Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are a 5-ingredient crock pot recipe version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. This easy dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser!
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Last week I asked myFacebookandTwitterfriends if they’d like to see a crock pot recipe on the blog this week. There were so many exclamation marks in the comments, which I took to mean, ‘heck yes!’that I immediately started brainstorming.
Everyone knowscrock pot recipesare a busy person’s best friend but many of them can be heavy and unappealing at times. While brainstorminga new and interesting crock pot combo I decided the recipe would have to meet the following criteria:
- Beef-based as I have exactlyone beefcrock pot recipe on the blog –Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce.
- Easy. Nobody likes crock pot recipes with several cooking steps before you even plug the dang thing in.
- Very delicious, unique, and not gloopy whatsoever.
With the aforementioned criteria in mind, I settled on Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches. A mouthwatering, 5-ingredient flavor combo that has just the right amount of zip and zing!
Watch How to Make It!
Chuck roast is slow cooked for 10 hours in a mixture of pepperoncini peppers, Giardiniera, Italian dressing mix, and beef broth then shredded and served on a chewy hoagie bun with melted provolone cheese. Crazy (CRAZY) good, and did I mention that it’s made with just 5 ingredients?!
Ben was skeptical about eating the crock pot version of one of his favorite sandwiches, which is typically made with thinly sliced beef.“Oh…I’ve never heard of ashreddedItalian beef sandwich before…” he said in a tone that I knew meant, I am definitely going to hate this.
But guess what? He didn’t! While I stood eating the shredded beef straight out of the crock pot like the refined woman that I am, he inhaled an entire sandwich in under 2 minutes. That is to say, this dish was a total hit!
How to Make Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches:
Start by trimming any large pieces of fat off a chuck roastthen cut the roast into seven or eight big hunks and place them in the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot.
Next sprinkle in a packet of gluten free Italian Dressing Mix like Hy-Vee’s Good Graces brand, or Simply Organic. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix.
Addsliced pepperoncini peppersplus a splash of pepperoncini juice, andChicago-Style Giardinierawhich you can find in the olive/pickle aisle at the grocery store. I love Mezzetta brands for both, which is gluten free.
I’d never had Chicago-style Giardiniera, atype of relish made with pickled olives and vegetablesthat’s packed in herbs and oils,but Ben insisted it go into this dish. I’m so glad he did because OH MY GOSH it is so good! It’s supposed to go over Italian beef sandwiches, but I could have eaten forkful after forkful all by itself.
Becauseit’s packed in oil though, which would add unnecessary fat to the dish, I scooped out the mix with a fork and let it drain away. You can get Giardiniera that’s packed in vinegar, but I found this style to be a real treat.
Finally, add beef broth thenplace a lid on top of the crock pot and let it cook on low for 9 hours, or until the beef can be easily shredded with a fork.
Once the roast can be easily shredded with a fork, shred with two forks then slip the meat back into the slow cooker to cook in the juices for 1 more hour on low. Scoop the meat onto hoagie buns then slap a slice of provolone on top to melt from the heat of the beef. Serve with extra pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, and you’re set!
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Crock Pot Mojo Pork with Cuban-Style Black Beans
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Description
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are the 5-ingredient crock pot version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. This easy dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
serves 6
- 3lb chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat and cut into large hunks
- 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (see notes)
- 8oz pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice, plus extra for serving
- 8oz Giardiniera (Chicago-Style Italian Sandwich Mix,) drained, plus extra for serving
- 14.5oz can beef broth
- provolone cheese slices
- hoagie buns
Directions
- Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 5.5 - 6 quart crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up chuck roast pieces to get broth underneath. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred then place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Split buns in half then scoop the shredded meat mixture on top and add provolone cheese slices. Top with additional pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, if desired, then serve.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- I like Simply Organic or Good Grace's gluten free Italian Dressing Mix. Good Season's Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix is a good option if you do not need to eat gluten free.
Adapted from Pioneer Woman
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes to date. Could not have been easier to make and the flavors from the pickled vegetables, pepper rings, and Italian dressing mix really made the beef sing. SO GOOD. Hope you’ll give it a try sometime!
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491 Comments
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Bryan 05.19.2024 Our family likes looking for new recipes to cook or grill and there are so many delicious looking recipes here. The Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches looks so good and easy to make, we can’t wait to try. Thanks for sharing!
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- Kristin 05.20.2024
I hope you love it, Bryan! Thanks so much for stopping by!
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- Kevin 05.05.2024
Absolutely love this. I pepper the meat but don’t salt it, and use low sodium broth. I pour some of the broth in first, so you don’t have to lift up the meat. If using Packaged provolone, thin sliced melts faster.
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- Kristin 05.06.2024
Sounds awesome, Kevin! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
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- Laura Sneddon 04.16.2024
Hi! I by accident bought pork shoulder butt instead of chuck roast. Can I use that in the recipe instead of chuck roast?
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- Kristin 04.16.2024
Oh shoot! Though yes, a pork shoulder will cook in the same amount of time as the chuck roast — 8-10 hours on low!
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- Laura 04.13.2024
Can I cook this recipe on high? And if so for how long? Would the beef be less tender?
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- Kristin 04.15.2024
Hi Laura! I really prefer cooking chuck roast on low. You could try 4-5 hours on high!
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- Rob Spencer 04.09.2024
They have changed the name of the Mezzetta spread mix, here is the new name, Mezzetta Italian Olive Salad & Sandwich Spread, I checked their website.
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- Kristin 04.09.2024
Hey Rob! This is the Mezzetta Chicago-style Giardiniera this recipe uses: https://www.mezzetta.com/products/chicago-style-italian-sandwich-mix-mild-giardiniera
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- Krystal 03.15.2024
I cant find Giardiniera anywhere I went to 5 stores 😫
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- Kristin 03.15.2024
Oh nooo – here’s a link to the product on the Mezzetta website! https://www.mezzetta.com/products/chicago-style-italian-sandwich-mix-mild-giardiniera
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- Rob Spencer 04.09.2024
Walmart is where I found the Mezzetta brand here locally, but it was renamed Mezzetta Italian Olive Salad & Sandwich Spread, 16 fl oz Jar for $4.78 Also I saw the exact same thing under a different name in another link, but that’s what I found near me. They did sell at Walmart online the exact name & bottle as it appears in this recipe photo, but it was $26.78 for a case & another $13 shipping, I’ve never found a single Jar with the exact name of Mezzetta Chicago Style Italian Sandwich Mix, even on their own website.
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- Denise W. 03.03.2024
Hy Vee no longer has the packet & Simply organic is impossible to find. I bought everything already so I’m going to have to try bottled dressing but expecting too much oil/fat even w/ a good trim of the roast. Could tweak your recipe using individual ingredients instead of an impossible to find packet? (An online search of a copycat recipe is overwhelming 10-15 ingredients, gotta be something easier!)
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- Marcie Sands 02.26.2024
I have made this recipe many times for my family. I want to know how much to make to feed a crowd of about 25 people. Could you help me with this? Thanks!
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- Kristin 02.27.2024
I’m so glad to hear that, Marcie!! I might recommend making 3-4 batches ahead of time, then reheating in a roasting pan with the juices just prior to serving.
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- Ed 02.17.2024
I’ve played with this recipe several times. First, I did exactly as written. I didn’t drain the gardeneria. Bad move. Added too much oil to the mixture.
After the first attempt, my wife suggested I leave the finished product in the refrigerator overnight and skim off the fat that had risen to the top. She’s not a fan of grease/fat, but personally I think it adds greatly to the flavor. The mixture also was too salty. Next time I used low sodium broth. Much better. I’m making the sandwiches as I write now. I couldn’t believe the gardeneria. . It had four huge crowns of cauliflower which took up most of the space in the jar. Next time, I’ll save the money and make my own. I do now add a few skinny slices of green peppers and add a few slices of banana peppers.
All in all, it’s a great recipe! Very tasty!!Reply
- Kristin 02.20.2024
So happy to hear that, Ed! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
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- Rob Spencer 04.09.2024
The Mezzetta Jar of Italian Mix that has Cauliflower in it is not the one pictured here in the recipe, it’s Chicago Style Italian Sandwich Mix which they no longer seem to make as it’s not found on their own website at Mezzetta
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hi, i'm kristin!
I’m a Midwestern wife and Mama, and after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013 I began sharing delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Welcome!
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