BBQ Beef on a Bun

If barbecue is on your mind, but you don’t have time to babysit the smoker or nurse an open fire all day, try our BBQ beef on a bun cooked in the slow cooker. Tender meat in an incredibly rich sauce served on the comfort of a soft bun? Count me in! I’m especially excited because this recipe takes one minute to throw together, cooks all day in the crock pot, smells amazing when I get home, and can be served with a bag of chips when I’m dog tired or we can go all out with sides for a summer holiday. So much to love!

Not just for casseroles and pasta, freezer-meal cooking is the best way to plan ahead, meal prep for the week, and enjoy hot, fresh dinner seven nights a week no matter what life serves up. This recipe is just one simple example of food you can dump from a bag to the slow cooker and enjoy hours later with no mess, fuss, or prep on the day of cooking. Batch cook freezer meals on the weekend and you are good to go! It’s a great time to join our Freezer Meals 101 Club if you haven’t already, and with recipes like this, why wouldn’t you?

BBQ Beef on a Bun Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. beef roast
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 Tbsp. molasses

Ingredient for the Day of Cooking

• Buns for your family. You can choose regular hamburger buns, brioche buns, potato buns, or Kaiser rolls.
• Horseradish Mayo

How to Make BBQ Beef on a Bun

Assembly Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
2. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
3. Shred the meat.
4. Serve on buns with horseradish mayo. 

Can I make BBQ Beef in the Instant Pot?

Yes. Add the thawed bag contents to Instant Pot. Cover your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 60 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for a full natural pressure release (approx. 20 min.).

What is the best way to shred BBQ Beef?

A hand mixer is absolutely the easiest and fastest way. Just put your hand mixer right into the slow cooker, and turn it to low. Don’t turn it up higher and get splashed with hot liquid. If you don’t have a hand mixer, moving the meat to a stand mixer is probably second best, but if you want to avoid that mess just use to forks and pull the meat apart. It’s still easy because this comes out so tender!

How is this different than pulled pork?

Two things. 1) The BBQ beef creates is own amazing, rich, and delicious sauce as it cooks. Pork is bland enough even with spices, it needs bbq sauce added. and 2) Beef is not bland even on its own so these sandwiches have so much yummy flavor! It’s a nice variation of the shredded meat sandwich. You could also try our hot honey chicken for a different shredded meat sandwich.

BBQ Beef on a Bun Recipe Ideas

You may wish to thicken the sauce with a slurry (mixture of cornstarch and warm water or flour and warm water) stirred into the crockpot and turned on high until it bubbles. Alternatively, you can move a bunch of the sauce to the stovetop to thicken with a slurry or roux, then return it to mix in with the meat.

If you don’t want the sauce thickened, a slotted spoon is a great way to keep your sandwich from getting soggy.

The liquid smoke is optional for those who want the flavor of smoking the meat all day without all the work. It is not required at all if you are not a fan of that smokey flavor.

Add heat with ancho chili pepper, cayenne pepper, or your favorite hot sauce. Diced hot peppers in the freezer bag would also do it.

How do I store BBQ Beef on a Bun?

Leftovers should be kept without the buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The meat will keep for three or four days. These leftovers can also be frozen and kept for up to six months. You can reheat them in a skillet or microwave after thawing.

What to Serve with BBQ Beef on a Bun?

Sometimes my family likes to just slice up a good watermelon, pop open a bag of Doritoes, add the sandwich and call it a meal. You do not have to get fancy.

What else will work? Any type of potatoes: french fries, tater tots, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato salad, or chips. Plus, you can add any traditional picnic or bbq fare: fruit salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw, garden salad, Caesar salad, pasta salad, green beans, roasted broccoli, carrots, or sweet potatoes are all great choices. So many things will work beautifully with this sandwich!

Print

BBQ Beef on a Bun

Prep Time

1 min

Cook Time

6 hrs

Total Time

8 hrs 1 min

 

Servings: 6

Calories: 659 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 lbs beef roast
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp molasses

Ingredients for Serving

• buns, enough for your family
• horseradish mayo

Instructions

Assembly Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.

2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

2. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

3. Shred the meat. You can use two forks, or use a hand mixer to shred the meat fast.

4. Serve on buns with horseradish mayo.