Crockpot shredded beef is one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make! Make a batch for quick and easy meals throughout the week!
This crockpot shredded beef recipe is so easy that I can hardly call it a recipe. It takes five minutes to prep, and you forget about it for six to eight hours. It was inspired by Olivia Adriance’s viral chuck roast recipe, which is identical to this one, but she cooks it in the oven. You heard that right—two ingredients. I was skeptical about it, too, but trust the process, and you’ll be as obsessed as we are!
I rarely turn on my oven when it’s 90° outside in the summer. Most people use their crockpot more in the fall, but I use it more in the summer. This year, we had a brutally hot summer, and I leaned into crockpot and air fryer recipes more than ever.
When I first tried this crockpot shredded beef, I knew it would cook into tender deliciousness. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that besides the succulent and juicy meat, it had a gorgeous brown crust. This is usually only achieved by searing the meat first, but this recipe is different! Below, I’ll give you a few tips for achieving that gorgeous brown crust.
Crockpot Shredded Beef Recipe
Why We Love It
- Minimal prep time. The prep will take you less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
- Beefy goodness. Beef and salt are all you need to create beefy, succulent deliciousness!
- Protein. Six ounces of this crockpot shredded beef will give you 30 g of protein.
- Healthy. We have been told that red meat is unhealthy for years, but more recent studies have proven otherwise. Quality beef raised without hormones and grains is incredibly nutrient-dense, providing protein, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, and iron.
Ingredients + Prep
This recipe for crockpot shredded beef is so simple that it’s practically self-explanatory.
- You’ll need a chuck roast and salt. For reference, my roast was 3.5 pounds, and I used one teaspoon of salt. If your roast is smaller, use less salt. If it’s bigger, use a little more. The size does not matter here. This technique will work with any roast of any size you use.
- Sprinkle half the salt on the bottom of the crockpot, lay the roast on top of the salt, and sprinkle the rest over the top. Salt brings out flavor, especially in beef. You’ll be amazed by how delicious just beef and salt can be!
- Cover and cook for six hours on high heat or eight hours on low heat. ** See browning tip below.
- Carefully remove the beef from the crockpot, being careful not to scoop up too much of the fat. Don’t be deceived by what looks like juice at the bottom. Chuck roast is very fatty, and most of what you see is fat.
- And that’s it. This crockpot shredded beef recipe shows how simple ingredients can be delicious!
Pro tip. After I remove the beef, I carefully pour everything from the crockpot into a fat-separating cup. Set it aside and let it sit for about five minutes. This is a good time to shred the meat. After about five minutes, you will see that the fat has risen to the top of the separating cup, and you can quickly pour it off, leaving all the delicious juice at the bottom. Depending on how I’m serving the meat, pour that right back over the roast, or I will save it for later.
Used In This Recipe | ||
 |  |  |
Helpful Tips
- It is crucial not to open the crockpot for the first six hours. You should be able to see through the top of the lid to ensure it’s not drying out, which has never been an issue for me.
- I prefer to cook this on high heat because it gives it a gorgeous brown crust on top that you don’t get as much of on low heat. However, if you don’t care about that or need to cook this while you’re at work, eight hours (or longer) on low heat will work fine.
- To achieve that extra golden brown color, after six hours of high-heat cooking, I quickly basted the meat every 30 minutes for an additional two hours, for a total of eight hours on high. However, the meat was falling apart after six hours on high.
- Not all salt is created equal, and since we use it every day, why not get some benefits from it? Redmond Real Salt balances sodium with potassium, encouraging the kidneys to excrete excess sodium. Along with 60 other trace minerals potentially beneficial to our health, Redmond Real Salt has more complexity and richness than regular table salt. It just tastes GOOD!
- Don’t rush it. The secret to cooking a fatty cut of meat to perfection is to cook it low and slow. Long and slow helps render out the fat and melt the connective tissue. To fully understand this, check the roast after two hours, and it will be hard to shred. You achieve that succulent, fall-apart texture by allowing the collagen to melt into the meat fully.
Variations
This recipe for crockpot shredded beef is the first and will be a series of chuck roast recipes. The variations are endless, but I wanted to start with something simple and basic that we could build in months to come.
- For a Mexican vibe, you could use human, chili powder, chipotle, adobo, etc.
- You could add garlic, oregano, thyme, and tomatoes for an Italian vibe.
- Add potatoes and veggies to the pot halfway through cooking to complete the meal.
- If you want more juice, add a cup of beef broth to the bottom of the pot.
Serving Suggestions
I make this 99% of the time as part of my weekly food prep, so we’ve eaten it every possible way at this point. Here are some of our favorites!
- Rice bowls. We are a rice bowl family! I add my oven-baked rice to a bowl, along with some shredded beef and whatever cooked veggies you like. My favorites are sautéed zucchini and onions. This recipe for crockpot shredded beef is packed with protein, and rice bowls are a great way to build a meal filled with protein and nutrients. The options are endless!
- Taquitos. Add shredded beef to a small corn tortilla, roll it up, and secure it with a toothpick. Once you’ve made the amount you want, bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until crispy. While they cook, prepare all of your condiments. We like my creamy southwest dip, mashed avocado, and cilantro. The options are endless, but it’s a fun way to serve a platter of crispy taquitos!
- Beefy pasta. Simmer some of the beef with your favorite marinara and Italian seasonings. Cook this low and slow for the most delicious, rich, beefy pasta sauce. I love this with rigatoni because this is a hearty dish that needs a hearty pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, fresh parsley, and basil!
- Beef and vegetable soup. This is one of my favorite ways to use crockpot shredded beef leftovers. First, saute onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Once they begin to soften, add chopped garlic and whatever seasoning you like. I like thyme, a little oregano, and some red pepper. Cook for about a minute or until fragrant, and then add some of the shredded beef and a can of your favorite beans. (I like cannellini beans) Next, add a can of diced or crushed tomatoes and enough beef bone broth to cover everything. Gently simmer for about an hour, and have the most delicious beef, bean, and veggie soup!
How To Make This More Budget-Friendly
- The price of meat these days will give you sticker shock, so the easiest way to save a lot of money is to stock up on chuck roast when it’s on sale. Recently, it’s been well over $10 a pound everywhere, but Publix recently had it for $5.99 a pound, and I bought three of them. It will be more out-of-pocket upfront, but you save money later.
Check out our vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb recipes if you have food sensitivities! |
More Recipes You May Like
- High Protein Pasta Salad With Orzo & Chicken
- Foolproof Butter & Lemon Baked Rice Recipe
- Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe
- Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe With Avocado
- Greek Yogurt Bowl | Quick + High Protein Recipe
If you try this recipe, I'd love to know! Comment below or tag me on Instagram. Be sure to sign up for my email list so you don’t miss out on anything new. Thanks so much for being here, friends! |
Save This Crockpot Shredded Beef Recipe To Pinterest
Crockpot Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 1 3.5-pound chick roast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Plug in a large crock pot and set the temperature to high.
- Sprinkle half the salt on the bottom of the crockpot.
- Lay the roast on top of the salt.
- Cover and cook on high heat for six hours.
- Remove the beef from the crockpot and transfer to a platter.
- Skim the fat from the drippings in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Shred the beef and pour any remaining juices over the top.
Notes
- I prefer to cook this on high heat because it gives it a gorgeous brown crust that you don't get as much on low heat. If you don't care about that or need to cook this while you're at work, eight hours (or longer) on low heat works fine.
- For even more color on top, after six hours of cooking on high, I quickly basted the meat every 30 minutes for an additional two hours, for a total of eight hours on high. However, the meat was falling apart after six hours on high. After shredding, you could also pop it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- After I remove the beef, I carefully pour everything from the crockpot into a fat-separating cup. Set it aside and let it sit for about five minutes. This is a good time to shred the meat. After about five minutes, you will see that the fat has risen to the top of the separating cup, and you can quickly pour it off, leaving all the delicious juice at the bottom. Depending on how I’m serving the meat, pour that right back over the roast, or I will save it for later.
Nutrition
You May Also Like:
Ham And Egg Muffins | High Protein + Gluten Free
Pumpkin Dip Recipe | 10-Minute High Protein Treat
Italian Chicken Sausage Recipe
Leftover Pulled Pork Bowl With Cottage Cheese
Chicken Dip Recipe | Healthy & High Protein
4-Ingredient Chicken Salad With Ranch
Best Way To Meal Prep Chicken For Quick Meals
How to Make Sausage Balls | Gluten Free, Keto Snack
Leave a Reply