Crock-Pot Italian Beef
Tender, juicy, and packed with bold flavor this Crock-Pot Italian Beef is a slow-cooked dream come true. Inspired by Chicago’s legendary beef sandwiches, this recipe combines fall-apart chuck roast with spicy giardiniera, buttery richness, and a deeply savory homemade au jus. I’ve made other people’s Italian beef recipes before, and they were just way too salty. So I designed this one to give you all that bold, zesty flavor without going overboard on the salt. It’s perfectly balanced thanks to the Better Than Bouillon, buttery richness, and just the right amount of Giardiniera brine. It’s the Italian beef recipe I wish I had years ago. Here's some more recipes like this one if you're curious!
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lbs beef chuck roast mine was 3 lbs
- 1 cup Chicago-style Giardiniera I used Delallo brand
- 3 tablespoons juice from the Giardiniera jar
- 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning mix
- 1½ cups low-sodium beef broth
- or dissolve 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon in 1½ cups hot water
- 2 tablespoons Badia minced garlic with chili peppers from the jar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 stick ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Instructions
Prep the Beef
- Pat the chuck roast dry and season it with half of the Italian dressing seasoning packet. Let it sit at room temp while you prep the base.
Build the Broth
- In the bottom of your Crock-Pot, combine the beef broth, remaining Italian seasoning, Badia chili garlic, cornstarch, and the 3 tablespoons of Giardiniera juice. Whisk or stir until well combined.
Add the Roast
- Place the seasoned chuck roast on top of the broth mixture.
Top & Cook
- Scatter the butter chunks over the beef. Spoon the Giardiniera vegetables on top.
Cook Low & Slow
- Low: 8–9 hours
- High: 5–6 hours
- Cook until the beef is fall-apart tender. Shred it right in the pot and stir to soak up that liquid gold.
How to Assemble Chicago Style Beef Sandwiches
- Cut your baguette to sandwich size and drizzle the inside with olive oil.
- Load it up with shredded beef.
- Top with fresh mozzarella and a sprinkle of oregano.
- Broil until melty and golden.
- Serve with a side of the jus for dunking. Perfection.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!