Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

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Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is a juicy, succulent gluten-free meal you can add to sandwiches and wraps or enjoy by itself! Mix and match spices and seasonings for a variety of flavors! Tender and savory, 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 dinner recipe our family goes wild over. Literally FOUR out of FOUR of us LOVE it. And with every bite I take, I brainstorm new ways to enjoy it. From sandwiches and wraps to tacos or by itself, the options are limitless, AS YOU WILL DISCOVER. Is there anything better than shredded beef immersed in broth, bay leaves, onions, and sea salt? NO, SPIRITEDS, THERE ISN’T.

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, adjusting the spices, adding broth, and cooking for a slightly shorter period (10 hours instead of 11-12) because that’s the longest slow cooker setting I had. 

That last part is key to shredded beef dripping with flavor. If you want a super-tender result, then cook the chuck roast on a LOW temp for a LONG period of time. Once it’s done, then shred it with a fork, serve up, and savor away!

So, are you ready for this kind of flavor in your life? Omigosh, if yes, then keep reading and let’s get slow-cooking!  

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is

• Gluten-free and paleo-friendly
• Dairy-free
• Perfect for dinner and ideal for leftovers
• A tasty addition to tacos, burritos, soups, and salads
• Customizable to the flavor you’re in the mood to savor

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef ingredients

• 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. If you’d like to add more (I typically do) then go for it! However much you decide to add, Vegetable broth or beef broth works well! And, yes, you can also use water if you don’t have broth on hand. My mother-in-law was famous for doing this in her soups, stews, and slow-cooker dos.
• 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, then those will work, too. And you may not need as much sea salt. Also free to 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.

Side note: The chuck roast will release juices during the cooking process. So add as much or as little broth as desired. You’ll likely end up with drippings that are perfect as a drizzle for the shredded beef or as a base for Gluten-Free Gravy or Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy.

Side note to the side note: 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. Add more or fewer as fits the space.

How to make Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

1. First, remove as much of the fat from the chuck roast as desired. Then place the chuck roast in the slow cooker and add as much broth as will cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Next 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.
2. Cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours. If the top of the chuck roast starts to dry out, then drizzle broth over the top or gently flip the roast over in the slow cooker.
3. After cooking is complete, remove the bay leaves and any remaining fat. Then shred the beef using two forks. Serve immediately with the onions or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for two to three days.
4. Finally, if desired, transfer the broth to a saucepan to make Gluten-Free Gravy. You can also use Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy as a guide.

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:

• Bottom Round Roast
• Paleo Beef Stew
• Beef Tacos
• Onion Leek Soup

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember 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.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

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Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is a juicy, succulent gluten-free meal you can add to sandwiches and wraps or enjoy by itself as is! 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

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pound chuck roast
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth or Beef Broth
• 3–4 bay leaves
• 1–2 onions, halved or cut into wedges
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Splash of red wine vinegar, optional

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Instructions

1. First, remove as much of the fat from the chuck roast as desired. Then place the chuck roast in the slow cooker and add as much broth as will cover the bottom of the slow cooker. Next 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.
2. Cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours. If the top of the chuck roast starts to dry out, then drizzle broth over the top or gently flip the roast over in the slow cooker.
3. After cooking is complete, remove the bay leaves and any remaining fat. Then shred the beef using two forks. Serve immediately with the onions or refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for two to three days.
4. Finally, if desired, transfer the broth to a saucepan to make Gluten-Free Gravy. You can also use Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy as a guide.

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.