Description
This Best Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Recipe features tender, flavorful beef cooked low and slow in a slow cooker with aromatic herbs, spices, garlic, and onions. Perfect for serving over noodles, mashed potatoes, or as a filling for sandwiches, tacos, or burritos, this recipe ensures melt-in-your-mouth texture with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Meat
- 4 – 5 lbs. boneless chuck roast (from 2 roasts)
Seasonings & Aromatics
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 really large yellow onion, sliced (or two small onions)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat: Remove the chuck roast(s) from their packaging and use a fork to stab a few holes on all sides. This allows the seasonings to penetrate the meat more deeply as it cooks.
- Season the meat: Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, then rub this mixture all over the meat, coating it evenly. This helps to tenderize and flavor the beef.
- Apply dry seasonings: Sprinkle the meat evenly on all sides with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, and garlic powder to build layers of flavor.
- Layer in the slow cooker: Place half of the sliced onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the roast on top, including any juices or drippings from the cutting board. Sprinkle the sliced garlic cloves over the roast, then top with the remaining onions.
- Slow cook the beef: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork. If after 8 hours on low the beef isn’t tender enough, continue cooking for an additional 1-2 hours.
- Shred and serve: Remove the roast from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to pull the beef apart into shreds. Serve immediately with the cooking juices over noodles, mashed potatoes, or use as filling for sandwiches, tacos, or burritos.
Notes
- Using a slow cooker ensures the beef becomes very tender without supervision.
- Lemon juice helps break down the meat fibers making the beef more tender.
- Feel free to customize seasoning to your preference by adding smoked paprika or cumin for extra depth.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- For a thicker sauce, remove the meat once shredded and reduce the cooking liquid on the stove before mixing back in.