Italian Beef in Crock Pot Without Italian Dressing

This versatile slow cooker Italian beef recipe is packed with flavor. Shred the beef & serve the meat using your preferred method. You can also make this low-carb, paleo, whole30 beef recipe in your Instant Pot.

Updated 2020 with Instant Pot instructions

What Is Italian Beef?

Italian beef is an Italian-American recipe that originated in Chicago. I grew to love Italian beef during my childhood living outside the city. It's one of my all-time favorite meals and my must-have when I'm back in the Chicago area. This isn't a copycat version of a traditional Italian Beef, more of an ode to.

before (electric pressure cooker)

What Cut Of Beef To Use

Traditionally Italian beef is made with thin slices roast beef. I'm swapping that out for a beef roast that's cooked whole. I used a 3 pound chuck roast to be exact. Other suggestions include top round roast, eye of round, or even a brisket. Cook your roast until it's falling apart tender and shreds easily with two forks. If your beef isn't at that point where it shreds easily, keep cooking it until it is.

before (slow cooker)

Pepperoncini Peppers & Giardiniera

A lot of Italian beef recipes you'll find online use pepperoncini peppers. My version uses a mixture of pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera. Pepperoncini peppers are are in the same family as jalapenos but they're not nearly as spicy.  You should be able to find jarred pickled pepperoncini fairly easily at your local grocery. Giardiniera is Italian mixed pickled vegetables made into a relish. It too can be found at your local grocery or online. I suggest you try Chicago-style giardiniera with this recipe if you can get your hands on some. It's made with hot or mild peppers & vegetables that are marinated in oil. Giardiniera in general can be spicy depending on the brand. Be sure to read the labels. Of course if you don't want to use giardiniera you can use 16 ounces of pepperoncini peppers.

after (slow cooker)

Make Your Own Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Ditch the store-bought Italian salad dressing mix! Making your own is so much healthier and you probably have all the seasonings in your pantry. Below is my homemade dry Italian salad dressing mix. Unlike most recipes for dry Italian salad dressing, my version does not include sugar.

Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Homemade dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Other beef recipes you might enjoy:

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Spiced Beef Roast

Mississippi Roast

Salsa Verde Beef

after (electric pressure cooker)

Make This Whole30 Compliant

There are 3 ingredients in this recipe that make not whole30 or paleo compliant: Worcestershire sauce, pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera. Don't fret there is an easy way around this. For the Worcestershire sauce, simply omit it. Or if you're feeling bold, make your own. You should be able to find a who30 compliant recipe with a simple Google search. For the pepperoncini peppers, Divina has an all-natural sliced pepperoncini product that you can use. For the giardiniera, I suggest you check the ingredient list carefully. If you can't find one that's compliant you can always make your own or use 16 ounces of pepperoncini peppers instead.

How To Serve Italian Beef

How you serve this slow cooker Italian beef recipe will depend on your dietary restrictions. Traditionally Italian beef is served sandwich-form on a roll. Lighten up the recipe and keep it whole30, paleo, low-carb, and keto by serving it on lettuce wraps. You can also serve it plated with your preferred side dishes. When I do this, I like to pair it with mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Print

• 2 1/2 – 3 pounds beef roast
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 8 ounces pepperoncini peppers
• 8 ounces giardiniera, drained
• 2 tablespoons Italian Salad Dressing Mix (see blog post for homemade)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for whole30, paleo or make your own)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot)

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Slow Cooker

1. Add broth, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well. Add roast.
2. Top roast with dry Italian salad dressing mix, pepperoncini and giardiniera.
3. Cook HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 8-10.
4. Remove beef from slow cooker, shred and add the meat back in the slow cooker.

Instant Pot

1. Turn the pressure cooker tosaute. Once hot, add the oil and beef. Brown beef on all sides, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Remove roast from the pressure cooker.
2. Add beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Stir in the dry Italian salad dressing mix, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Add roast back to the pot. Top with pepperoncini peppers & giardiniera.
4. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 25 minutes per pounds of meat. When done, natural release pressure 10 minutes then quick release remaining pressure.
5. Shred beef and keep in the pressure cooker until ready to serve.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hours

PIN FOR LATER

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