Short on time? This Slow Cooker BBQ is the ultimate ‘set it & forget it’ kind of meal!
Meal prep magic
It’s no secret that we’re obsessed with meal prepping around here. It’s literally our secret weapon when it comes to eating healthy despite all the ‘fullness’ our lives have to offer. Having a fridge full of ready-to-cook meals, reheat and eat meals and salads and snacks prepped and ready to go means we don’t have to wonder ‘what’s for dinner?’ or rely on sheer willpower to stay out of the fast food drive-thru.
If the idea of meal prepping is new to you – or you’re a seasoned meal prepper who’s strayed from your weekly habit or taken some time off (it happens, especially during the holidays!) – then check out our 7 Steps for Mastering Meal Planning in 2018 to get you started or help you rekindle your meal prep mojo.
Now that we’ve got that little PSA out of way, let’s talk about one of my favorite meal prep recipes of all time: Slow Cooker BBQ Beef
I love this recipe because:
- Makes a huge batch – enough to serve 10-12 – so it’s perfect for batch cooking and for parties or potlucks
- Uses an less expensive cut of meat
- Freezes well
- Can be used several different ways – stuffed in a sweet potato, served over cauliflower rice or a bed of greens, wrapped in lettuce or collard leaves, added to eggs or even served on a gluten-free bun if you’re not doing a Whole30
- It’s amily-friendly and kid-approved
- Requires just 15-20 minutes of prep time – even less if you skip the browning/searing step
- It’s Whole30-friendly – no sugar, dairy, gluten or soy; just real food ingredients you might already have on hand
If you’re not already convinced that this Slow Cooker BBQ Beef deserves a place on your meal plan, then let me show you just how easy it is.
Start with good onions. I prefer the jumbo sweet onions for their flavor and because they cook down nice and soft – which is great if you have little ones who like to pick things out of their food. These onions are nearly indistinguishable from the meat thanks to the acid from the vinegar and tomatoes and the long cooking time.
Wondering if you should purchase grass-fed beef? Learn how to choose quality red meat in this post!
Browning the meat before tossing it in the slow cooker is totally optional. Cutting the roast into smaller chunks makes it easier to handle and also helps the meat cook faster and more evenly (and IMHO, you get a more tender, fall apart product in the end). It’s also easier to handle in the pan if you do choose to brown it first.
Place the onion in the slow cooker, add the beef and then the sauce (which I alluded to earlier, is super simple and you likely have everything already on hand!) Now give it a good stir to coat the meat and onions with the sauce.
Now, put the lid on the slow cooker, set it to low and walk away for 8-10 hours. When you return you’ll have a whole mess of beautiful and super versatile BBQ beef to do with as you please.
I personally love it stuffed into a baked sweet potato and topped with my simple 4-ingredient coleslaw for the ultimate Whole30-friendly comfort meal!
Now it’s your turn.
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Slow Cooker BBQ Beef (Whole30)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 mins
- Yield: 10-12 1x
- Category: Main Entree, Slow Cooker, Meal Prep
- Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-free

Ingredients
- 2 ¾ – 3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. oregano, dried
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Simple Cole Slaw
- 1 (9-ounce) bag coleslaw mix (shredded green cabbage, carrots and red cabbage)
- ⅓ cup mayo (such as Primal Kitchen)
- 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice onions and place on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cut beef roast into 3 chunks, about 1 lb. each. If searing meat before placing in the slow cooker, heat 1 Tbsp. fat of choice in a Dutch oven or other large pan over medium-high heat. When fat is hot, add beef and sear 4-5 minutes on each side, turning once.
- Transfer meat to slow cooker with the onions.
- Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over beef and onions. Stir to coat meat and onions.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender and shreds easily.
- Remove meat from slow cooker to a baking dish and shred with 2 forks, return meat to slow cooker and stir into onions and sauce before serving.
- Store leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 275mg
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
What’s your favorite ‘set it & forget it’ kind of meal? Share in the comments below!
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Jordan says
Could you do this in an instant pot?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Jordan,
Though you can do the in the Instant Pot you don’t get as good of a result as the you do with the slow cooker. I found that reducing the water to ¼ cup and cutting the meat into smaller chunks (6 ½ lb. chunks vs. 3 larger ones) helped it get more tender and slightly less watery. It’s definitely more ideal to use the slow cooker to get the sauce and onions to caramelize slightly but if you just need to get dinner on the table relatively quick, then the Instant Pot will do it (I used ‘Manual’ setting for 45 minutes). Hope that helps!
If you make it in the Instant Pot with any tweaks to the time or recipe I’d love to hear what worked for you so we can share it with other readers.
Stephanie says
Since the Instant Pot is a slow cooker as well as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, etc., use the slow cooker settings. I ditched my crockery slow cooker due to sometimes lead being in the crockery and releasing under heat; I just wasn’t going to take the chance. I got an Instant Pot specifically to use as a slow cooker since it’s stainless steel. It’s super, super easy to clean, too, as compared to a crockery insert.
I’m thawing meat to try this this weekend!
Sara says
Hi. This sounds great! Do you think i could sub pork?
Jessica Beacom says
Hey Sara,
You definitely can use pork. I’d suggest using a fattier cut like pork shoulder or a Boston butt roast for the best results.
Nicole says
Do you ever use the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Nicole,
I have an older version of the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 and when I’ve used the Slow Cooker function I found it ran really hot. My LOW was more like the HIGH on my slow cooker which isn’t a bad thing, it just means that I can’t leave it on all day while I’m away.
Yours may be different if it’s newer so I would suggest trying it out on a day while you’re home just in case it runs hot like mine does.
Elaine Lemon says
Hi! This looks so good but I don’t have a slow-cooker. Can it be made without? If so, how?! Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Elaine,
Yes, you can make it in a Dutch oven. Just add the sauce and onions to the pot after searing the beef, cover with the lid and bake in a 185-200F oven for 8-9 hours until tender.
Molly says
I made this in the Instant Pot the other night, since I needed to get dinner on the table quickly. I had about 5 lbs chuck roast and cut it into pretty small pieces (approx. 2-3 inches). I seared the cut up meat in the IP on the saute setting, and then cooked everything under high pressure for 65 minutes. I manually released the pressure and it was perfect. Everyone loved it and we’ve been eating in for 3 days. 100% family approved. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
This is so great to know that it works in the Instant Pot too. Thanks for sharing and happy to hear it was family approved.
Carol says
Wow is this really only 4 grams of fat?! I did remove fatty pieces I saw while shredding the beef 🙂 it is fantastic, thank you for the recipe!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Carol,
Sorry, there was a typo there and I’ve updated the nutrition information to include the meat (4 ounces) plus ¼ cup cole slaw.
Carol says
No worries, thank you for the additional information! I actually made the cole slaw without mayo since my Thrive Kitchen order hadn’t arrived yet. It’s good to know for the next time I make this :o)
★★★★★
JENNIFER B says
Hi Carol can you please tell me how much saturated fat?
★★★★
Robyn says
I made the slaw portion yesterday. I used the primal kitchen chipotle lime mayo. It turned out delicious. I will try
the beef recipe this week!
Stacie Hassing says
That mayo is the best! Hope you enjoy the beef recipe, too!
Alayna says
Totally yummy! I love you slow cooker recipes the best as I work from home. I served it over sweet potato toast and hubby loved it! Another recipe to add to the rotation:)
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Alayna,
It totally agree with you. Since I work for home I prefer the slow cooker over the Instant Pot because you get more developed flavor and a more tender texture. Glad you love this recipe!
Cheri says
Could this be made on the high setting to reduce cooking time?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Cheri,
Yes, you can use the high setting. It should take roughly half as long depending on your slow cooker (some run hotter than others).
Tina Racca says
This looks so good!!!! Would love to be able to print out the recipe. Can you email it to me?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Tina,
You can print the recipe by clicking the green “Print Recipe” button just below the photo in the ‘recipe card’ on your screen. Hope that helps!
Evelyn Cunningham-Thigpen says
Jessica, I read your recipes as much as I can, I was a Diabetic, but I reversed it last October trough November, now I am eating low carb. I sometime eat something I am not suppose to have, but I like your recipes. Continue to show low carb recipes like the one above. hank you.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Evelyn,
Great job taking control of your diabetes and reversing it. We love to hear when our recipes become part of other’s lives in such beneficial way. Thanks for the feedback on the low-carb recipes, too! All the best to you.
Angelica says
I found you through some random link that showed up on another site I was on (the link was for the most popular recipe on Pinterest, your Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili) and for once I am actually glad I clicked on that random link. So far I have been on your site for about 5 minutes and have already printed 3 recipes to cook this week! I am currently following a Keto way of eating and I’m very happy to see that you have several low carb options. I will definitely be a follower moving forward, especially if the recipes turn out as delicious as they sound (and according to the reader comments they will be sooo delicious!!)
cass says
how is this whole 30 if it has 2g sugar??
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Cass,
The 2g of sugar are naturally occurring and the source is tomato paste. On the Whole30, the goal is to avoid added sugars from processed, refined and/or concentrated sources. Sugars found in fruits and vegetables are allowed so to answer your question, this recipe is Whole30-compliant in that the sugars are from tomatoes. I hope that clears things up.
Lisa Sanchez says
Made 2x already and it is an absolute favorite!!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Fabulous!
Michelle O says
This is one of my favorite recipes! It’s so easy and incredibly versatile – I meal prep it for easy lunches and it’s also delicious in breakfast scrambles!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
We love versatile recipes and it makes us smile so big…hearing that you consider one of our recipes your favorite!
Anna says
Hi! Cooking this in my slowcooker at the moment and just realised I’ve put about half a tablespoon too much dijion mustard in.
Could you predict what this will do to the taste? Is it worth waiting a few hours and then testing the taste or maybe chucking in some extra onion and other spices now?
So hoping it won’t be too tart as this recipe looks so delicious!
Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Anna,
As you’ve probably already found out – an extra ½ tablespoon of dijon was probably unnoticeable. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Melissa says
Loved this meal! The beef was simple to make and definitely tastes better th next day, once the shredded beef melds with the sauce. I swapped broccoli slaw mixture for the traditional cole slaw and cut out one tablespoon of vinegar from the dressing- came out perfectly creamy and mixed well with the bbq sauce. Thanks!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
So great to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Kelly says
I just realized I bought a rump roast at the store instead of chuck for this recipe. Will that be ok, or will it ruin the recipe?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Kelly,
It’s going to be fine! The main difference between the chuck and rump roast (besides what part of the animal they come from) is that a chuck roast is slightly milder in flavor and tolerates higher-heat cooking better than the rump roast. Since this recipe utilizes a quick sear (to seal in juices and enhance flavor), a moist cooking medium (tomato sauce) and low & slow cooking (slow cooker set to LOW) you’ll find that it turns out just great.
My only caveat is that you cook it on low as suggested in the recipe and hot HIGH for a shorter amount of time. I hope that helps!
alyssa says
Would you freeze this after it’s cooked or all the ingredients in a bag pre-cooked? Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Alyssa,
I freeze it after it’s cooked and cooled so all I have to do is thaw, reheat and eat. I have’t tried freezing all the ingredients before cooking. I’m sure you could but it might get a little watery from the onions when they thaw.
Ruth says
Is recipe saying a 16 ounce can ofd tomato paste or one six ounce. Also, is it a 19 ounce cole slaw or. one9 ounce bag
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Ruth,
The recipe calls for one 6-ounce can of tomato paste and one 9-ounce bag of coleslaw mix. Hope that helps!
Jennifer says
I first made this slow-cooker beef when my family was doing a Whole30, but it was so well-received that it has stayed in our weekday dinner rotation. We love it for all of the reasons listed- it’s easy, affordable, versatile, and serves us for several meals- and is delicious exactly as written. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
YES! Everyone needs this recipe in their dinner rotation. It is one of my favorites, too!
Stephen says
IS there nutritional facts for eating it without the coleslaw?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Stephen,
I’d suggest plugging the recipe for the beef only into an online nutrition calculator such as My Fitness Pal to get that information (or to get information for a different number of servings or any modifications you might make).
Ashley says
Made this tonight. Great recipe! It’s delicious with butternut squash as well. Many thanks.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
Sounds amazing! Glad you loved this recipe!
Robin says
Can I use stew meat? Also your sweet potatoes look amazing. Mine don’t turn out like that. What is your secret?
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Robin,
I’m guessing you could use stew meat – you just won’t need to cook it as long. As for the sweet potatoes, I rub them with a little coconut oil then sprinkle with salt and bake on a baking sheet in a 375F oven until tender when poked with a fork. The amount of time you bake them will depend on their size, of course. This is a trick I learned when working in catering, it makes the skins nice and crispy!
Robin says
I used a huge package of stew meat that I had gotten from Costco. The pieces were very large. Cooked it all day and it shredded perfect. My husband likes his bbq sauce a little sweet so I added some maple syrup and liquid smoke. It was amazing! Thank you!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Robin,
Thanks for sharing how it worked with the stew meat. I’m so glad it was a hit at your house.
Zurainny Ismail says
Hi Jessica! I am eager to try out this recipe. If I were to substitute the garlic powder with crushed, fresh garlic, how much garlic do you recommend I should use?
Stacie Hassing says
1-2 Tbsp of fresh garlic would work. Enjoy!
Michele says
I found this recipe by googling “Whole 30 crock pot recipes. This beef is delicious BUT… it is probably NOT Whole 30 compliant and should not be advertised as such. Before you trust it being compliant, read your Dijon Mustard ingredients. If you are like me and have Grey Poupon in your fridge, it is contains white wine AND sugar. Both are Whole 30 no-no’s. I will make it again but this time using either yellow mustard or mustard powder… Sorry Gals.
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Michele,
Thanks for your feedback. There are several compliant Dijon mustards on the market now (Annie’s Organic, Everyday 365 from Whole Food, and Tessemae’s, just to name a few) so like you said, you need to read the labels first. I have updated the recipe to make this clear with suggestions for compliant brands.
April Alexander says
This so sooooo good over the sweet potatoes. My whole family loved it. I added it to our family favorites!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
That’s so great to hear! 🙂
Lisa James says
another winning recipe! I used a pork roast, and it was delicious. Super simple to make, too.
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Thank you! Love the idea of using a pork roast – so delicious.
connie says
would i be able to substitute brisket for this instead?
thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Absolutely!
Amanda says
Can you use brisket instead?
Jessica Beacom says
You absolutely can!
Melissa Scott says
Hi Jessica,
I’m confused about the tomato paste. Do we use a can of tinned tomatoes or that much tomato paste?
And I assume the nutrition info is only for the slow cooked beef and not the slaw also.
Thanks!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Melissa,
You’ll need 6 ounces of tomato PASTE for the recipe.
Heather says
If I already have whole30 compliant bbq sauce (the noble made), what ingredients would you omit and how much of the bbq sauce would you add?
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Heather! Love that BBQ sauce. You can omit all but the meat and onion and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of bbq sauce is what I would recommend. Add more if you need to.
Shaynie says
Fantastic recipe! I put it over roasted sweet potato cubes and used kale slaw mix instead of the regular kind. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
That’s great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Christie says
I tried this recipe today, and I absolutely loved it! I used cubed chuck roast and left out the paprika, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. I LOVE the depth of flavor and how versatile it is. And it was really very easy. I will be coming back to the recipe again and again!
Stacie Hassing says
YES! We love comments like these. They make our day! 🙂
T says
I am confused about the BBQ sauce? No specific kind or amount is stated. It just says add it at the end. Can you clarify this please, thank you 😀
Jessica Beacom says
The ‘bbq sauce’ you are referring to is the sauce that is created by the tomato paste and onions that cook in the slow cooker. Once you have the beef shredded, you return it to the slow cooker and stir it into that saucy onion mixture.
Samm says
I just thought you should know I make this meal ALL. THE. TIME. Seriously, my husband and I eat this probably at least once a month. We eat it with slaw and roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes and it’s heaven. Thanks so much!
Stacie Hassing says
This is AMAZING! Thank you for sharing.
Amanda says
Hi guys! I absolutely love like all your recipes. I’ve had this one pinned for a while and finally got around to trying it tonight! It was fantastic! Such great flavor, but I thought it could use a little sweetness. Would you recommend maybe throwing in a date or two? Or a bit of honey if not doing Whole30? Thanks for your guidance!
Jessica Beacom says
You can definitely add a date or two to the sauce. If you chop it finely you wouldn’t even need to blend it into the sauce – it will just cook down on its own. Or you could add honey or brown sugar if you don’t need it to be Whole30-friendly.
Gitta Grether-Sweeney says
My husband and I loved this meal and having leftovers was awesome! I used a 100% grass fed beef chuck roast and made it my slow cooker. It was not fatty and turned out perfect. I will make this recipe often for my family!
★★★★★