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Slow cooker barbecue beef sliders.

Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Sliders

Chula King
Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Sliders deliver delicious barbecue taste without the fuss. These sliders feature juicy, tender chuck roast seasoned with a simple dry rub and slow-cooked in your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or Memorial Day gathering!
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course 4th of July, Appetizer, Main Course, Memorial Day
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Sliders
Calories 353 kcal

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

Dry Rub (See Tip 1)

  • 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar, packed
  • 2 Tablespoons Paprika
  • 2 teaspoons Dry mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons Onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon Dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Sliders

  • Dry rub, from above
  • 3 to 4 pound Chuck Roast
  • 3 cups Store-bought barbecue sauce, divided (See Tip 2)
  • 12 Slider buns (See Tip 3)

Instructions
 

Dry Rub

  • Add brown sugar, paprika, dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried thyme, Kosher salt, and pepper to a lidded jar. Secure the lid and shake the jar until all ingredients are well combined. Set aside. (See Tip 4)

Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef Sliders

  • Dry the chuck roast with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the roast with the dry rub, then press it into the meat.
  • Add 2 cups of barbecue sauce to the slow cooker. Place the roast in the barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, turning once after four hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
  • Transfer the cooked meat pieces to a quarter sheet pan or plate, and shred with two forks, separating the remaining fat from the meat while shredding. Discard the fat and discard the cooking liquid from the slow cooker. (See Tips 5 and 6)
  • Transfer the shredded beef to a saucepan. Add ¾ to one cup of barbecue sauce. Toss to combine. Heat over medium heat until warm. (See Tip 7)
  • Pile the shredded barbecue beef on slider buns and, if desired, top it with additional barbecue sauce. Serve with potato chips and coleslaw or your favorite side dishes.
  • Yield: 12 Barbecue Beef Sliders

Video

Tips/Notes

  1. May substitute your favorite dry rub.
  2. I used Outback's Original Rib Rack BBQ sauce because it doesn't contain liquid smoke. However, feel free to use your favorite barbecue sauce, whether it's store-bought or homemade.
  3. I will generally use either Pepperidge Soft White slider buns or Walmart's Brioche slider buns. You could also use Hawaiian slider buns, but they're a little too sweet for my taste.
  4. I used an 8-ounce mason jar with a lid. However, if you don't have a jar with a lid, add the dry rub ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.
  5. Chuck roast tends to have a lot of fat on it. Some of this fat is rendered during slow cooking, but some remains with the meat. When I'm shredding the cooked meat, I take care to separate the remaining fat from the meat. There's nothing that I dislike more than getting a mouthful of the fat!
  6. Many recipes suggest transferring the cooking liquid to a saucepan and boiling it to a desired consistency. My preference is to discard the cooking liquid and use fresh barbecue sauce. One reason is that the cooking liquid tends to contain a lot of grease. Before using the liquid, the grease should be separated out, a process that tends to be messy. The other reason is that the dry rub, while flavoring the meat, can be overpowering in the liquid.
  7. The shredded barbecue beef can be made in advance, covered and refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 25gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 533mgPotassium: 479mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 646IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 4mg
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