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Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches with tender, shredded chuck roast cooked until rich au jus. Pepperoncini, garlic, and Italian seasoning get piled onto toasted hoagie rolls and finished with melted provolone.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chuck roast
  • 3.75 lb chuck roast
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Italian dressing seasoning mix
  • 1 Italian dressing seasoning mix
Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
Onion powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
Dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
Garlic
  • 6 clove garlic minced
Pepperoncini peppers
  • 9 pepperoncini peppers whole
Pepperoncini juice
  • 0.25 cup pepperoncini juice
Hoagie rolls
  • 8 hoagie rolls
Provolone cheese
  • 8 slice provolone cheese
Fresh parsley
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Brown the roast and build the crock pot
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chuck roast for 2–3 minutes per side until browned with deep golden crust.
  2. Place the roast into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with Italian dressing seasoning mix, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper over the top.
  3. Add the minced garlic to the slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and pepperoncini juice for an even layer around the roast.
  4. Add the whole pepperoncini peppers to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours until fork-tender.
Shred, assemble, and melt the cheese
  1. Shred the beef with two forks and return it to the juices in the slow cooker. Stir until coated so the mixture looks glossy and evenly sauced.
  2. Toast the hoagie rolls if desired. Fill each roll with shredded Italian beef and keep the meat mounded slightly for better sauce coverage.
  3. Top with provolone cheese and broil for 1–2 minutes until melted and lightly bubbly. Spoon extra au jus over the beef or serve it on the side for dipping, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Notes

For the best shredded texture, rest the cooked beef in the juices for 10 minutes after cooking, then shred and stir again. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of au jus. Freezing is yes—freeze shredded beef with some juices for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and verify the soy sauce is gluten-free.