Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
This slow cooker balsamic shredded beef is incredibly easy to make, just add everything to your slow cooker, set it, and let it do the work. As it cooks, your kitchen will fill with the most mouthwatering aroma (the best part)! With just a few pantry staples and a cut of beef, you’ll have a rich, flavorful dish that tastes like it took all day, but requires barely any hands-on time.
What makes this balsamic beef even better is how versatile it is. Pile it over mashed potatoes, stuff it into sandwiches or wraps, add it to grain bowls, or serve it with a crisp salad. And don’t toss the juices, turn them into a quick balsamic gravy to drizzle over everything for even more flavor.
Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar – balsamic vinegar gives the dish it’s unique flavor. Be sure that you really enjoy the balsamic vinegar you are using, as it’s the main flavor of the dish. Note that as the balsamic vinegar cooks for 8-10 hours, it really mellows out and sweetens up a little bit. Don’t worry; this slow cooker balsamic beef does not at all taste acidic!
- Coconut aminos – coconut aminos give the dish deep flavor. They are a gluten free and soy free substitute for soy sauce and are slightly sweeter than soy sauce. You can also use gluten free tamari or soy sauce if you can tolerate it.
- Spices: Salt and garlic powder – salt helps to season the beef. Garlic powder provides a slight garlic flavor and also gives the dish some umami.
- Beef – I usually use chuck roast or cubed stew beef for this recipe. Stew beef is essentially chuck roast cut into cubes. Both of these options are very budget friendly and easy to find at most grocery store butcher counters.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary and thyme – these fresh herbs give the dish so much flavor. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried herbs.
- Bay leaves – bay leaves help to impart so much flavor on the dish. If you don’t have these on hand, simply skip them.
How to make slow cooker balsamic beef
Add the stew beef or roast beef to the bottom of the slow cooker. Mix together the water, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic powder and salt in a mixing bowl and pour over the beef
Add in 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme if you have them. If not add 1/2 tsp. dried thyme over the beef mixture.
Cook in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low
Shred the beef with two forks
How to make gravy for balsamic beef
- Once the beef is done cooking, remove it from the slow cooker, reserving all the liquid.
- Pour the liquid in a small pot through a strainer to catch the bay leaf and fresh herbs
- Bring the reserved liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add 1 tbsp arrowroot flour or tapioca flour and 1 tbsp water together in a small bowl, mixing well to fully dissolve the flour.
- Add the arrowroot flour slurry to the simmering liquids. Stir well. This will thicken within a minute or two. Remove from heat when reaches desired consistency. This gravy will continue to thicken on the heat.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew beef (or roast beef)
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (optional see notes)
Balsamic Beef Gravy
- 1 tbsp arrowroot or tapioca flour
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Add the stew beef to the bottom of the crockpot along with the bay leaf, fresh rosemary and thyme2 pounds stew beef (or roast beef), 2 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional), 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (optional see notes)
- Mix together the balsamic vinegar, water, coconut aminos, garlic powder and salt in a bowl.1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pour the marinade over the beef
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours
- Shred the beef with 2 forks. Serve hot
Balsamic Beef Gravy
- To make the gravy, pour the leftover liquid into a small pot through a metal strainer to catch the fresh rosemary and thyme leaves. If you didn’t use fresh you don’t have to use the strainer just pick out the bay leaves
- Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium low heat.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp arrowroot (or tapicoa) and 1 tbsp of water until the flour is completely dissolved.1 tbsp arrowroot or tapioca flour, 1 tbsp water
- Pour the arrowroot and water mixture into the simmering pot with the leftovers from the roast. Stir well.
- After 1-2 minutes, the mixture should reach a consistency you prefer. Remove from heat or it will continue to thicken. If gets too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
How to serve shredded balsamic beef
My favorite way to serve this is with rosemary garlic potatoes, instant pot garlic mashed cauliflower or dairy free mashed potatoes with broccoli or green beans.
Can you make this in the instant pot?
Yes! You can make balsamic shredded beef in the instant pot instead of the slow cooker.
- Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing the pressure.
- After the pressure has been released, remove the lid and shred the beef.
What is the best beef for making shredded beef?
Chuck roast or stew beef (which is chuck roast cut into smaller cubes) is great for shredding. Chuck roast is a tougher cut of beef, but will get tender when cooked long and slow in the slow cooker or at high pressure in the instant pot.
You can also use tri tip or brisket to make shredded beef, however these are typically less budget friendly.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover balsamic shredded beef in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To ensure the beef stays juicy, store the beef with the cooking liquid or gravy. (Note: the cooking liquid will solidify when refrigerated but will quickly turn back to liquid when reheated).
- Freezer: Before freezing, it’s best to cool the beef down completely in the fridge (this helps to prevent freezer burn). Once cold, you can freeze leftover shredded beef (with some of the juice) in a a freezer safe bag or container. You want the juices to help when reheating the beef to keep it juicy.
- Defrost frozen shredded beef in the fridge overnight before reheating.
So good – Made this tonight and it was a hit with the whole family! So nice to come home from work and have dinner ready. Will definitely make this again!
It looks delicious – and thanks for sharing . it’s a Summer favorite for sure !.