
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
I have been wanting to make some of my favorite Instant Pot meals in the Slow Cooker to prepare for the Fall. It would be great if I could throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning and have the meal waiting for us 8-10 hours later. This Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe is adapted from my Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa recipe. I used easy to find ingredients (stew meat, herbs, and citrus) and then let them cook together in a crock pot! The tenderness of the meat is so amazing, I know you will love it. I served this on some tacos, my Avocado Crema and my homemade Peach Mango Salsa. What a wonderful combination!
I like to make a double batch of this meat and then eat it with some rice and veggies, or use it for tacos, burritos, or even to make a super stuffed grilled cheese! It is so tasty and everyone who tries this absolutely loves this meal, especially my toddler. This beef dish is 100% kid approved! I served my slow cooker pulled beef in tacos with my homemade Peach Mango Salsa.
What is traditional barbacoa made from?
This slow cooker pulled beef is based off of my recipe for Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa. Barbacoa is actually a method of cooking meat. It is normally slowly cooked that produces tender and juicy results. I used my Slow Cooker (crock pot) to achieve this result.
What cut of meat do you use for Slow Cooker Pulled Beef?
Chuck Roast is the best cut of meat to use for pulled beef, but I also like to use Stew Meat. I mainly shop at Trader Joe’s because my wife works there and they sell stew meat, but not Chuck Roast. Since it is easier for me to get, I like to use it. It also produces similar results when slow cooked or used in my instant pot. Plus, no cutting necessary! Win/Win!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pulled Beef:
Beef Stew Meat (or Beef Chuck Roast cut into 2 inch pieces)
Cooking Oil
Garlic Stir-In Paste
sea salt
cumin
Black Pepper
Chipotle Pepper Powder
oregano
beef broth (low sodium)
orange or whole lime (juiced)
Dried Cilantro
Cooking Instructions:
Put all of your ingredients in your Slow Cooker except for the fresh cilantro. Give it a good stir to make sure all of the spices are mixed around.
Turn on your Slow Cooker and put it on low heat. Cook for 8-10 hours. I like to check it around 8 hours. I use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and put it on a cutting board. Then I shred up some of the meat and add it back to the slow cooker for a little bit longer.
Turn Heat Off, Remove Beef from the Juice using a slotted spoon. Add the Beef to a cutting board, and shred up the rest of the beef. Add the beef back into the slow cooker juices and serve
Top with finely minced fresh cilantro
You can then use this beef in tacos, over rice, in burritos, or even a grilled cheese.
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef
Equipment
- 4 qt Slow Cooker Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 lbs Beef Stew Meat Chuck Roast cut into 2" pieces can also be used
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tbsp Garlic Paste or 4 Garlic Cloves finely minced
- 1.5 tsp Sea Salt not table salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder you can use regular chili powder in it’s place but it will not have the classic barbacoa taste
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 Large Lime, Juiced or 1/2 of an Orange, seeds removed, Juiced
- 1/2 tbsp Dried Cilantro optional
- Fresh Cilantro optional
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in your Slow Cooker except for the fresh cilantro
- Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours
- Turn Heat Off, Remove Beef from the Juice using a slotted spoon. Add the Beef to a cutting board, and shred up the beef.
- Add the beef back into the slow cooker juices and serve
- Top with finely minced fresh cilantro
August 23, 2022 at 9:06 am
Love this recipe! I also just looked at your Healthy Chili recipe from February and it mentioned the long cold days. I wouldn’t mind a long cold day right about now (just a few though).
November 22, 2022 at 7:06 am
[…] Slow Cooker Pulled Beef […]
December 1, 2022 at 10:17 am
This beef is perfect to have on hand for meal prepping so I always make a double batch! My kids love it and it’s great as tacos, on a salad, or with rice- so versatile! The tip about low and slow is spot on, the meat comes out perfectly every time.
December 1, 2022 at 10:25 am
So happy your enjoyed this!
March 17, 2023 at 11:09 am
[…] And one thing about chuck is that is is the BEST beef for slow cooking. I use chuck roast for my Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe, as well as my Stove Top Beef Stew. Chuck is the ultimate slow cooked meat, and these beef […]