Slow Cooker Pulled Beef (Printable)
Tender slow-cooked shredded beef paired with crisp, tangy slaw on soft sandwich buns.
# What You Need:
→ Pulled Beef
01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed
02 - 1 large yellow onion, sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup beef broth
05 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
06 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
07 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
08 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
09 - 1 tbsp smoked paprika
10 - 1 tsp ground cumin
11 - 1 tsp chili powder
12 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 tsp salt
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Slaw
15 - 4 cups shredded green cabbage
16 - 1 cup shredded carrots
17 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
18 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
19 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
20 - 2 tsp honey
21 - 1/2 tsp celery seed (optional)
22 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Assembly
23 - 6 sandwich buns or rolls
24 - Additional barbecue sauce (optional)
# How To Cook:
01 - Pat the beef chuck roast dry and season evenly with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.
03 - Place sliced onions and minced garlic at the bottom of the slow cooker, then set the seared roast on top.
04 - Combine beef broth, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Pour mixture over the beef. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until beef is very tender.
05 - Remove beef from slow cooker. Shred using two forks and return meat to the pot, mixing with the juices.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, celery seed, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add shredded cabbage and carrots; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.
07 - Pile pulled beef onto sandwich buns, drizzle with extra barbecue sauce if desired, and top with prepared slaw. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beef becomes impossibly tender and flavorful with almost zero effort on your part.
- It feeds a crowd without requiring your attention for hours, leaving you free to do literally anything else.
- That crisp, tangy slaw cuts through the richness perfectly, making every bite feel fresh and balanced.
02 -
- Don't skip the searing step—it's the difference between okay pulled beef and the kind people remember and ask about.
- The beef will look fragile when you pull it apart, but that's exactly right; if it's shredding easily, the collagen has done its job.
- Make the slaw no more than a few hours ahead or the cabbage will get too soft and lose that satisfying crunch.
03 -
- Let the seared beef rest for a minute after browning before adding it to the slow cooker—carryover cooking continues the browning and improves texture.
- If your finished beef tastes a bit watered down, skim off the excess fat and simmer the liquid down in a skillet for a few minutes to concentrate the flavor.