You've had pulled pork, but have you had pulled beef? This easy slow-cooker recipe has a savory-sweet flavor that makes it great for kids, with a bit of Dijon mustard and chili powder to pep it up.
Pulled beef is also a simple and summery way to make the cheaper cuts of beef really tasty. Pot roasts and brisket are fine in cold weather when you don't mind running the oven all day, but when it's already hot out, the last thing you need is even more heat in your kitchen.
This recipe uses the same magic of heat + time to break down the tough muscle fibers and make them tender, but it uses a slow cooker, which gives off a lot less heat in the room.
To keep with the summer theme, this would be easy to pair up with a refreshing side dish like cucumber salad or grilled vegetables. Or get fancy with some zucchini fritters!
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Recipe
Serves: 8 Prep: 20 min Cook: 8 h
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. beef chuck or pot roast
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup homemade ketchup
- ¼ cup honey (optional)
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- In a bowl, combine the paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Rub the chili mixture all over the beef roast and place in a slow cooker.
- Pour in the beef stock and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- In a saucepan placed over medium heat, combine the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the beef from the slow cooker and drain any remaining juice.
- Shred the beef using two forks, and return to the slow cooker.
- Pour the balsamic BBQ sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and cook for another 30 minutes on high.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. beef chuck or pot roast
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup homemade ketchup
- ¼ cup honey optional
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. paprika, 2 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Rub the chili mixture all over the beef roast and place in a slow cooker.4 lbs. beef chuck or pot roast
- Pour in the beef stock and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.2 cups beef stock
- In a saucepan placed over medium heat, combine the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, and season with salt and pepper to taste.1 cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup honey, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup homemade ketchup
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the beef from the slow cooker and drain any remaining juice.
- Shred the beef using two forks, and return to the slow cooker.
- Pour the balsamic BBQ sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and cook for another 30 minutes on high.
Teresa says
We really enjoyed this recipe. I, unfortunately, did not cook it long enough to have it pull apart but my husband sliced it very thin and in smaller pieces and we stirred it into the sauce (had to thicken a little) for what we did and put on top of baked potatoes. It was delicious. A nice change from Pulled Pork!