Italian Beef Recipe
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This slow cooked Italian beef is used to make a hot sandwich of epic proportions! Simple ingredients, easy to make, and multiple cooking options.
If you’ve ever tried a truly great Italian beef sandwich in Chicago, you know there’s no shortcut. After multiple trips to the city and more Portillo’s beef sandwiches than I care to admit, I became determined to recreate the sandwich at home.
I tested this recipe again and again, tweaking the cut of beef and cooking times until it delivered the same juicy, gravy-soaked bite my partner and I kept craving. The key isn’t just slow-cooking the meat: it’s braising it for several hours in a deeply flavored homemade gravy so the meat absorbs every layer of flavor before it’s shredded and piled into soft rolls.
This is the version I make for my partner and me whenever cravings strike, and I always triple the batch for leftovers!
Table of Contents
Why make my Italian beef recipe
- A copycat recipe from a Chicago institution. Portillo’s Italian beef is famous in Chicago for good reason. The slow-roasted beef melts in your mouth while the beef gravy and pickled peppers on top make every bite heavenly.
- Simple ingredients. And a mostly hands-off cooking process, too.
- Multiple cooking options. While I prefer using the stovetop to cook the beef, I’ve also included options for using a classic slow cooker AND the Instant Pot.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into my Italian beef, along with kitchen notes. The complete list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
- Chuck roast. I like to use a boneless chuck roast, as it’s a large and flavorful cut of beef that’s perfect for slow cooking. After spending a few hours simmering in the aromatic beef gravy, the beef shreds like butter and becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Beef broth. Please use a beef broth with NO added preservatives and minimal seasoning. Because the beef will be slow-cooked in this, it will add tons of natural flavor.
- Garlic. Only fresh garlic cloves, please, not garlic powder.
- Bay leaves. A few bay leaves infuse a gorgeous herbaceous flavor into the beef and gravy. Remember to remove and discard them before serving!
- Italian seasoning. Use any store-bought blend or a homemade blend made from dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, and marjoram.
- Smoked paprika. This adds a hint of smoke to the gravy.
- Kosher salt and pepper. For flavor.
- Fresh parsley. For garnish.
- To assemble. Hoagie buns and sandwich fixings. We stuck to the classics like provolone cheese, red pepper rings, pepperoncini peppers, giardiniera, and pickled jalapenos.
How to make Italian beef
Step 1- Prepare the beef. Trim the excess fat from the chuck roast, then cut it into large chunks.
Step 2- Sear the chuck roast. Heat some olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the sliced chuck roast and sear until each piece is nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the seared beef to a plate, then sauté the garlic in the now-empty pot.
Step 3- Assemble. Add the seared chuck roast back to the pot. Pour in the beef broth to submerge the beef. Next, add the seasonings. Stir, then bring the mix up to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let the beef simmer in the gravy until it’s fork-tender (about 3 to 4 hours).
Step 4- Shred. Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Shred each piece with two forks, then add it back into the pot. Continue simmering.
Step 5- assemble the sandwiches. Stuff some shredded beef into each hoagie roll. Top with provolone cheese, pepper rings, and any other toppings you love. Enjoy!
Alternative cooking methods
As mentioned earlier, the one-pot approach is my preferred method, but I’ve tested this recipe in both the slow cooker and the Instant Pot, so you have options!
Slow cooker method: Sear the beef and garlic as usual, then transfer them and the remaining gravy ingredients to a crockpot. Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. Shred the beef, stir it back in the pot, then serve.
Instant Pot method: Turn on the sauté mode, add the beef, and sear on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes, then let it naturally release. Shred and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make sure the chuck roast is at room temperature before cooking. Set it on the kitchen counter for 15 to 20 minutes, then trim and sear.
- No boneless chuck roast? You can also use beef cheeks, stewing beef, or shaved steak.
- The best way to serve Chicago beef sandwiches is “wet”, AKA with a drizzle of beef gravy/cooking liquid on top.
- Change up the toppings. Pickles, jalapenos, and peppers are classics, but feel free to change it up with your favorite fix-ins!
Storage instructions
To store: Store the Italian beef and gravy together in an airtight container in the fridge. It should stay fresh for up to 3 days.
To freeze: The beef and gravy also freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat: Either microwave the thawed beef or heat it in a large pot over medium heat until it’s warmed through. If you do the latter, I recommend adding about two extra tablespoons of water.
Frequently asked questions
If you can’t find a chuck roast, the next best options are bottom round or top round roasts. With that said, if you use either of these cuts, I recommend slicing them. In testing, these cuts were both lean enough to be sliced thin without falling apart (super important), but still became tender after a slow braise.
Yes, you can. Like a stew or curry, the flavors of the beef and broth will deepen, and yield a more juicy Italian beef sandwich.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
“I love authentic recipes that rely on real spices like garlic, oregano, and peppers instead of sugary sauces. As a dietitian, I believe comfort food belongs in a balanced life- and this beats fast food because you control the sodium and amount of oil used.” – Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Italian Beef Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- 3 cups beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off the chuck roast and cut it into large chunks, around 2-3 inches in size.
- Add some oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chuck roast and sear on all sides until a crust forms. Once browned, remove the meat from the pot.
- Add the minced garlic to the same pot and saute until fragrant. Return the seared beef and the beef broth. Add the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, and stir well.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
- Once the meat is tender, remove it from the pot and shred it with two forks. Return back to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, assemble into hoagie rolls with provolone cheese, sliced pepper rings, and pickles.
Notes
- Tips: See my recipe tips above for making the best Italian beef.
- Leftovers: Keep the beef and gravy together, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
More sandwich recipes
- Spicy chicken sandwich– This is a copycat of Popeye’s popular sandwich, but homemade and so much more delicious.
- Meatball sub– Juicy meatballs stuffed in rolls and topped with melted cheese. Yes, my mouth is watering too.
- Tortas– Mexico’s OG sandwich, it has juicy steak, melty cheese, and fresh salad.
- Hot honey chicken sandwich– If you thought crispy chicken sandwiches couldn’t get any better, they do- once you add this sauce.
- Chopped cheese– I ate this sandwich every day in culinary school, so I had to recreate it, and it makes me miss NYC so much!
Originally published August 2023
Excellent! Absolutely the best gravy, we love these wet. It all goes every time.
Thank you, Janis!
This recipe is delicious. The best. It was a good dish for the day after Christmas. My family gave many compliments on this dish. Its A keeper.
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words, Doris- thank you for making my recipe!
This is sooo huge sandwich! I would be full half a day haha. Thanks for these recipes.
Wow sandwich can be complete lunch really amazing.
This is so Italian! I know Italians like sandwhiches so much haha.
Looks good. Italians love sandwiches so much haha.
Lots of spices and it seems as flavourfoul meal, just like Italians love.
Is the nutritional information just for the beef? I wasn’t sure as there was no suggestion for what type of hoagie rolls to use or a recipe to make them. Thank you.
I’ll amend it- it is just for the beef 🙂
Delicious tasty roll