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Home » Main Dish » Slow Cooker » Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef

Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef

By Valerie · March 10, 2020 18 Comments

CP Slow Cooker MD Main Dish
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Pile this Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef on toasted buns for an easy busy day dinner. Your slow cooker will help you create the flavors of summer anytime of year!

A close up of a sandwich on a plate.

It’s March, you know, the time of year when we have blue, sunny skies and 70 degree weather. When we wear flip flops, and shorts, and t-shirts and frolic in the sun.

Okay, maybe that’s going a bit far but it has been so sunny and gorgeous here in Oregon for the past couple of days. I’ve been sharing the gorgeousness on my Instagram stories and I hope you’ll follow along.

Unfortunately, I’ve been holed up inside my house working all day, not frolicking, but I’ve made an effort to get my sad, pale self outside as much as possible to bask in the sun. Have you ever watched a cat in a sunny spot? That’s me. Despite everything we all know about sun exposure, I crave it like chocolate and coffee.

A Barbecue Beef Sandwich with a slow cooker in the background.

Since this completely inappropriate but gorgeous weather started, I have been craving barbecue. My food clock has been set to summer.

Instead of standing out in the dark with a flashlight over my grill, I opted to put together some finger lickin’ good barbecue sauce, pour it over a chuck roast in my slow cooker and let it go all day. It totally and completely hit the spot and I highly recommend you try it – pronto!

Shredded BBQ Beef in a slow cooker.

How to Make Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef

We start by adding a diced slice of bacon to a large saucepan. Cook and stir the bacon until it has rendered a bit of fat and is slightly browned. Adding a little bacon at the beginning of the process will add great flavor and that unique smokiness that only bacon brings.

Next you’ll add diced onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until softened.

Two in process images of the homemade BBQ sauce being prepared in a skillet on the stove.

The remaining barbecue sauce ingredients are added – ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme, cumin, paprika, and fresh ground pepper. I like to add a touch of cayenne pepper for a little kick but this is totally optional.

Combine all this good stuff and allow it to simmer while you prepare your 3 to 4 pound chuck roast.

Two in process images showing the chunks of chuck roast added to the Crock-Pot and the homemade BBQ sauce being poured over the top.

Cut the roast down into 5 or 6 chunks and trim as much fat as you can from the edges of each piece. This task will result in a cleaner barbecue sauce and is well worth the effort.

Pour that luscious sauce you just made over the beef, cover the Crock-Pot and set to either low or high, depending on when you need it.

Now walk away, forget about it, and go on with your day.

Two in process images showing the tender beef being shredded by two forks.

After 7 to 9 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high, the beef will be fork tender and ready to shred right into that beautiful sauce.

Tongs load up a toasted sandwich bun with shredded Slow Cooker BBQ Beef.

Toast those Buns!

One of the easiest ways to ruin a good juicy sandwich like Barbecue Beef is to serve it on soft rolls that have not been toasted. In order to ensure that your rolls will hold up, place them on a baking sheet and toast them in a 400 degree F oven for a few minutes, watching closely to be sure they don’t burn.

An overhead shot of a Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef Sandwich with a slow cooker in the background.

The flavor of this made from scratch sauce is incredible, friends…

Coleslaw is layered over the top of shredded BBQ Beef on a toasted bun.

I serve this Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef on rolls with coleslaw but this is versatile stuff.

It is also spectacular served over the top of mashed potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes, with lots of the barbecue sauce drizzled over the top.

Craving more? Another slow cooker sandwich favorite – Crock-Pot French Dip Sandwiches.

This post was originally published on January 12, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.

A close up image of Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef on a sandwich bun with coleslaw with overlay text.

A close up of a sandwich on a plate.

Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef

Pile this Crock-Pot Barbecue Beef on toasted buns for an easy busy day dinner. Your slow cooker will help you create the flavors of summer anytime of year!
0 from 0 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
0 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 528kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 slice thick sliced bacon diced
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste (optional)
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 3 pound chuck roast cut into large chunks and trimmed of excess fat

Instructions

  • Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and place over MEDIUM heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the diced onion and cook and stir for another minute or two, or until the onion begins to soften. Turn heat to LOW. Add the garlic. Continue to cook and stir for just a minute or two. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne (if using), and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and allow to simmer over LOW heat while preparing the chuck roast.
  • Cut the chuck roast down into 5 or 6 chunks. Trim and discard as much of the excess fat from the edges as possible.
  • Place the chunks of roast in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the roast and cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 7 hours or until easy to shred.
  • At end of cooking time, use two forks to shred the beef into the sauce in the Crock-Pot.
  • Serve on sandwich rolls or over the top of mashed potatoes.

Notes

To toast sandwich rolls, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sandwich rolls, open-faced, on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes, just until lightly golden brown and toasted.

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 1141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 592IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 6mg
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Categories: Beef, Main Dish, Recipe, Sandwiches, Slow Cooker

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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  1. Dawn says

    February 23, 2021 at 5:20 pm

    Thank you for a great recipe! It was something the whole family liked and very easy! If I wanted it to be spicier what would you suggest?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      February 23, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      I’ve got this in my slow cooker as I type this. Great minds think alike 🙂 For a spicier result, just up the amount of cayenne. I’d try 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon and go from there.

      Reply
  2. Tracey says

    June 29, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Hello Valerie,

    I made this last weekend and it was delicious. I made it exactly as written and everyone raved! Thank you for another great recipe.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 1, 2016 at 5:16 pm

      That’s fantastic, Tracey! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂

      Reply
  3. Michelle says

    March 25, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    This was so tasty. I made the BBQ sauce last weekend, my husband put it all in the crock pot this morning, and it was ready for dinner when I walked in the door. The whole house smelled like bbq, and it tasted beyond excellent, the sauce is insanely good!
    I will DEFINITELY make this again, and again, and again…
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      March 25, 2015 at 6:04 pm

      Hi Michelle. I’m so glad to hear it worked out so well for you! That sauce gets me every time 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback.

      Reply
  4. Nancy says

    July 25, 2014 at 4:16 pm

    This bbq beef is incredibly delicious! This is my first time to make pulled beef using a chuck roast — always used a pork butt in the past. I will definitely make this delicious dish again. Now the hard part — use it in a sandwich or over mashed potatoes. : )

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 26, 2014 at 2:47 pm

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Nancy! I loooove it over mashed potatoes!

      Reply
  5. Linda says

    August 16, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    We ate this with Becky, Terry and Amaya. We enjoyed it very much and so easy to fix!

    Reply
  6. Beth Michelle says

    January 13, 2012 at 2:39 am

    Mmmm this looks so delicious! Perfect comfort food.

    Reply
  7. nicole {sweet peony} says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:57 pm

    hey valerie! thank you so much for nominating me for this award… you are too sweet! i feel very honored to have received this from you 🙂 thanks again!!! xoxo

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      January 13, 2012 at 9:02 am

      You’re welcome Nicole. Love your blog!

      Reply
  8. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    January 12, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    Your post definitely make me want to get a crock pot… looks wonderful and this is great for week night or even for a quick get together with friends!

    What kind of cast iron are you using for the sauce? It looks narrow & tall (or I should say small) and it’s exactly something I’m looking for to replace my pot. I see there is one handle too. Nice! Would you please let me know? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      January 12, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Nami! That is my Le Creuset enameled cast iron saucepan. I LOVE all of my Le Creuset cookware!

      Reply
  9. Kiri W. says

    January 12, 2012 at 11:23 am

    I get the same sun-craves. It’s made worse by the fact that my lab has no windows, so I often and inside all day without seeing even the winter sun. Sigh.
    Looks like delicious BBQ beef!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      January 12, 2012 at 4:45 pm

      Me too Kiri. I work out of my home office and I do have windows but often I find myself stuck inside the entire day. No windows would be tough!

      Reply
  10. Valerie says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:11 am

    You’re are welcome and very deserving Julie! Have fun spreading the love 🙂

    Reply
  11. Julie @ Table for Two says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:00 am

    Valerie!! Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how much this means to me!!!! 🙂 You’re so sweet. I love your little blurb about me. <3

    Reply

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