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Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches feature fork-tender shredded beef infused with Italian herbs, garlic, and pepperoncini. It’s seared first, then slow-cooked until juicy, piled on toasted hoagie rolls, and finished under the broiler with melted provolone.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
soak 10 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast
Seasoning and oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 oz Italian dressing seasoning mix 1 packet
Aromatics and broth
  • 3 garlic, minced 3 cloves
  • 2 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini juice
  • 8 pepperoncini peppers 8–10 peppers
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Sandwiches
  • 6 hoagie rolls 6–rolls total
  • 6 provolone cheese slices 6 slices
  • 1 fresh chopped parsley optional garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the beef
  1. Season the chuck roast with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast for 2–3 minutes per side until browned.
  3. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker and sprinkle with Italian dressing seasoning mix, dried oregano, dried basil, and minced garlic.
Slow cook
  1. Pour in the low-sodium beef broth and pepperoncini juice.
  2. Add pepperoncini peppers and place unsalted butter on top.
  3. Cover and cook on Low for 8–9 hours or High for 5–6 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
Shred, soak, and assemble
  1. Shred the beef with two forks and stir it into the cooking juices.
  2. Let the shredded beef soak in the juices for 10 minutes before assembling the sandwiches.
  3. Split hoagie rolls and fill each with the juicy shredded beef.
  4. Top each sandwich with a slice of provolone cheese.
Melt the cheese and serve
  1. Broil the sandwiches at high heat for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  2. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately with extra cooking juices for dipping.

Notes

For maximum juiciness, shred the beef while it’s hot and then let it rest in the juices for the full 10 minutes so the meat stays tender. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a covered pot or microwave with a splash of the cooking juices. Freezing is yes: freeze shredded beef and juices separately up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat until steaming. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat butter and part-skim provolone without changing the slow-cook method.