Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sliders Recipe

Updated on January 4th, 2024

Beefy, salty, tangy, and a little spicy, these slow cooker Italian beef sliders are so satisfying on a cold day. And, in typical BlogChef fashion, they are super easy to prepare. Thanks to the three envelopes of prepared seasoning, there’s no chopping involved — outside of cutting one slice of cheese into four squares. And the only measurement you need to make is 1 cup of water.

Here’s a fun story. The first time I made these, my power went out after they were done in the slow cooker, but before I had made the intended side dish of roasted carrots. I shredded the beef by and we ate them by candlelight, with a glass of red wine.

Since I had no power, I couldn’t toast the buns as I’d planned. All that beefy, seasoned gravy soaked right into the untoasted bread — and it was amazing. A super satisfying meal.

I later made them again with toasted buns. While I like the texture of a toasted bun, it’s not critical to this dish’s success. If you wanted to skip the step of crisping the buns, these sliders will still be delicious.

When to serve slow cooker Italian beef sliders

I like these sliders on a cold day, when you’re craving something hearty. You could also make them for guests at a Super Bowl party or any game-day event.

Sliders are generally great for parties, because they’re finger foods but also a main course. Your guests can eat them standing up or while holding a beer.

Side dishes for slow cooker Italian beef sliders

You can serve these sliders on their own or with so many different sides. For example:

• Macaroni and cheese when you’re doubling down on comfort food
• Roasted carrots or zucchini to balance the richness with something healthier but still hearty
• Roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes for a starchy compliment
• Watermelon, for a sweet break from the richness of the meat

Substitution options for slow cooker Italian beef sliders

The ingredients you can modify in this recipe are the picante sauce, Italian dressing mix, the cheese, and the buns:

• Choose a picante sauce to set the spice level of these sliders. Go hot if you like things spicy and mild if you don’t. Do not use a fresh salsa, though. Stick with thicker sauces made with roasted tomatoes and peppers.
• You could swap in 2 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning in lieu of the Italian dressing mix.
• Try a different cheese!
• Watching your bread intake? Skip the bun and dump the cooked beef atop a baked potato. My better half likes to eat the leftover meat with white rice, too.

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Yield: 10 Servings

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sliders

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 hours

Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3-lb beef chuck roast
• 1 cup of water
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• 1 (8 ounces) jar Picante sauce
• 10 slices Swiss cheese
• 20 slider buns (split)
• butter or olive oil (as needed for buns)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together water, onion soup mix, Italian dressing mix, and brown gravy mix. Pour about a ¼ cup of the mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Place the roast over the liquid in the slow cooker. Pour the remaining mixture on top and around the roast. Pour the picante sauce over the roast.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 4 to 5 hours).
4. Once the roast has finished cooking and pulls apart easily, shred it using two forks. Mix the shredded roast with the gravy in the slow cooker.
5. Butter or oil the insides of the slider buns. Toast until they are warm and have a bit of texture.
6. Slice each piece of Swiss cheese into 4 squares.
7. Place some of the shredded meat onto the top of the bottom half of each slider bun, top with 2 of the Swiss cheese squares.
8. As a last step, you can optionally pop these into a toaster or regular oven preheated to 400F for two minutes to get extra melt on the cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1261Total Fat: 69gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 1326mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 97g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.