give it a bit of body. Thanks for a super simple, super delicious recipe! This is a keeper!