These Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are done right, Chicago style! Each tender sandwich is infused with Italian seasonings and served on a hoagie dripping with juice and loaded with crunchy giardiniera! Not only are they perfect for serving a crowd, they are effortless to make with a crock pot!
Warning – This sandwich is best enjoyed reminiscing about the ’85 Chicago Bears and waxing nostalgically about Mike Ditka. Actually, if da coach were a food blogger Italian Beef Sandwich recipes would likely be published each week, along with a buzzing Instagram feed of whatever William Perry is eating.
What is a Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich?
More than likely Chicago natives are ready to chastise me for using a slow cooker and shredding the meat for these sandwiches. If you are wondering what authentic Italian Beef sandwiches are, traditionally Chicago-style Italian Beef Sandwiches feature an oven roasted rump roast that is sliced thin with a deli slicer, then piled onto a hoagie roll, loaded with crunchy giardiniera, and dipped in the savory cooking juices!
However, since I suspect most of you don't have a home deli slicer, shredding these crock pot style is a worthy compromise. However, if you do buy a home deli slicer, get two and share with me. You'll be my favorite reader for a day.
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Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are the perfect set it and forget it meal. It takes a few minutes to load up the slow cooker and then you simply go about your day as your home gets filled with the most fragrant aromas!
I have my recipe set to cook on high for four hours, however, you can certainly leave it on low and let it simmer all day. You don't have to worry about crock pot Italian beef overcooking, it just gets more tender and flavor-infused.
Since no Italian beef sandwich is complete without it, I considered including a giardiniera recipe with this post. However since it is a multi-day process to prepare, I figured that defeated the purpose of having an easy Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches recipe.
What Bun for Italian Beef Sandwiches?
A classic Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich is dipped in the cooking juices so it is important your bun of choice can stand up to the liquid. An overly light and airy bun will quickly become saturated and begin falling apart. Instead, look for a slightly chewy hoagie roll, or French / Italian baguette, that can soak up the juice and still maintain it's structure.
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches - Chicago Style
Ingredients
- 4 lb Rump roast (Any stew roast can be substituted, like Chuck Roast)
- 2 cup Beef broth
- ¾, 16oz jar sliced Pepperonchini peppers, drained
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2, 0.7oz Italian dressing seasoning packets
- 1 tsp Fresh Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Up to 1 tsp Salt to taste.
For Serving
- Hoagie Rolls
- Giardiniera
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to crock pot and set on high.
- Cook 4-5 hours, or until easily shredded.
- Shred beef with fork.
Serving
- This is meant to be a juicy sandwich. Either ladle out some juice to dip your sandwich in, or add the beef to the hoagie along with a generous splash of juice.
- Top meat with giardiniera and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Connie Koehler
Can you do this on low for the crock pot? Just double the time?
Fox Valley Foodie
Yes absolutely, just expect it to take a couple hours longer. It is done when the beef is easily shredded.
Connie Koehler
Thank you!
Destiney
This recipe is the best!!! Mt kids beg me to make it. I've probably made this over 20 times and it's always a huge hit! Fantastic!!!
P. Sellars
I'm trying this for the first time, in the Crock Pot now. If I may offer one suggestion, in reading the ingredients on the Italian Dressing packets, I see they're mostly sugar and salt. The remainder is spices already included in the recipe. So, skipping the salad dressing packets and increasing the spices slightly could easily save five bucks...
P. Sellars
It worked out well! I'd ease up on the pepperoncini (I used a 6 Oz jar of our home grown and canned) because our lips were burning. 🙂 Also I added some sliced sweet bell pepper to the broth late, to top the sandwich rather than gardiniera.
Ed
You should eliminate the pepperoncini altogether as genuine Chicago style Italian Beef doesn’t have it. I grew up in Chicago in an Italian neighborhood and nobody ever made it that way.
Brittany
How did they make it in your neighborhood? Is it exactly the same, minus the pepperocinis?
mikey
Actually I don't remember pepperoncini either. it was jardiniere, sweet peppers, and hot sport peppers as typical garnishes.
Lulu M
Made this again Aug 15, 2019. It’s the best authentic tasting Chicago style Italian beef Recipes. Super easy too. Thanks!
Betsy Carlovsky
Does this reheat well? I would like to make it in advance to bring along on vacation to serve a crowd. Please advise. Thank you!
Fox Valley Foodie
Yes, it reheats great!
David Webb
Absolutely...in fact letting it set in a refrigerator for a day or so actually adds to the depth of the flavor.
Menuplanner
This recipe is terrific. I have made it four times since selecting it out of the hundreds (thousands?) on the internet two years ago. Everyone likes it; old, young, male, female, they all say it is delicious, every time. It is super easy and super satisfying, which are big winners when hosting a crowd. Plus, it smells so good cooking. My only tweaks are that I double the recipe (except for the Italian dressing packets), use an entire 32oz box of beef broth, add a jar of medium hot giardiniera, and cook everything 8 - 10 hours (6'ish on high and the balance on low). I live in Chicago as do many of my guests, and we all regard this recipe as right up there with, if not ahead of, our favorite Italian beef places. The flavor is just that good. Thank you, Fox Valley Foodie!
Julie
This was Wonderful! Every picky male eater in the house loved it. However for myself I need to reduce the salt somehow. I’ll tweek that next time I make it. I cooked mine on high for about 5 hours. My slow cooker doesn’t cook real hot. It was very tender.
Debbie
Ive made this in the crocpot cooking on high abd ut us dekicious and a famiky favorite. What would the adjustments be to make this in an Instant Pot?
Fox Valley Foodie
Unfortunately, I have not attempted this recipe in the instant pot.