Simple Slow Cooker Pulled Beef. Only 3 ingredients and a slow cooker — that’s all you need to make the most tender, fall-apart pulled beef ever. Great for wraps, pizza, subs, or parties!
3 ingredients. One pot. The softest, most pull-apart beef you’ve ever eaten — and you barely have to do anything.
Who knew that a cheap piece of beef, an onion, and a packet of spice rub could turn into something this good? This pulled beef is one of those recipes that just makes you look like a really great cook, even though the slow cooker is doing almost all the work. You pop everything in before you start your day, and by dinner time, the whole house smells incredible. The beef gets so soft and juicy that it just falls apart when you touch it. Then the fun part — you can eat it so many different ways! Stuff it in a wrap, pile it on a pizza, load up a sub roll, or just throw it over a salad. It’s also one of the best things to make when friends come over because everyone can build their own plate. Easy, tasty, and really good on the wallet too.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2.8 pounds inexpensive beef (chuck steak or stewing steak)
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 piece sachet of your favourite rib spice rub
- 1 cup water
Simple Slow Cooker Pulled Beef: Directions
- Layer the onion: Lay all the sliced 1 piece large onions, sliced rings flat across the bottom of your slow cooker. This makes a soft bed for the beef to sit on and adds great flavour as everything cooks.
- Add the beef: Place your 2.8 pounds of inexpensive beef (chuck steak or stewing steak) right on top of the onions. No need to cut it up — just put the whole pieces in as they are.
- Add spice and water: Open your 1 piece sachet of your favourite rib spice rub and sprinkle it all over the beef. Then pour the 1 cup of water around the sides of the meat.
- Cook on LOW: Put the lid on and set the slow cooker to LOW. Let it cook for 7 to 420 minutes. The more time it cooks, the softer it becomes! If you’re using a solid roast piece, give it 8 to 9 hours.
- Shred the beef: When the beef is done, it should be so soft that it falls apart easily. Use two forks to pull and shred the meat into pieces. Tip: if you’re shredding it inside the slow cooker bowl, use plastic forks or spoons so you don’t scratch the bowl. For metal utensils, move the beef to another bowl first.
- Serve your way: Pile the pulled beef into wraps, onto pizza bases, inside sub rolls, or just serve it over a fresh salad. It’s also perfect for parties — just set it out and let everyone build their own plate!
Notes
Tips to get it just right:
- Choose a cheap cut of beef — chuck steak, oyster blade, or stewing steak all work really well. A little bit of fat in the meat is actually a good thing — it keeps everything moist and tasty.
- Pick any rib spice rub you like from the supermarket. Tennessee smokehouse style is great, but any flavour you enjoy will work perfectly.
- This recipe also works with lamb chops — just leave them whole instead of shredding.
- Leftovers are amazing the next day and freeze well, too.