Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is a juicy, succulent gluten-free meal you can add to sandwiches and wraps or enjoy by itself as is! Any which way you go won’t be wrong! Mix and match spices and seasonings for a variety of flavors! Tender and full of warm flavors, this shredded beef recipe will easily become a staple in your recipe tin! {Paleo}
Friends, what can I even say? Tender, juicy, succulent Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is the gluten-free dinner recipe our family has been missing. Literally four out of four of us LOVED it. And with every bite I took, I thought of new ways to enjoy it. From sandwiches and wraps to by itself or in tacos, the options are limitless. Slow Cooker Shredded Beef blends satisfying restaurant-style flavors with that magical at-home comfort food feeling. Is there anything better than shredded beef immersed in broth, bay leaves, onions, and sea salt?
Ever since we made Slow Cooker Bottom Round Roast, I’ve wanted to make a chuck roast for shredded beef. So I scoured the internet and all of my cookbooks for one I could modify to my family’s needs. I adapted the Shredded-Beef Sandwiches recipe in my trusty Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. I adjusted the spices for a neutral flavor, added broth, and cooked for a slightly shorter period (10 hours instead of 11-12).
That last part is key to shredded beef dripping with flavor: cook the chuck roast on a LOW temp for a LONG period of time. Then shred it with a fork and serve up! You’ll have happily full bellies in no time!
Keep on reading for step-by-step instructions and let’s get simmering!

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF INGREDIENTS:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make your own Slow Cooker Shredded Beef! The actual number of bay leaves and onions, as well as how much broth you use will depend in part on how much room you have in your slow cooker. If the slow cooker gets crowded, you can always use fewer. And if you have extra space, then feel free to add more of each!
- 3-pound chuck roast. Remove as much of the fat as you’d like before cooking. Any remaining fat can be left on to enhance the flavor. If there is fat that’s hard to trim before cooking, it may come off easier after the cooking process is complete.
- Broth. Add enough to cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Vegetable broth or beef broth works well!
- Bay leaves. Sprinkle them throughout the slow cooker for even flavoring.
- Onion. Any kind will do.
- Salts and powders: I like to use a combination of sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. If you have garlic salt and onion salt on hand instead, those will work, too, and you may not need as much sea salt. Add any additional flavors you desire, including cumin, oregano, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and more! Mix and match to your heart’s desire!
- Optional: A splash of red wine vinegar.
NOTE: The chuck roast will release juices during the cooking process. You can add as much or as little broth as desired. You may end up with drippings that are perfect as a drizzle for the shredded beef or as a base for Gluten-Free Gravy.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF:
Below are the steps to make your own Slow Cooker Shredded Beef.
- Remove as much of the fat from the chuck roast as desired. Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker and add as much broth as will cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Then add the bay leaves, onion, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour in the red wine vinegar, too, if including, and any other desired spices.
- Cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours. If the top of the chuck roast starts to dry out, drizzle broth over the top or flip the roast over in the slow cooker.
- After cooking is complete, remove the bay leaves and any remaining fat. Then shred the beef using two forks. Serve immediately or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for two to three days.
MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES!
If making dinner in the slow cooker is your idea of dinner done right, then here are a few more slow cooker recipes to add to your recipe tin:
Take care, Spiriteds. I hope this recipe finds you well. I’m glad you’re here. ❤️
“Shredded-Beef Sandwiches.” Recipe. Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. 12th ed. Ed. Jennifer Dorland Darling. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Publishing Group, 2002. 232. Print.
PrintSlow Cooker Shredded Beef
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is a juicy, succulent gluten-free meal you can add to sandwiches and wraps or enjoy by itself as is! Any which way you go won’t be wrong! Mix and match spices and seasonings for a variety of flavors! Tender and full of warm flavors, this shredded beef recipe will easily become a staple in your recipe tin! {Paleo}
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 pound chuck roast
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth or Beef Broth
- 3–4 bay leaves
- 1 onion, halved or cut into wedges
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Splash of red wine vinegar, optional
Instructions
- Remove as much of the fat from the chuck roast as desired. Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker and add as much broth as will cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Then add the bay leaves, onion, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour in the red wine vinegar, too, if including, and any other desired spices.
- Cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours. If the top of the chuck roast starts to dry out, drizzle broth over the top or flip the roast over in the slow cooker.
- After cooking is complete, remove the bay leaves and any remaining fat. Then shred the beef using two forks. Serve immediately or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for two to three days.
Notes
- Additional spices as desired: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, sage, thyme, oregano, cumin
- If cooking with sweet spices, add first and decide, based on taste, whether you also want to add the garlic and onion powders.
- The chuck roast will release juices during the cooking process. Add as much or as little broth as desired. You may end up with drippings that are perfect as a drizzle for the shredded beef or as a base for Gluten-Free Gravy.
- Recipe adapted from “Shredded-Beef Sandwiches.” Recipe. Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. 12th ed. Ed. Jennifer Dorland Darling. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Publishing Group, 2002. 232. Print.
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