Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

BBQ Beef in a Crock Pot is one of our favorite crock pot recipes. Slow cooking the roast all day makes the meat so tender and juicy. Adding the BBQ Sauce with the other simple ingredients makes this beef barbecue so flavorful.

This recipe is perfect for my busy family. I toss everything in the crock pot before we head out the door and dinner is done when we get home. We love making this one busy nights whenever everyone is eating at times.

There are so many great options when serving this meal and I know you’ll love it as much as I do. You may also love Easy Crock pot BBQ Pork Chops Recipe, Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe and Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs.

Why We Love This Recipe

We love making Shredded BBQ Beef when we have friends and family over. It is budget friendly and saves me time in the kitchen. Because we shred the meat and serve over sandwiches, it really stretches out the meat to feed a lot of people.

You will love how everything blends together to make such a delicious meal. The Worcestershire sauce makes the roast incredibly tender when it’s cooking all day.  These ingredients are simple and easy to find but combined together they make a great shredded beef recipe.

If you prefer a more smoky flavor to your beef, I recommend adding 1 tsp of liquid smoke to the sauce ingredients to add a deeper smoky flavor. 

Ingredients

• Roast – We used a beef chuck roast but a beef brisket or short ribs can also be used.
• Beef Broth – Water can also be used if you are out of beef broth
• Worcestershire Sauce – See The Best Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes if you are out
• Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• BBQ Sauce – We love using this Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Variation Ideas

• Change the Meat – You can use different cuts of beef or try using chicken or pork. We usually use what we have.
• Homemade BBQ Sauce – Make your own BBQ Sauce with easy ingredients. It only requires a few ingredients including apple cider vinegar, Dijon Mustard and ketchup to make BBQ Sauce.
• Add different toppings – Top you BBQ Beef Sandwich with coleslaw, cheese, avocado or bacon.
• Use Different Seasoning – Add in some onion powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder to enhance the flavor. We have even added in a tablespoon of brown sugar for a hint of sweetness.
• Frozen Roast – If you forgot to thaw out your roast, no worries. You can still cook this recipe as is. I would just add a couple of hours of cooking time to the recipe.
• Serve over Rice – Instead of serving BBQ Beef as a sandwich, serve it over rice.

How to Make BBQ Beef in the Slow Cooker

• Step 1 – Add Roast to Crock Pot – Place the roast in the slow cooker.

• Step 2 – Season Roast – Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.

• Step 3 – Pour BBQ Sauce and Broth – Top with half the BBQ sauce and beef broth.

• Step 4 – Cook Ingredients – Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

• Step 5 – When ingredients are cook – Shred and stir to combine.

• Step 6 – Add more BBQ Sauce – Stir in about ½ of cup BBQ sauce to make the sauce thicker.

• Step 7 – Serve and Enjoy – Serve on your favorite buns or Hawaiian rolls and enjoy.

Expert Tips

• Crockpot Recommendations – If you are in the market for a new slow cooker, see Best Slow Cookers of 2024.
• Shred Beef – You can easily shred the beef with two forks. But an easy way is to shred the beef with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
• Sauce Consistency – If you prefer a thicker sauce consistency, add more BBQ Sauce and let the BBQ beef cook for additional 30 minutes in the crockpot.
• Searing – There is no need to sear the roast before placing in the slow cooker. Searing does add flavor and you can sear the meat in a skillet, but this is an optional step.

How long to Cook Roast for BBQ Beef Sandwiches? 

You will want to cook this slow cooker BBQ beef on low in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours based on the size of the roast.  If you have a larger roast, you’ll want to cook it for a longer time.

Most people think that if the roast is tough it’s over cooked but the opposite is actually true.  A tough roast is generally just not done yet.

After your cooking time, if your roast is not easy to shred, put it back in the crock pot for a few more hours and I’m sure that it will shred in no time at all.

What to Serve with Crock Pot BBQ Beef?

There are many different options to serve with this recipe.

• Lazy Day Crock Pot Baked Beans Recipe
• Instant Pot Twice Baked Potatoes Casserole
• Pasta Salad, Macaroni Salad, Traditional Potato Salad Recipe
• Easy Homemade French Fries

This shredded BBQ Beef is delicious served on slider buns, hamburger buns and Homemade Kings Hawaiian Rolls recipe.

How to Store BBQ Beef?

Store you BBQ Beef in the refrigerator. The shredded BBQ Beef will last about 4 days if store properly. We think it taste better the next day as all the seasoning and BBQ sauce have really marinated the beef.

Can you Freeze BBQ Beef?

Freezer cooking is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen!  Since I have a large family, I’m always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen and freezer cooking is a great way to help me spend less time cooking.

For this great recipe, I would double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for a future meal.  The frozen leftovers can easily be heated up on the stovetop or the microwave with some beef broth so my family can have a quick meal in a few weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions