Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Beef

Jump to Recipe

Imagine you could spend 5 minutes throwing things into a pan, then come back 8 hours later and that’s your dinner all ready for you. You can! Yay for slow cookers. I don’t use mine a ton, but every couple of weeks or so it really saves my life. I like using mine especially with dishes using beef or chicken. You end up with the most tender meat (I see you lamb shanks). This beef chili is another great example of a family pleasing slow cooker meal. Both of the above can also be made in a regular stove top or oven, but it’s kind of fun to just set it and forget it, like you do with this slow cooker pulled bbq beef.

This recipe came about when I had a couple of friends coming over for a game night. I don’t usually like cooking Friday nights (that’s the start of our weekend here in the Middle East), but we had a streak of disappointing delivery orders. This time, I wanted us to eat good food. So I made it myself! it barely counted as cooking anyway, so my Friday relaxation was still intact. I adapted it from The Real Food RD’s website, and it came out perfectly.

The Cast of Ingredients

You have boneless beef chuck roast which will cook up all tender and soft and shred perfectly. An onion that’s sliced up and softens and glazes as the meat cooks. Tomato paste, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar (ends up tasting kind of like a less cloyingly sweet version of tangy bbq sauce). Of course, your spices. You’ll use garlic power, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and chili powder. Don’t confuse chili powder for cayenne pepper. I did that once and barely lived to tell the tale.

Note, if you can’t find chili powder in the supermarket (Typical in Bahrain), at the bottom of the recipe I have a note on how to easily make your own. I have my homemade mix stored on my spice shelf now and it always comes in handy.

Browning the meat?

In the original recipe, they give you the option of browning the meat before putting it in the slow cooker. Browning the meat is a great way to lock in the flavor and juiciness. In the spirit of a complete no fuss meal, I completely ignored this option. Let me tell you, I did not miss it. I think more than enough flavor and juiciness comes through with the slow cooking of the meat to compensate for anything extra you’d get by browning the meat. Plus, I didn’t want the whole house to smell like meat and didn’t want the extra dishes so that’s my reasoning behind it anyway!

Set it and forget it.

All you need to do is combine all the ingredients, cook on low heat for 8-10 hours until cooked through and tender. Remove the meat, shred it with two forks, then return it to the sauce and onions. That’s it! To serve, you have several options. I heaped it on toasted buttered burger buns, with some ready made coleslaw and pickles and we loved it like that. For a healthier option, this would make an awesome loaded sweet potato. I had leftovers on top of spelt spaghetti and I swear it made for the best meal!