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Fast and Delicious 3 Ingredient Shredded Beef

5 from 26 votes
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Site Index Beef Beef roast Blade/chuck roast Instant Pot Low carb Slow cooker

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This shredded beef recipe yields tender, juicy shredded beef in a delicious gravy that is perfect for sandwiches or even as a main meal alongside mashed potatoes. I whipped this up when I was in a hurry and we just wanted some shredded beef to go on top of my baked cheesy potato casserole! It’s way simpler than my creamy mushroom chuck roast recipe and my Beer and Mushroom Instant Pot Pot Roast, but it’s just as delicious!

3 Ingredient Shredded Beef with mashed potatoes on a white serving plate, blue floral tablecloth underneath
3 Ingredient Shredded Beef

Fast and Delicious 3 Ingredient Shredded Beef

This is SUCH a versatile recipe that the options are literally endless. Aside from the aforementioned sandwiches (SO handy for prepping a week’s worth of kids’ lunchboxes!) or my instant pot mashed potatoes, you can also use it to whip up some amazing burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and quesadillas for a Mexican themed evening meal. Talk about dinner made easy! It takes mere minutes to get this beef in the crock pot and it smells AMAZING as it’s cooking.

I love recipes like this that I only have to cook once but can serve up 2 or 3 times. It definitely makes life a lot easier when dinner time rolls around in a busy household!

close up getting some Shredded Beef using fork

How To Make Fast and Delicious Shredded Beef

You can use a slow cooker or instant pot for this one, whichever works for you!

Slow Cooker Instructions

  1. You’ll need a large slow cooker for this one. Place the beef broth and soup mix into the slow cooker and stir until thoroughly combined. Then place the beef roast into the mixture. If you’d rather brown the roast first, you can do so in a large frying pan and then transfer it to the slow cooker.
  2. Cook for about 8-10 hours on low heat.
  3. Use two forks to shred the beef while it’s in the slow cooker. You want to make sure it stays delicious and moist and the gravy will do the trick here.
  4. Your serving options are endless, but one of the easiest ways to serve is as a main meal with mashed potatoes (check out my instant mashed potatoes) or in sandwiches.

Instant Pot Directions

  1. Use the saute button to brown the roast in 1 tbsp of oil until browned all over.
  2. Add in the soup mix and the broth.
  3. Cook on high pressure for 120 minutes and release according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  4. Use two forks to shred the beef whilst it’s IN the pot (note what I said earlier about the gravy keeping it nice and moist!).
  5. Serve as you wish! Go Mexican or keep it simple with some mashed potatoes.

Tips And Tricks For Making Shredded Beef

  • Add some BBQ sauce for some amazing BBQ Shredded Beef Sandwiches.
  • When choosing a meat cut, tough cuts like chuck roast (which I’ve used here) tend to be the best because they’re well suited to slow cooking and will become tender and succulent after sitting in the crock pot for a few hours. If you do go for another roast, just make sure it has a good marbling or white fat running through.
  • Got leftovers? They’ll last for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or you can freeze them for up to 2 months.

close up 3 Ingredient Shredded Beef with mashed potatoes

More Beef recipes:

Simple and Delicious Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe

Light and Delicious Ground Beef Taco Salad

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Easy and Delicious Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Happy cooking! This really is a lifesaver recipe for me, and not only that, it’s a go to for my mom and sister as well. You can add in gravy packets if you like to the slow cooker version, but if you need to keep it low carb, skip those!

Love,

Karlynn

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This shredded beef recipe yields tender, juicy shredded beef in a delicious gravy that is perfect for sandwiches or even as a main meal alongside mashed potatoes.

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Fast and Delicious 3 Ingredient Shredded Beef

This shredded beef recipe yields tender, juicy shredded beef in a delicious gravy that is perfect for sandwiches or even as a main meal alongside mashed potatoes.
5 from 26 votes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
8 hours
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Calories
317
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 3-4 pounds beef blade/chuck roast
  • 4 cups of beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon onion soup mix

Instructions
 

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Place the beef broth and soup mix into a large crock pot, stir until combined. Place the beef roast into the liquid. If preferred, you can also brown the roast in a large frying pan, then transfer to the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  • Shred the beef with two forks IN the slow cooker, the gravy will help keep it moist and delicious.
  • Use in sandwiches or as a main meal with mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot Directions

  • USing the saute button, brown the roast in 1 tbsp of oil until browned on all sides.
  • Add in the broth and the soup mix.
  • Cook for 120 minutes on high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions. Release according to manufacturers instructions.
  • Shred the beef with two forks IN the pot, the gravy will help keep it moist and delicious.
  • Use in sandwiches or as a main meal with mashed potatoes

Recipe Notes

If desired, drain the gravy drippings from the beef and place in a saucepan. Whisk together 1-2 tbsp of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water and slowly whisk into the gravy, heating and stirring until thickened for a thicker gravy. Use only the amount of cornstarch mixture you need until it thickens to your liking. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 317kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 117mg, Sodium: 659mg, Potassium: 636mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 4mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Beef Beef roast Blade/chuck roast Instant Pot Low carb Slow cooker

Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Jean says

    Can you cook on high to save time, or would you not recommend? if so, how long?

  2. Robert Tedder says

    I’ve been cooking my roasts for 9 hours and they aren’t shredding I cooked them in the broth should I have cooked them first? the instructions say you can brown them first but that makes it sound optional should I have?

  3. Kerri says

    This was delicious! I used the entire pouch of onion soup mix just because I would throw it away otherwise and it was so flavorful and good. The first day I used the beef with mashed potatoes and made a gravy that you suggested, the next day I made fried tacos and wow, why haven’t I ever made shredded beef fried tacos before?! I’m keeping this recipe on hand, thank you!5 stars

  4. Lacy Bridges says

    Absolutely love this! Thank you so much! The second time I’m using this recipe today, it always comes out super juicy and really easy to shred.5 stars

  5. Jen H. says

    How is cooking 8-10 hours in a crockpot considered “fast”? The prep might be fast but that’s a misleading title.

  6. Dixon Cider says

    Its 3 ingredients per the recipe title.Ingredients are:

    ▢3-4 pounds beef blade/chuck roast
    ▢4 cups of beef broth
    ▢1 tablespoon onion soup mix5 stars

  7. Richard Miller says

    You don’t tell how much of any type of ingredients to use, very disappointing

    • Michele Mac says

      She has the amounts you use in the ingredients list. It tells you exactly how much to use. Disappointed???

  8. Amanda sims says

    I’m just needing to make a shredded roast without the gravy for a pot roast. I make taquitos with my meat but I just bought me a instapot how would I do it just for the meat to be super tender and juicy so I can roll it up in a corn tortilla and fry? Do I still need to put like gravy in it?

  9. Amanda sims says

    I’m just needing to make a shredded roast without the gravy for a pot roast. I make taquitos with my meat but I just bought me a instapot how would I do it just for the meat to be super tender and juicy so I can roll it up in a corn tortilla and fry?

  10. PA says

    I did mine over the stove for 2 hours and can’t tell you how delicious it is. Easy and so tasteful5 stars

  11. Brandy says

    Do you think arm roast would work in this recipe?

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