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Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches are built with pepperoncini-spiced au jus and slow-cooked until the chuck roast shreds easily. Spoon the juicy, dark cooking liquid over crusty hoagie rolls and finish with giardiniera for a tangy bite.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Slow cooker Italian beef
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Italian dressing mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) au jus gravy mix
  • 1 jar (16 oz) pepperoncini peppers with brine
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
To serve
  • 1 Crusty Italian or hoagie rolls
  • 1 giardiniera

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Slow-cook the beef
  1. Place the beef chuck roast in the slow cooker.
  2. Sprinkle Italian dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper over the beef.
  3. Pour the beef broth and the entire jar of pepperoncini peppers with brine over everything.
  4. Cook on low for 8–9 hours until the beef is completely tender and shreds easily.
Shred and soak
  1. Remove the beef and shred with two forks, then return it to the slow cooker to soak in the juices.
Assemble the sandwiches
  1. Pile the shredded Italian beef onto crusty Italian or hoagie rolls.
  2. Top generously with giardiniera.
  3. Serve with a small cup of the strained cooking juices for dipping.

Notes

Pro tip: strain the cooking juices for dipping if you want a smoother au jus, or keep some pepperoncini bits for extra heat. Store shredded beef and juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat in a covered pot or microwave until steaming. Freezing works well up to 3 months—thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm with a splash of juices. For a lower-sodium swap, choose reduced-sodium au jus gravy mix and Italian dressing mix while keeping the pepperoncini brine for flavor.