Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Crockpot Shredded Beef Barbecue
Shredded beef coated in barbecue sauce has a generous, help-yourself appeal. A savory spice rub sits beneath the sweet, tangy sauce, so there is plenty of flavor in the tender strands. A little extra sauce clinging at the edges makes it especially tempting.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 480 min
- Total
- 500 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 20 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Roasting · Baked & roasted · Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Keep the rub on the roast
Pour the broth and liquid smoke around the beef, not over the top. The mustard and spice rub are already doing their work on the meat, and pouring directly on them can rinse off that good coating.
2. Cook it until it shreds easily
The timing gives you a range, but the real cue is fork tender beef. If the roast resists shredding, it needs more time on LOW before you move it to the cutting board.
3. Drain before saucing
Drain the cooking juices after shredding, then return the beef to the slow cooker before adding barbecue sauce.
Get to know the ingredients
Chuck roast is the right cut here
Chuck roast is cooked low and slow until fork tender, then shredded. It’s also worth taking a minute to pull out any large fat pieces as you shred.
Liquid smoke is optional
Use the liquid smoke only if you want that extra smoky note. If you add it, pour it in with the broth around the roast so the mustard and spice rub stay put.
The onion goes in the sauce
The finely minced onion is softened with garlic before the ketchup mixture goes in. Give it those few minutes in the saucepan so the finished sauce tastes blended, not raw or sharp.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Crockpot Shredded Beef Barbecue
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the shredded beef and barbecue sauce are stirred together, give them that final covered cook on HIGH. It lets the sauce settle into the beef and caramelize a little instead of just sitting on top.
A little more help as you go
Sauce it your way, if you like
Use store-bought barbecue sauce if you prefer, or serve the beef without sauce. The beef is seasoned before the sauce is added.
Make-ahead option
The beef and barbecue sauce can be made ahead and reheated together in the crockpot. Combine them and cook, covered, on LOW until hot.
A few questions you might have
Do I really need to rub mustard on the beef first?
Yes, use it before the spice rub. The mustard gets rubbed into the roast, then the brown sugar and spices go on both sides so they can cling to the meat while it cooks.
Should I keep the slow cooker juices?
For this recipe, drain them after you shred the beef. The barbecue sauce gets added separately, and draining first helps the sauce coat the shredded meat properly.
Why make the barbecue sauce in a saucepan first?
The onion and garlic need to soften in butter and oil before the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, and Worcestershire go in. That short cook gives the sauce a better texture before it’s mixed with the beef.
Can I use bottled barbecue sauce instead?
Yes. You can use store-bought barbecue sauce, or serve the seasoned shredded beef without sauce.
Is there another cooking stage after adding the sauce?
Yes, give the sauced, shredded beef the final slow-cooker cooking stage before serving.
Any more cooking tips?
Both the barbecue sauce and shredded beef can be made ahead of time and reheated together in the crockpot. Combine shredded beef and cooked sauce and cook, covered, on LOW until hot. If you'd prefer, store-bought barbecue sauce can be used. This beef is incredibly flavorful on it's own, so if you'd prefer a sauce-less shredded beef, this is a great recipe. Feel free to play around with the amounts of barbecue sauce ingredients, depending on your tastes and the size of the roast you're using.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thechunkychef.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
