Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

Chuck roast, slow cooked on low heat in a braise of barbecue sauce, then shredded and served over sandwich buns. Great for big parties.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 11, 2022
Elise Bauer
BBQ Beef Sandwich
Elise Bauer

My mother grew up in a house where there was constant entertaining. My nana was somewhat of a social bee and even I remember how every night was a party night when as a child I came to visit during the summer.

Mom and dad were reminiscing the other day about one of their favorite recipes of my grandmother's, her pulled beef, braised in BBQ sauce. Mom remembers Nana once feeding 80 people this dish at her small adobe house in Tucson.

It's terribly easy to make, you can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe, making it perfect for serving large groups of people in an informal gathering, and it's absolutely delicious.

You can either make your own BBQ sauce for this recipe (my favorite is this Bourbon BBQ Sauce) or you can just use your favorite jarred sauce.

Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs 30 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 35 mins
Servings 12 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 (3-pound) chuck roast, rinsed and dried

  • 2 medium onions, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (preferably plum tomatoes)

  • 1 (18-ounce) bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (or 2 1/4 cups of your favorite homemade barbecue sauce)

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 12 sandwich or hamburger buns

Method

  1. Make sauce with onions, tomatoes, BBQ sauce:

    In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopping them in the pot. Add the barbecue sauce, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes.

  2. Add the beef roast, simmer on low for 3 hours:

    Add the chuck roast. Bring to a low simmer, cover and slow cook until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.

    bbq-beef-sandwich-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  3. Separate meat into small pieces:

    Remove the meat from the pot. Use a fork and knife to separate the roast into small pieces. Set aside.

    bbq-beef-sandwich-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  4. Reduce liquid in sauce:

    Increase the heat on the pot to medium/medium-high, uncover, and reduce the liquid until thick. Stir often to prevent burning.

  5. Return meat to sauce:

    Return the meat to the liquid in the pan. Warm both thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Serve on buns.

Links:

Pulled pork sandwich here on Simply Recipes

Salsa verde carnitas here on Simply Recipes

Vietnamese pulled pork sandwich from Sunday Nite Dinner

More BBQ Sauce ideas on Simply Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
498 Calories
21g Fat
44g Carbs
34g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 498
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 815mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 129mg 10%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 568mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.