Slow Cooker Italian Beef + VIDEO

This versatile slow cooker Italian beef recipe is packed with flavor. Shred the beef & serve the meat using your preferred method. You can also make this low-carb, paleo, whole30 beef recipe in your Instant Pot

What Is Italian Beef?

Italian beef is an Italian-American recipe that originated in Chicago. I grew to love Italian beef during my childhood living outside the city. It’s one of my all-time favorite meals and my must-have when I’m back in the Chicago area. This isn’t a copycat version of a traditional Italian Beef, more of an ode to.

What Cut Of Beef To Use

Traditionally Italian beef is made with thin slices roast beef. I’m swapping that out for a beef roast that’s cooked whole. I used a 3 pound chuck roast to be exact. Other suggestions include top round roast, eye of round, or even a brisket. Cook your roast until it’s falling apart tender and shreds easily with two forks. If your beef isn’t at that point where it shreds easily, keep cooking it until it is.

Pepperoncini Peppers & Giardiniera

A lot of Italian beef recipes you’ll find online use pepperoncini peppers. My version uses a mixture of pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera. Pepperoncini peppers are are in the same family as jalapenos but they’re not nearly as spicy.  You should be able to find jarred pickled pepperoncini fairly easily at your local grocery. Giardiniera is Italian mixed pickled vegetables made into a relish. It too can be found at your local grocery or online. I suggest you try Chicago-style giardiniera with this recipe if you can get your hands on some. It’s made with hot or mild peppers & vegetables that are marinated in oil. Giardiniera in general can be spicy depending on the brand. Be sure to read the labels. Of course if you don’t want to use giardiniera you can use 16 ounces of pepperoncini peppers.

Make This Whole30 Compatible

There are 3 ingredients in this recipe that make not whole30 or paleo compliant: Worcestershire sauce, pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera. Don’t fret there is an easy way around this. For the Worcestershire sauce, simply omit it. Or if you’re feeling bold, make your own. You should be able to find a who30 compliant recipe with a simple Google search. For the pepperoncini peppers, Divina has an all-natural sliced pepperoncini product that you can use. For the giardiniera, I suggest you check the ingredient list carefully. If you can’t find one that’s compliant you can always make your own or use 16 ounces of pepperoncini peppers instead.

How To Serve Italian Beef

How you serve this slow cooker Italian beef recipe will depend on your dietary restrictions. Traditionally Italian beef is served sandwich-form on a roll. Lighten up the recipe and keep it whole30, paleo, low-carb, and keto by serving it on lettuce wraps. You can also serve it plated with your preferred side dishes. When I do this, I like to pair it with mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Beef Recipes 

• Corned Beef & Cabbage

• Spiced Beef Roast

• Mississippi Roast

• Salsa Verde Beef

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours 10 mins
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds beef roast
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 8 ounces pepperoncini peppers
• 8 ounces giardiniera, drained
• 2 packets dry Italian salad dressing mix (see below for a homemade mix)
• 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot)

Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix  1 tablespoon oregano 2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoon onion powder 2 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Add the broth to the slow cooker. Add the roast.
2. Top the roast with the dry Italian salad dressing mix, pepperoncini and giardiniera.
3. Cook HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 8-10.
4. Remove beef from slow cooker, shred and add the meat back in the slow cooker.

Instant Pot

1. Turn the pressure cooker to saute. Once hot, add the oil and beef. Brown beef on all sides, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Remove roast from the Instant Pot.
2. Add beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Stir in the dry Italian salad dressing mix.
3. Add roast back to the pot. Top with the pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera.
4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 50 minutes. When cooking time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.
5. Shred beef and keep in the pressure cooker until ready to serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 359
• Sugar: 0.4 g
• Fat: 16.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 4.5 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 45.5 g
• Cholesterol: 134 mg

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