These Slow Cooker Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches are an old-fashioned comfort food favorite made with tender beef roast and homemade gravy. The beef cooks low and slow until tender, then the flavorful cooking juices are thickened into gravy for spooning over thick slices of bread.
I’ve been making this recipe for over 50 years. I first learned how to make hot beef when I was 13 years old and working in a restaurant, and it has been a favorite ever since. As soon as the weather turns cool in the fall, this is one of the recipes that goes back into our monthly meal rotation.
We like serving the tender beef and gravy over bread, mashed potatoes or biscuits. Either way, it makes a comforting meal without much hands-on work.
Why We Love This Slow Cooker Hot Beef
- It’s a recipe I’ve trusted for decades. I first learned to make it as a teenager while working in a restaurant, and I’ve continued making it for my family ever since.
- Simple ingredients. You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make a hearty meal.
- Mostly hands-off. The slow cooker takes care of the beef while you get on with your day.
- Tender and flavorful. The beef cooks slowly in seasoned broth until it is tender enough to shred.
- Homemade gravy. The cooking juices make a flavorful gravy right in the slow cooker.
- It freezes well. I often make a double batch so we have an easy meal waiting in the freezer.
Choosing the Right Roast
I usually reach for a chuck roast when making hot roast beef sandwiches. It has enough marbling and connective tissue to handle the long cooking time, which helps the beef become tender and easy to shred.
A bottom round roast is another good option, especially if you prefer a leaner roast. It won’t have quite the same richness as chuck, but slow cooking it in the seasoned beef stock still gives you tender slices or shredded beef for the sandwiches.
I would skip very lean cuts such as sirloin for this recipe. They don’t have as much fat and connective tissue, so they can become dry rather than giving you the tender beef we want for a good hot roast beef sandwich.
Slow Cooker Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches with Gravy
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 3-4 Pounds Beef Chuck Roast or bottom round beef roast
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Minced Onion or onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon Beef Bouillon
- 1 ½ Cups Beef Stock or water
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup Water cold
Instructions
How to Make Slow Cooker Hot Beef
- Place the beef roast in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.3-4 Pounds Beef Chuck Roast
- Season the roast with salt, black pepper, minced onion, and beef bouillon. Pour the beef stock over the top.1/2 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper, 3 Tablespoons Minced Onion, 1 Tablespoon Beef Bouillon, 1 ½ Cups Beef Stock
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is tender.
- Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it on a plate. Remove any excess fat, then shred the beef with two forks or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth and the cornstarch has completely dissolved.2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, ¼ Cup Water
- Pour the cornstarch mixture into the cooking liquid in the slow cooker and stir well.
- Return the beef to the slow cooker. Cover and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Cooking Times
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is tender.Nutrition
What to Serve with Hot Beef
For a simple hot beef sandwich, pile the tender beef and gravy onto thick slices of white bread or sourdough bread.
This is also delicious served the old-fashioned way over mashed potatoes, with plenty of gravy spooned over the top.
When I worked at the restaurant, we served the hot beef sandwich cut diagonally in half. We placed the two halves on opposite sides of the plate, with the top corners touching, and put a generous serving of mashed potatoes in the middle. Then we ladled extra gravy over the whole plate.
This was always a popular menu item.
A vegetable such as green beans, peas, corn, or roasted carrots makes an easy side dish.
Easy Additions: Onions and Mushrooms
Sliced onions and mushrooms are both delicious additions to this hot beef. They add extra flavor and make the meal feel a little more substantial.
They can also add moisture to the slow cooker, which means the gravy may be a little thinner. That’s not a problem. I always add the cornstarch slurry at the end to make a nice thick gravy.
That’s the way my husband prefers it, and after all these years, I know better than to skip the gravy!
If you add a generous amount of onions or mushrooms, you don’t need to worry about trying to compensate with a lot of extra cornstarch. Start with the amount in the recipe, let it cook, and add a little more thickening slurry only if needed.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
This is a great make-ahead meal because the beef and gravy reheat beautifully. In fact, the flavor is often even better the next day.
Store leftover hot beef and gravy in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled beef and gravy for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If the gravy thickens too much after refrigeration, add a small splash of beef stock or water while reheating.
Make a Double Batch for the Freezer
I often double this recipe because it freezes so well. Rather than freezing the entire batch together, I like to portion it into smaller containers.
That makes it especially handy for those days when we want a hearty lunch but don’t have time to cook. We can pull a container from the freezer, heat it up, and ladle the hot beef and gravy over bread and lunch is served.
It’s one of those little freezer meals that makes a busy day much easier.
Leftover Hot Beef Ideas
Don’t feel like you’re eating the same meal twice. Leftover hot beef can be used in several different ways.
- Make hot beef sandwiches with extra gravy.
- Spoon the beef and gravy over baked potatoes.
- Use the shredded beef in tacos.
- Add it to a simple beef and vegetable soup.
- Serve it over egg noodles or mashed potatoes for another easy dinner.
Homestead Kitchen Notes
This is the kind of recipe I like having in my back pocket. I’ve been making it since I was a teenager, and it has earned its place in our regular fall and winter meal rotation.
I especially like making a double batch. One meal goes on the table, and the rest goes into the freezer in two-serving portions. That means we have a homemade lunch ready to go when neither of us feels like spending much time in the kitchen.
After making a recipe for this many years, I’ve learned that sometimes the simplest meals are the ones we come back to again and again.
Do you have to sear chuck roast before making hot beef?
For this recipe, you don’t have to. Since our beef roast recipe relies on slow cooking in the liquid, the flavor development comes from the long simmer, not the sear. It’s so quick and easy to make a flavorful and tender roast.
Can I cook this on high instead of low?
Yes. Cook the roast on HIGH for approximately 3 to 4 hours. For the most tender beef, we prefer the LOW setting and the longer cooking time.
Why is my gravy not thick enough?
Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved in cold water before adding it to the hot cooking liquid. After adding it, continue cooking for about 15 minutes so the gravy has time to thicken.
Can I make this without cornstarch?
Yes. You can leave the gravy thinner, or use another gravy-thickening method. The cornstarch slurry is simply a quick and easy way to thicken the cooking juices at the end.
Slow Cooker Hot Beef and Gravy Recipe
Tender beef roast cooked slowly in savory broth and finished with a simple homemade gravy. Serve it over mashed potatoes or thick slices of bread for a comforting, old-fashioned meal.
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