Easy slow cooker BBQ pulled beef

5 from 5 votes

Easy slow cooker BBQ pulled beef

Recipe video above. Make this when you want a big batch of succulent pulled beef smothered in an incredible homemade barbecue sauce, made using the convenience of a slow cooker. Pile into sliders, heap onto plates, stuff into baked potatoes. So many ways to enjoy it!

Adapted from my Easy Slow Cooker BBQ pulled pork recipe. I don't sear the pork before slow cooking, but it's really worth searing the beef. I tried without and it was still great, but it's noticeably better when you do. :)

Easy to scale up - I can do a double batch in my slow cooker.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10 20

Course: Mains

Cuisine: BBQ, Southern, Texas, Western

Keyword: BBQ pulled beef, BBQ shredded beef

Servings: - 10 or 12

Calories: 448cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

1.5 kg / 3 lb chuck beef , cut into 4 thick steaks (Note 1)
1 cup beer (anything other than dark stouts like Guinness), or beef stock/broth, low sodium (Note 2)
3 tbsp olive oil or other neutral oil, for searing

RUB:

3 tbsp (tightly packed) brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika powder (regular/sweet or smoked)
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
3 cups tomato ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
3 tbsp molasses , orginal (not blackstrap, Note 4)
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tsp mustard powder
3 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (optional, very faint background spiciness)

Option garnish (for serving in bowl)

2 tbsp green onion , finely sliced

Cups - Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

Mix BBQ sauce in slow cooker. Coat beef in Rub, sear. Deglaze pan with beer. Arrange beef in slow cooker, add beer, slow cook 10 hours. Shred, reduce BBQ sauce on stove, toss half with beef, serve rest on the side.

FULL RECIPE

BBQ Sauce - Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and whisk to combine.
Season beef - Mix the Rub together in a medium bowl. Dredge the steak in the Rub to coat on both sides.
Sear - Heat half the oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Brown 2 steaks for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side until deep golden but take care not to burn the spice rub. Place in the slow cooker. Wipe the pan clean of black bits, heat the remaining oil and repeat with remaining 2 steaks.
Deglaze pan with beer - Add the beer into the pan and let it simmer rapidly, scraping the base as you go, until it is reduced down to about 1/4 cup - about 3 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker.
Slow cook 10 hours - Arrange the beef so each piece is as submerged as much as possible. Slow cook on low for 10 hours. The beef should be tender enough to easily shred.
Shred - Remove the beef into a pan and shred with 2 forks.
Reduce sauce - Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a pot or large deep fry pan. Simmer on medium high for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened to a BBQ sauce consistency. Stir regularly towards the end and lower heat as needed if it starts to splutter aggressively.
Toss - Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 the sauce over the beef and toss (use enough to moisten and flavour, but not make it soggy).
Serve the beef with remaining BBQ sauce. Use for sliders and sandwiches with Coleslaw for classic southern sliders (pictured), make plates with Corn bread, Mac and Cheese and corn on the cob on the side, stuff into baked potatoes. You just can't go wrong however you serve it!

Notes

1. Beef chuck - slow cooking cut of beef used for stewing, this shreds well and is marbled with fat which keeps the beef succulent (look for chuck that has marbling!). Brisket and gravy beef can also be used but these are leaner so aren't my favourite (also, brisket is quite stringy).

Here in Australia, you can buy chuck already cut into thick steaks, but if you buy a block, cut it yourself.

2. Beer - Any beer other than dark beers like stout and Guinness. Hard or non alcoholic cider is also terrific (or pear cider). For non alcoholic, use 0% alcohol beer or beef stock (broth).

3. Vinegar - white wine or champagne vinegar also works well here. Plain white vinegar can also be used but reduce by one third as it is sharper.

4. Molasses adds an extra richness to the Barbecue Sauce and also deepens the sauce colour to the dark brown we know and love about barbecue sauce! Do not use blackstrap molasses - colour and flavour is too intense (label will say it is blackstrap, if it doesn't it should be regular molasses).

5. Other cook methods:

Pressure cooker / instant pot - 1 hr 20 minutes on high.
Oven - 3 to 4 hours at 160°C/325°F (140°C fan). Follow the recipe using a large heavy based pot or a roasting pan (if using pot, you can do the searing in it first then add the BBQ sauce later) but add an extra cup of water into the sauce (there is more evaporation in the oven). Cover with a heavy lid, or paper touching the surface of the meat then a double layer of foil. Then slow cook in the oven until the meat is fall apart.

6. Servings - If making sliders with Coleslaw or stuffing into baked potatoes, it will easily make 10 if not 12. If making plates, it will make enough for 7 to 8 adults.

Storage - freezes brilliantly, both the meat and sauce! Or keeps in fridge for 4 days. Best reheated in microwave to keep things juicy and moist!

Nutrition per serving, assuming 10 servings, all the meat and 3/4 of the sauce (you're unlikely to use it all, but we need a minimum amount for slow cooking).

Nutrition