Fall-apart tender with a flavorful sauce, this slow cooker honey garlic shredded beef has seven simple ingredients and is assembled in 10 minutes or less. Versatile and perfect to use on sandwiches, in tacos, rice bowls and more.
When it comes to tough cuts of beef, I immediately reach for my slow cooker! A long, slow cook time ensures the tough collagen fibres melt into the meat, producing fall-apart tender, juicy and delicious results. Some of our favorites include slow cooker jerk-inspired beef as well as slow cooker Korean beef lettuce wraps.
This honey garlic shredded beef is another favorite, because it’s just so versatile! In fact, this recipe is part of a meal prep plan, which includes three recipes to use up your honey garlic beef.
With seven simple ingredients, and no need to sautee, you can have this recipe into the slow cooker in 10 minutes or less!
Reasons you’ll ♡ slow cooker honey garlic shredded beef
- no sautéing means you can get the ingredients into the slow cooker quickly
- it makes a big batch and you can use up the beef in three different dinners
- it’s fall-apart tender, juicy and flavorful!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how simple it is to throw this recipe together. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!
The best cut of beef for this recipe
The slow cooker presents a wonderful opportunity to cook tough, cheap cuts of beef. While it cooks low and slow, the tough collagen fibres melt into the beef, making it tender and juicy.
Feel free to use a brisket, chuck roast, inside round, or blade roast, but any cut of beef will work well for this recipe. You may also want to cut thick roasts in half so that they are more immersed in the cooking liquid (see 1. below!).
Recipe tips
Big batch
This slow cooker shredded beef recipe makes 4-6 cups, which serves 8-12 people. It’s a good idea to have a plan to use it all up!
- Find a meal prep plan + shopping list for this recipe here (link coming on Friday!)
- You can cut this recipe in half, but will need to cook it in a small (2.5 quart) slow cooker
- You can freeze leftover beef for up to 3 months
Fast or slow
While this is written as a slow cooker recipe, it is possible to cook it in either a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot as well. Reader Heather successfully used a cook time of 55 minute at high pressure with a full natural pressure release. This worked for 2-4 pounds of beef, so feel free to increase the time if you have a larger roast.
If you find that your beef is still too tough to shred after a 55 minute cook time, place the lid back on the Instant Pot and add another 15-30 minutes + 10 min natural pressure release- the pot should come back to pressure quickly!
Shredding tip
Once the honey garlic beef has cooked low and slow for 8 hours, it should be fall-apart tender. Here’s a tip: skip using forks to shred the beef and use an electric hand mixer! It will get it done in seconds.
Step by step directions
- Mix up the sauce and place in a 6 quart slow cooker. Cut large beef roasts in half, and place in the sauce.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, the beef should be very tender.
- Transfer to a clean bowl.
- Shred with two forks or an electric hand mixer.
- Return beef to the slow cooker and toss in the sauce.
Meal prep and storage tips
Freezer crockpot
To prepare this as a freezer crockpot meal, assemble all ingredients in a sturdy freezer bag, reusable silicone bag or meal prep container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before cooking as directed.
Leftovers
You can store leftover slow cooker shredded beef in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a frying pan over medium heat, using tongs to flip and mix up the beef.
Leftovers may also be frozen in a freezer bag, reusable silicone bag or meal prep container for up to 3 months. Thaw and heat in a frying pan.
Find my favorite freezer containers here!
Meal Prep Plan
Find the full meal prep plan + shopping list here, and use this honey garlic shredded beef in:
More slow cooker recipes
- Smoky Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Peanut Stew
- 7 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef
Ingredients
- 1 cup stock beef or chicken
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 lbs boneless beef roast cut in half; see note 1
Instructions
- In the bottom of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, combine the stock, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and garlic. Whisk until smooth.
- Cut the beef in half lengthwise. Place the two slices side-by-side in the slow cooker, and turn to coat on both sides.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and place in a large bowl. Gently pull apart using two forks, or use an electric hand mixer to do it quickly.
- Add back into the cooking liquid, and toss to coat.
Notes
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Add the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, using tongs to break the beef up and turn it, or until warmed through.
- Do not reheat more than once (food safety issues)
Heather
If I wanted to try this in the instapot how would I adjust the recipe and time?
Denise
Hi Heather! I’ve actually never cooked a cut of beef like this one in my Instant Pot before. This recipe calls for a 60 min HP cook time + full Natural Pressure Release, but it’s also for a larger portion. If you try this, I’d love to hear how it works for you!
Heather
I tried it and it was amazing! So the first two times I cooked it as directed in the slow cooker. The third time I did it in my instant-pot. I have an 8 qt and it is huge and the timing is longer than the recipes you typically post. So I adjusted it to the time my recipe book recommend for a pot roast, which was 55 minutes for 2-4 pounds of roast. It was just as amazing this time around. Thank you!
Denise
Hi Heather! Thank you so much for reporting back with the Instant Pot instructions! That is so helpful. And I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Jessica
So if I want to freeze, I’d cook, cool then freeze?
Denise
Hi Jessica! You can actually do it either way! 1) assemble with all ingredients but don’t cook (freeze up to 3 months). Thaw completely when you want to cook. 2) cook, cool, portion out and freeze for up to 3 months. Hope this helps!
Cooky Mom
I’m not normally a big fan of slow cooker beef, but “honey garlic” does sound pretty good… I might have to give this a try sometime. Your pictures do it make it look pretty tasty!
Denise
Thanks so much!
Lucy
Made this for dinner tonight and it is amazing. My favourite slow cooker recipe so far. Everyone in my family loved it and that’s no mean feat! I live at altitude so I cooked the first hour on high and then on love for the rest of the time and it was perfect. Bliss in a bowl!
Denise
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this, Lucy! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂
Marissa
Hi! I would like to make this recipe specifically to use in your related beef and roasted veggie taco recipe, so I don’t want the full serving that this makes. If I half the whole recipe and put just one pound of meat in the crockpot rather than two, would you suggest changing the cooking time or heat setting? Thanks!
Denise
Hi Marissa! I have only tried it as written, but often when I half a recipe like this one, I will cook it in my small (2.5 quart) slow cooker. Do you have a smaller crock pot? I’m just worried that there won’t be enough liquid for a large slow cooker and it might burn. If you are around to keep an eye on it that could work.
Denise
Also I would keep the cook time and temp the same for this cut of meat. Low and slow!
Marissa
Thanks! I ended up making the full-size recipe and used it in the beef/roasted veggie tacos and oh my goodness- SO GOOD! I wasn’t sure how I’d like them because I’m not always nuts about tomatoes and I honestly don’t know if I had ever had feta before this, but the tacos- and the pulled beef- were outstanding. I made them for myself (24) and two guys who are about the same age and everyone liked them! I served all of the parts (veggies, beef, greek yogurt, feta and lemon) separately so that they could skip on a certain part if they wanted to, but everyone loved everything. I had two, one of the guys had three, and the other had like… 4 of them! I will 100% make this beef and those tacos again!
Denise
Wow, that’s amazing! Thanks so much for reporting back, Marissa, and I’m happy you guys enjoyed them 🙂
Kerstin
I just got a slow cooker two weeks ago (they’re hardly used here in Germany though it seems such an obvious choice when you’re a working mom). This sounds so yummy I had to try it. Yay garlic 😀 . My 2 year old had used all my measuring cups for playing so since I had to head off for work I did’nt have time to clean them. So I winged it, trying to keep your ratio of ingredients, adding extra garlic because I just could not resist. Looked and smelled good. I’m so looking forward to tasting it!
Denise
I hope you enjoyed it, Kerstin! And I hope you enjoy playing with your new slow cooker 🙂
Bazlin
Tried this 2 weeks ago and totally loved it. My 1 y.o. Doesn’t really eat beef but with this time she went for second helping! Will be making it again.
Denise
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Jayme
Silly question maybe but how do you find is best to reheat the meat for the next day meal? Tonight we did the rice bowls and my family (even my picky 5 year old) enjoyed it. Tomorrow we will do the pulled pork.
Denise
I haven’t made this one in awhile but we like re-heating pulled pork and pulled beef in a frying pan…it helps with the texture and makes it not too soggy as it can end up in the microwave.
Lillian
It still needed some flavoring, it was very juicy and well cooked of course. So to give it its final kick- I added a tablespoon of mustard and soy suace to my serving. It was yummy! Next time, I’ll add enough to the whole pot while it cooks.
Denise
Great tip Lillian!
Denise
Hi Marilyn, thanks so much for your comment! I actually have no experience cooking game meat, although I’m from Northern BC so I have definitely eaten it! This recipe should work with many cuts of meat. I wonder if this Slow Cooker Sesame Ginger Beef might be good with moose meat? Otherwise have you heard of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook? He has a TON of recipes specifically for game meat and is much more of an expert than me 🙂 Good luck!
Marilyn
I’m thinking this might actually work great for game meat. I’m going to try it and let you know. Unless you have already been there! Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for taming the wild things. Thanks
Marilyn k.
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely
You are so great at these multi use slow cooker meals! And this honey garlic beef may be your best one yet. The flavors sound amazing. Mmmm…this recipe is calling to me!
Denise
Thank-you so much, Natalie! I have a lot of fun planning and testing them 🙂
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life
Damn Denise…haha oh I love this! This is going on the menu this weekend, and I’m already looking forward to my work lunches next week. How’s that for planning ahead? 🙂
Denise
He he! I totally don’t get the Damn Daniel. It’s so strange!! Thanks, Alyssa!
marcie
Homemade sauces are always better, and so are fewer ingredients! I love the sound of these flavors, and this beef would be a huge hit here at my house. I’m especially loving the looks of those pulled beef sandwiches!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef? All my favorites. 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
So glad you are finally getting around to sharing this, Denise, because holy cow (pun intended)! This beef looks seriously delicious! Honey and garlic coating some super tender beef?! Um Yes please! Love the little sneak peaks of whats to come!!! SO Much YUM! Cheers, girlie!
Denise
LOL you are the funniest, Cheyanne! Thanks, lady!
[email protected]
Oh my goodness. That seriously looks like the best.beef.EVER! All that fall-apart tender goodness = GAH. I need this in my life this Monday!!
Denise
Thanks, Sarah!!
Connie
What type of beef roast do you recommend?
Denise
Hi Connie, I used a boneless blade roast, which is a cheaper shoulder cut. It may be called a chuck or shoulder roast in other parts of the world…but you could really use almost any kind of roast. You could even use bone-in, but it’s a pain to cut in half. I hope that helps!