Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

Beef seared and slow-cooked with onion, carrot, and herbs until it shreds, then finished in its own thickened gravy.

Details

Source	Shared recipe (UK)
Cuisine	British
Servings	3-4
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cook Time	7-8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high, plus 15 minutes resting
Storage	Fridge 3-4 days • Freeze 3 months in its gravy • Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave

Ingredients

Beef and Vegetables

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Beef chuck or braising steak, in one piece	1¼ lb	550 g
Brown onion, sliced or diced	1	1
Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks	2	2
Garlic paste (or 3 cloves, minced)	1 tbsp	15 ml
Cooking oil, for searing	1 tbsp	15 ml
Salt and black pepper	to taste, generous	to taste, generous

Braising Liquid

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Beef stock	1⅔ cups	400 ml
Beef stock cube (Oxo)	1	1
Worcestershire sauce	1½ tbsp	22 ml
Balsamic vinegar	1 tbsp	15 ml
Dried thyme	2 tsp	2 g
Dried rosemary	2 tsp	2 g
Dried oregano	2 tsp	2 g

To Finish

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Gravy granules	2-3 tbsp	20-30 g
Fresh parsley, chopped	2 tbsp	8 g

Instructions

Sear and Load

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened and starting to colour. Stir in the garlic paste for the last 30 seconds.
2. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker along with the carrots.
3. Season the beef heavily on all sides with salt and black pepper.
4. Turn the heat to high and sear the beef in the same pan, about 30-45 seconds per side, until browned all over. Add it to the slow cooker.

Slow Cook

1. Add the thyme, rosemary, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, stock cube, and beef stock to the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with two forks.

Thicken and Serve

1. Lift the beef out and shred it with two forks.
2. Stir the gravy granules into the liquid in the slow cooker until it thickens to gravy consistency. Add more a teaspoon at a time if needed.
3. Return the shredded beef to the gravy, stir to coat, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes so it absorbs the sauce.
4. Serve over mashed potatoes with broccoli, scattered with fresh parsley.

Notes

• Cut of beef. The original card just said "beef." A piece that's seared whole and then shredded needs a braising cut — chuck, braising steak, or brisket. Don't use a lean roasting joint like topside or silverside; it will go stringy rather than tender.
• No gravy granules? Whisk 1½ tbsp / 12 g cornstarch with 2 tbsp / 30 ml cold water into a slurry and stir it into the hot liquid, or use a roux of 1 tbsp / 14 g butter and 1 tbsp / 8 g flour. Gravy granules are a UK pantry staple and already contain salt and colouring, so the cornstarch version may need extra seasoning.
• Salt. Stock plus a stock cube plus Worcestershire plus gravy granules is a lot of salt stacked up. Use low-sodium stock if you're using all four, and season the beef itself confidently since that's the only salt that gets inside the meat.
• Liquid level. Slow cookers don't evaporate, so the 400 ml goes in thin and stays thin — that's why it gets thickened at the end rather than reduced. Don't add extra liquid at the start even if it looks like the beef isn't covered.
• Searing is worth the pan. 30-45 seconds a side on high heat is all it takes, and it's the difference between beef that tastes braised and beef that tastes boiled.