Italian Beef Sandwiches in the Crockpot are my absolute favorite thing to make in the crockpot! And I love A LOT of crockpot meals! But I love a good sandwich and since I tried my first one over 20 years ago I have been obsessed. I will be completely transparent, though, I have only ordered these in establishments outside of Chicago, so by no means am I comparing this to a Chicago Style Italian Beef. We have had Portillos though and let me just say, the flavor of this comes pretty darn close! The roast is seared, seasoned and cooked low and slow all day. Then all you have to do is prepare your bread, pile on the meat, and of course some giardiniera, scoop out some of the gravy for dipping and you will be in sandwich heaven!
And check out these other great recipes while you are here!
Shredded Beef Tacos in the Crockpot
Slow Cooker Cheesy Ground Beef and Potatoes
Chicken and Gravy in the Slow Cooker
How Do You Make Italian Beef Sandwiches in the Crockpot?
You will start by seasoning your roast with some salt and pepper. Now. What kind of roast you ask. Here I am using a 5 lb chuck roast. But in all honesty, any type is going to work. A rump roast or top round are both very lean and will not require a lot of fat removal. Chucks are very high in fat, which does lend a lot of flavor, but you would need a very large roast to get the same amount of meat. What type you use will just be personal preference and what you have available to you.
After seasoning the roast, you are going to brown it in a skillet in some oil. Be sure to get all sides. (This step is not fundamentally necessary, but I strongly recommend it, as the caramelization of the meat is going to make a difference in flavor!)
Set it in the crockpot. If you are looking for a great crockpot, I love this Beautiful By Drew 6 Quart Programmable one!
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In the same skillet you used to brown the roast, add a diced onion and cook it for five minutes. Then add 6-7 minced garlic and cook that for another minute. Stir in 2 cups of beef broth. Be sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the skillet! That is flavor!
Next you will mix up these spices and sprinkle them on the roast. I will have the exact measurements listed below! Then pour the beef broth with the onions and garlic in. Then top it with the banana peppers. Cook on high for 6-8 hours or on low for 8-10.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your roast and also your slow cooker. Mine was perfect after about 8 hours on high. The best way to tell if it is done is to use a fork and see if it shreds easily.
Use 2 forks to shred it up and put it back in the crockpot to let it swim in all of those juices!
A thick crusty bread is ideal for these sandwiches because they are very juicy and the bread needs to hold up and not become soggy. I am using hoagie rolls here. Ciabatta rolls are what I prefer, but my store was out the day I made these. Preheat your broiler and butter each side of the bread. Place under the broiler just until lightly toasted, maybe 3 minutes.
Top them with a couple slices cheese. Place them back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Add some heaping spoonfuls of the meat.
And you can omit the giardiniera, but I am begging you not to! It is what makes this sandwich!
Lastly
Top with the giardiniera, fish out some of that yummy “au jus” for dipping and enjoy!
What to serve with Italian Beef Sandwiches in the Crockpot
These sandwiches are so hearty and filling that I usually just make some fries or tater tots to have on the side!
Italian Beef Sandwiches in the Crockpot
Ingredients
- 3-5 Lbs Chuck Roast Rump or Top Round will also work!
- Salt and Pepper for seasoning the roast
- 1-2 tbs Veg Oil For searing the roast
- 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
- 6-7 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Cups Unsalted Beef Broth
- 8 oz Jar of Banana Pepper Rings or Pepperoncini, with the juice
- 6-12 Rolls, Such as Hoagie or Sub rolls
- 4-6 Tbs Butter for toasting the bread
- 12-24 slices Provolone Cheese Sliced Mozzarella works great too
- 1 Jar of Giardiniera optional, but highly recommended
Seasonings
- 2 tsp Dried Basil
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Season your roast with salt and pepper.
- In a skillet, heat up the oil over medium heat, then brown the roast on all sides. Transfer it to the crockpot.
- In the skillet you browned the roast in, add the diced onion and cook for about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute. Pour the beef broth in, and use a wooden spatula to scrape off all the little bits left in the pan.
- Mix the above listed seasonings and sprinkle them over the roast. Pour the beef broth with the onions and garlic into the crockpot. Add in the peppers with the juice. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8.
- Use two forks to shred the beef and leave it in the juice in the crockpot.
- Preheat your broiler. Butter both sides of your rolls. Place under the broiler just until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
- Place 2 slices of Provolone (or mozzarella) on each roll and put back under the broiler for few more minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Place the meat and the giardiniera on the sandwich, scoop some of the "au jus" out of the crockpot for dipping, and enjoy!
Margie McGee
Do you drain the jar of banana pepper or use the juice and all? Thanks.
cwilken
Hi Margie! I use the juice as well!