Slow Cooker Italian Shredded Beef Sliders

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4.80 from 10 votes

Slow Cooker Italian Shredded Beef Sliders

Prep Time15

Servings: sandwiches

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Ingredients

For the Italian Shredded Beef:

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (16-ounce) jar sliced hot banana peppers with their juices
1/4 to 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 pounds boneless chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For Serving:

12 slider buns
10 slices provolone cheese
Hot giardiniera (optional)

Instructions

Slow Cooker Directions:

In the bottom of a slow cooker, add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, banana peppers and the juices from the jar, 1/4 cup broth, and Italian seasoning and stir until well combined. Set aside.
Pat dry the chuck roast and season on both sides with salt and pepper, pressing the seasonings into the meat. Sprinkle and rub the flour so that it evenly coats both sides of the roast.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on both sides until a golden-brown crust forms. (I know it’s annoying to brown the meat before the slow cooker, but I think it really adds flavor to the meat, plus the flour that coats the beef helps thicken the sauce a bit).
Nestle the meat into the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat is cooked through and fall apart tender.
Transfer the meat to a baking sheet and shred using two forks. Transfer back to the slow cooker and toss to coat in the liquid, cover and keep on ‘warm’ until ready to build your sliders. The longer it sits in the liquid on warm, the more flavorful and tender the meat!

Instant Pot Directions:

Pat the chuck roast dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper, pressing the seasonings into the meat. Sprinkle and rub the flour so that it evenly coats both sides of the roast.
Set the Instant Pot to the 'saute' function and heat the oil. Add the roast and brown on both sides until a golden-brown crust forms, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Turn off the 'saute' function.
In the bottom of the Instant Pot, add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, banana peppers and the juices from the jar, 1/2 cup broth, and Italian seasoning and stir until well combined. Nestle the browned chuck roast into the instant pot.
Close the lid and ensure the vent is set to Sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Manual) on HIGH for 60 minutes.
After cooking, carefully turn the valve to release the pressure. Carefully open the Instant Pot. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet and shred using two forks. Transfer back to the Instant Pot and toss to coat in the liquid, cover and keep on ‘warm’ until ready to build your sliders. The longer it sits in the liquid on warm, the more flavorful and tender the meat!

Make the Sliders:

To serve, place the bottom halves of the slider buns on a large baking sheet. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the italian shredded beef on top of the slider buns and pile them in small mounds for individual sliders. Top them all with provolone and then finish with some giardinara, if using. Place on the top rack of your oven and turn on the broiler on high (or turn the oven to it’s highest setting). Cook until the cheese is melty and browned, 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully to not burn. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Notes

If hosting and you want people to serve themselves—you can set up a little “build-a-slider" station. Place the slider buns, provolone slices, and giardiniera in a little buffet line up by the slow cooker filled with the shredded beef where people can build their own sliders. The cheese won’t get browned like it does under the broiler but it does start to melt from the heat of the meat and is still delicious!

Like a “dip” sandwich, these are super juicy, so you want to serve them immediately. The bottom of the bun does get softened in a good way, but if you let them sit around too long, they get overly soggy.

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