Low Carb Slow Cooker Italian Beef

Name: Low Carb Slow Cooker Italian Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 h 15 min
Total time: 6 h 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 pound boneless beef chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into large 6 inch x 6 inch chunks; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 12 ounces whole pepperoncini peppers and their juice (one 12-ounce jar); 2 cups beef stock; 1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced; 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasonings (I used McCormick "Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning," which is gluten-free); 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 bay leaf

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This Low Carb Slow Cooker Italian Beef is the most delicious, fall-apart tender, flavorful, low-carb & keto meal just waiting to be devoured! If you're not concerned with carbs, load this meat along with its sauce and cheese onto some slider buns and enjoy one amazing sandwich!

This one’s for all my slow cooker fans!

Today we’re whipping up some Low Carb Slow Cooker Italian Beef!! It’s sooo tender and flavorful my friend – I know you’re gonna love it!

Other than two easy prep steps, you’re literally just dumping your ingredients into the slow cooker, and letting this Italian beef recipe cook itself for 6 hours. Then, boom!! The most delicious, fall-apart tender, flavorful, low-carb/keto dinner just waiting to be devoured!

If you’re like me, you might be wondering where did this whole Italian Beef concept came from?

As always, I’m here to Google random food facts for you and report back. 😀

Where did Italian Beef come from?

The true origin of Italian Beef is not exactly known, but it was said to have been made popular by Italian immigrants in the Chicago area in the early 1900s who worked for local stock yards. The belief is that they would often bring home less desirable cuts of meat sold by their employer and slow roast them in a spicy broth.

This produced super tender roasted meat full of flavor from the cooking liquids, that was loaded into Italian bread to make the meal go farther. By the 1950s, local restaurants were offering their own versions, and calling them “Italian Beef Sandwiches.”

“Super tender roasted meat, full of flavor from the spicy broth” – yesss!!! Sign me up!

Not to overwhelm you with facts and information but I thought this was kind of interesting… crock pots didn’t come on the scene until the 1940’s. So originally this hunk of meat was cooked on a really low temp in the oven until it magically became tender and delicious.

Interesting – right?

But hello - we’re in 2020 and making this yumminess in our slow cookers, hands free while we’re bringing home the bacon and doing 10 other things that I can’t think of right now because I’m a little tired.

But less about busy schedules and more about this tender meat that melts in your mouth!

What Cut of Meat is Italian Beef Made From?

When it comes to slow-cooking there are a number of cuts of meat that can work for this recipe. Good news! Most of these cuts are cheaper because they have more muscle or connective tissue. The slow cooking process breaks down that meat and tenderizes it really nicely. Any of these cuts would work:

Chuck Roast
Bottom round roast
Rump roast
Eye round
Round tip roast
Sirloin tip roast

I used a chuck roast for mine. I cut it into large 6 inch chunks and trimmed away as much fat as I could. That way when it’s finished cooking there’s hardly any oil floating on the top to remove. Of course you could skip that step, and then deal with the fat when the meat has finished cooking - either way.

I also seared my meat before I added it to the crock pot. This is such a great way to infuse even more flavor into this dish.

If you’re not watching your carbs then I highly recommend loading up some slider buns or hoagie rolls with this hearty goodness, dipping it in the meat sauce, and enjoying the most tasty Italian beef sandwich ever.

And if you feel like sharing, it makes such a great meal for serving a crowd when you’re watching a game or just hanging out with your people.

How about we discuss how to make this yumminess??

As I mentioned this is a pretty easy recipe… but allow me to break it down for you.

How to make Italian Beef:

First, turn the slow cooker on high and add the beef stock, pepperoncini, onion, garlic, onion powder, bay leaf, and Italian seasonings. (You will turn the crock pot down to low after the beef has been added.)
Cut the beef into evenly sized 6-inch chunks and cut off any fat you see. Season the pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and turn the heat to high. When the pan is hot, carefully add the meat to the pan and sear on all sides, rotating every 2-3 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan and add it to the slow cooker. Try to get all the meat into a single layer in the liquid, and cover with the lid.

Turn the slow cooker down to low, and cook for 6 hours.

Remove the lid and turn the slow cooker down to warm. Drain off the cooking liquid into a bowl (there should be around 3-4 cups). Remove any of the oily fat you can. Then pour the cooking liquid through a strainer to remove any bits and pieces. Add the liquid to saute pan, bring to a simmer on the stovetop, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the Italian beef from the crock pot and pull or shred it using two forks. Place it on a large plate or platter and top it off with some shredded provolone, mozzarella, or Italian blend cheese. If needed, heat the plate in the microwave to melt the cheese, and enjoy!

You can enjoy this yumminess straight up with a fork, or over some cauliflower rice for a low-carb and keto friendly meal. Or you can layer it on sandwich rolls and dunk it in that sauce for a delicious and hearty feast!

Either way you’re definitely gonna want seconds!

If you’re looking for more great slow-cooker beef recipes, be sure to check out my slow cooker beef barbacoa and this crock-pot beef ragu! And if you're in the mood for slow cooker but don't want a beef recipe, these crockpot chicken fajitas are for you!

Yield: 12 servings