Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Beef (Printable)

Tender shredded beef slow-cooked in tangy-sweet BBQ sauce, perfect for sandwiches or rice bowls.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 3.3 lbs chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat

→ Seasonings

02 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

→ Sauce

08 - 1 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
09 - 1/2 cup beef broth
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
12 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Serving Suggestions (optional)

13 - Burger buns or sandwich rolls
14 - Coleslaw

# Directions:

01 - Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all surfaces of the chuck roast.
02 - Set the seasoned chuck roast in the bottom of the slow cooker.
03 - Whisk together barbecue sauce, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour the sauce evenly over the beef.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
05 - Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir to coat thoroughly in the sauce.
06 - Pile the sauced pulled beef onto burger buns and top with coleslaw, or serve over rice as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef practically shreds itself after eight hours, so you get all the credit with almost none of the labor.
  • That tangy sweet sauce soaks into every single strand of meat and tastes even better the next day.
  • It is genuinely hard to mess this up, which makes it perfect for a lazy Sunday or a chaotic Tuesday.
02 -
  • Resist lifting the lid during cooking because each peek adds roughly fifteen minutes to your total time.
  • Checking the label on your barbecue sauce and Worcestershire is essential if gluten is a concern, since many brands hide it in the ingredients.
03 -
  • If the sauce seems too thin after shredding, turn the slow cooker to high for twenty minutes with the lid off to let it reduce and thicken.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning after shredding because the long cook time can mellow out salt and spice levels more than you expect.

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