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–+ servings
beef sandwich topped with Chicago-style giardiniera
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Printable Italian Beef Recipe

Tender chuck roast cooks low and slow with Italian seasonings, pepperoncini and beef broth, then gets shredded and soaked in savory au jus. Pile it onto crusty Italian rolls and top with Chicago-style giardiniera for an easy Italian beef sandwich.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicago Italian beef, chicago style italian beef recipe slow cooker, portillo's italian beef sandwiches recipe, slow cooker Italian beef
Servings: 8 people
Author: Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen.com

Ingredients

Instructions

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

  • Place the chuck roast in a 6-quart Crock Pot.
  • Pour the beef broth, Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini peppers and juice, and Worcestershire sauce over the beef.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
  • Transfer the entire roast to a cutting board. Shred the beef with two forks, removing any large pieces of rendered fat.
  • Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir it into the cooking liquid.
  • Cover and cook for another 20–30 minutes on LOW. This gives the meat time to soak up that rich, savory au jus.
  • Pile the tender beef onto crusty Italian rolls. Spoon a little au jus over the meat and top with hot giardiniera.
  • For a wetter Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich: Dip the inside of the roll quickly into the au jus before filling it. Or spoon additional gravy over the whole sandwich.

Instant Pot Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

  • Cut the chuck roast into 3–4 large pieces.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add a little olive oil and brown the outside of the beef for 2–3 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary.
  • Remove the beef and pour about ½ cup of the beef broth into the pot. Scrape the bottom thoroughly to loosen the browned bits.
  • Return the beef to the pot. Add the remaining broth, Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini and juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Lock the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes.
  • Allow a 15-minute natural release, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
  • Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred.
  • Return the shredded beef to the Instant Pot and let it sit in the Italian beef gravy for about 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve on Italian rolls with giardiniera and plenty of au jus.

Stovetop Chicago Style Italian Beef

  • Heat a little olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Brown the beef on all sides, then remove it temporarily from the pot.
  • Pour in about ½ cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits.
  • Return the beef to the pot and add the remaining broth, Italian dressing mix, seasonings, pepperoncini and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Cover and cook over low heat for 3–3½ hours, turning the beef occasionally, until fork tender.
  • Shred the beef and return it to the pot.
  • Simmer for another 15–20 minutes before piling it onto rolls with Chicago-style giardiniera.

Dutch Oven Italian Beef Recipe

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Brown the chuck roast well on all sides.
  • Add the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to release the browned bits.
  • Add the Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini and juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
  • Cook for 3–3½ hours, or until the beef is tender enough to pull apart easily.
  • Shred the beef and return it to the savory au jus.
  • Cover and return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes before serving.

Oven-Baked Italian Beef Sandwiches

  • Here's an extra method that's worth having for this particular recipe because it gives you those hot, crispy-edged sandwiches.
  • Prepare the beef using any of the methods above.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Split the Italian rolls and arrange them on a baking sheet.
  • Fill each roll generously with shredded Italian beef.
  • Add provolone or mozzarella cheese if desired.
  • Bake for 5–8 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the cheese is melted.
  • Top with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers after baking.
  • Serve with small bowls of warm au jus for dipping.
  • That's definitely not the traditional naked Chicago beef sandwich anymore—but it's a damn good variation.

Freezer Meal Instructions

  • Freeze Before Cooking
  • Add to a freezer bag: Roast, seasonings, Pepperoncini and juices, Worcestershire
  • Remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, add the beef broth, and cook according to the slow cooker instructions.
  • I'd keep the giardiniera and rolls out of the freezer bag and buy or prepare those when you're ready to serve.
  • Freeze After Cooking
  • This one's even easier.
  • Let the Italian beef cool completely. Divide the shredded beef and enough au jus to keep it moist between airtight containers or freezer bags.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the beef in its own au jus over low heat. That helps keep it tender instead of drying it out.
  • Leftovers: You can also store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Just keep it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

Notes

Chuck roast gives the best tender, shreddable beef; rump roast can also work.
Use sturdy Italian, French or hoagie rolls so they hold up to the au jus.
For a wetter Chicago-style sandwich, quickly dip the inside of the roll in the au jus before filling.
Serve with hot or mild giardiniera. Provolone or mozzarella is optional.
Store leftover beef in its au jus to help keep it moist.