• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Sequined Life logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Slow Cooker Shredded Beef with Balsamic Peanut Sauce

    Published: Jan 9, 2017 · Modified: Jul 27, 2020 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share via Email

    Slow cooker shredded beef is easy to make and versatile to use in sandwiches, over rice or salads, and more! It cooks in a balsamic peanut sauce that tastes amazing made in the crock pot.

    A bowl of shredded beef served over brown rice garnished with sesame seeds, herbs, and sauce with another bowl in the background

    When it comes to the slow cooker, I like to think of myself as an equal opportunist. Just on the blog alone there are a wide variety of slow cooker recipes, from the *best* chipotle beef queso dip (made with real cheese) all the way to slow cooker apple pie. 

    But today we're talking about beef. A chuck roast to be precise, but we're not cooking it up pot roast style. Instead we're letting it spend a few extra hours in the slow cooker until it can shred easily with just two forks <-- worth it! Promise.

    Slow cooker pot roast certainly has its time and place, but slow cooker shredded beef? It's so versatile. This particular batch was served over brown rice for these photos, but was also eaten on sandwiches, salads, tacos, and even a ultra rando toasted bagel thin/smashed avocado/shredded beef situation. Enjoyable on all counts.

    A chuck roast in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients before slow cooking

    What cut to use for shredded beef

    As it turns out I didn't intend to pick up a chuck roast when I made this slow cooker shredded beef. Lately I've been responsibly winging my meal planning and choosing proteins based on what's on sale at the store.

    Boneless chuck roast was it this time, and a big three-pound one at that, which typically isn't my first choice as that's a lot of meat for just the two of us, but with the balsamic peanut sauce (from this beef stir fry recipe) in mind, I knew making leftover portions disappear wouldn't be a difficult task.

    Don't be dissuaded by the fact that it cooks for so long, between seven and eight hours on high. Chuck roast takes awhile to break down the connective tissues to reach that 'fall apart' stage, but when it does? YUM.

    The beef shredded in sauce in the slow cooker after cooking

    Recipe ingredients

    Now that we've covered the beef, let's move on to the rest of the ingredients. There are multiple flavors going on here, but they complement each other so well that one doesn't overpower or distract from the rest. Which is great, but it makes it tough to come up with a name for it!

    I went with balsamic peanut sauce, but the balsamic vinegar and peanut butter aren't ultra prominent. Rather they round out the sauce perfectly when combined with soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. One flavor by itself doesn't dominate.

    Diced or sliced onion is always a mainstay of my slow cooker recipes, so one onion is thrown in here, too. There's no pre-cooking required, and I love how it blends right into the beef once the recipe is done.

    While one tablespoon of sriracha looks a little scary, it only brings a very mild spiciness to the sauce once it combines with the rest of the ingredients. That said, if you're a big fan of all things hot and spicy feel free to add more.

    Quick recipe steps

    While slow cooking a chuck roast certainly isn't quick, thankfully the active time needed to make this slow cooker shredded beef is!

    First dice the onion and throw it in the slow cooker. Then trim as much visible fat as you prefer from the chuck roast and throw that in, too.

    All that's left is to whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour over the meat. Cover and cook on high heat for 7-8 hours, or until the beef is able to separate into shreds.

    Once shredded, serve with the cooking liquid as a sauce over rice or salads, on sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas...many possibilities here.

    A pile of shredded beef served over brown rice in a shallow dinner bowl

    Related recipes

    If you're into lower prep slow cooker recipes, these other main dishes may interest you!

    On the chicken front, slow cooker buffalo chicken has been a reader favorite for years. It features just about the same recipe steps as this shredded beef, swapping out the balsamic peanut buttery sauce for a spiced up buffalo wings version. This one is beloved by game day homegaters and healthy meal preppers alike.

    And for pork, this slow cooker pulled pork features just one tiny extra step: rubbing the Boston butt with a deliciously smoky and spiced up rub before cooking. There are SO many different ways to enjoy pulled pork.

    Recipe notes

    • When it comes to trimming the fat from a chuck roast, you don't have to go crazy. I remove any excessively large pieces from the outside as they turn into unpalatable fatty chunks amid the shredded beef. But do leave the interior fat as that will render out during the slow cook time.
    • The chuck roast doesn't have to be three pounds precisely, rather you just want a roast that fits comfortably in your slow cooker. For reference, the slow cooker seen in these photos is round and has a 4.5-quart capacity.
    slow cooker shredded beef with balsamic peanut sauce

    Slow Cooker Shredded Beef with Balsamic Peanut Sauce

    Shredded beef is so easy to make in the slow cooker, and versatile to use in sandwiches, over rice or salads, and more! It cooks in a balsamic peanut sauce that tastes amazing made in the crock pot.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Fusion
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 444kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 1 onion, finely chopped
    • 3 lb boneless chuck roast, excess visible fat removed
    • ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
    • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ cup water
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup peanut butter (creamy)
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon sriracha
    • 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Chop onion and place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
    • Trim excess visible fat from the outside of the chuck roast (to the extent that you prefer) and place the roast in the slow cooker.
    • Whisk together all other ingredients in a bowl and once smooth, pour into the slow cooker over the roast.
    • Cook on high heat for 7-8 hours, or until the roast can easily shred with two forks. Shred everything and stir the shredded beef around with the cooking liquid.
    • Serve over rice, in tacos, on salads, on sandwiches, etc.

    Notes

    Nutrition: Nutritional info is an estimate based on trimming the visible fat on the chuck roast and is for the meat and sauce ingredients. Rice or whatever you serve it with/over is not included.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.4g | Protein: 47.5g | Fat: 23.1g | Saturated Fat: 6.6g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 6.4g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 5.9mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

     

    « Honey Roasted Sesame Cashew Clusters
    Potato and White Bean Soup with Kale »
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ashley@CookNourishBliss says

      January 10, 2017 at 9:57 am

      Balsamic peanut sauce???? That sounds SOO good! I've been using my crockpot like crazy lately - must try this!

      Reply
    2. marcie says

      January 09, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      I don't make beef in my slow cooker enough -- I need to change that! This meal looks so comforting and delicious, which is perfect for all the rainy days we've been having!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 09, 2017 at 10:55 pm

        Thanks Marcie! My usual go-to is chicken, but I think this chuck roast was a game-changer. Delicious!

        Reply
    3. Danielle says

      January 09, 2017 at 11:11 am

      We've been making big batches of food to each during the week and I need to add this one to the list! I love cooking meat in the slow cooker all day too, it's the best!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 09, 2017 at 10:55 pm

        Thanks Danielle! I bet you will love this!

        Reply
    4. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

      January 09, 2017 at 6:45 am

      I love it! I like to think of myself as an equal opportunist when it comes to my slow cooker too (though I think I need to work on the desserts). Beef is one of my favorite things to make in it, so this version is calling my name. Love that peanut sauce, Alyssa! Sounds so flavorful!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 09, 2017 at 10:56 pm

        I'd love to get into slow cooker desserts more, too! I just have the one recipe on the site haha. Thanks Gayle!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of a woman smiling with a text overlay reading well, hey there.

    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more →

    As Featured In...

    A collage of publication logos.

    Simple, Tested Basics

    • The Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
    • Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli
    • How to Caramelize Onions
    • How to Make Croutons
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
    • Air Fryer Baked Potato
    • How to Roast Garlic

    Popular Recipes

    • Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
    • Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs
    • Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
    • Italian Anise Cookies
    • Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    More

    • Recipe Index
    • Dinner Hall of Fame
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Favorites

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2013 - 2023 My Sequined Life