Food and Recipes Slow Cooker Recipes Easy Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes To Serve From Tailgate To Dinner Party By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 10, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Hector Sanchez When in doubt, take the slow cooker out. That's the motto we've been following for decades, whether for busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, holiday gatherings, or dinner parties. No one will walk away from the dinner table hungry with our favorite slow-cooker beef recipes. With family-friendly classics like pot roast, chili, brisket, and Bolognese, the dinner opportunities are endless with these hearty slow-cooker beef recipes. The kids are going to love recipes like Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos, Slow-Cooker Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce, and Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Casserole. There are also plenty of slow-cooker beef recipes that can be dressed up for company. Our Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs, Beer-Braised Beef Tips, and Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce are all perfect for hands-off hosting. Need a recipe for the tailgate? Our Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers, Beef-and-Bean Chili, and BBQ Brisket are ready to be put in the game. 01 of 29 Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf Photo: Victor Protasio Meatloaf is forever the most reliable dinner recipe in our tin, and the slow cooker makes it easier than ever. We love this new take on an old favorite with Parmesan, fresh basil and sundried tomatoes added into the mix. 02 of 29 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton It doesn't get more classic than a slow-cooker pot roast when you're in the need of supper for a crowd. By cutting your carrots and other veggies diagonally, there is a level of refinement to this cozy classic that makes it beautiful to plate. 03 of 29 Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Cooking this classic supper in a flavorful gravy makes sure it doesn't dry out before serving. Serve it up with mashed potatoes, and no one will leave your table hungry. 04 of 29 BBQ Brisket Hector Manuel Sanchez With a handful of ingredients that might already be in your pantry, you can serve pitmaster-worthy brisket. Just cook until it's tender, about 8 hours, and you'll have something quite special on your hands. 05 of 29 Slow-Cooker Short Ribs with Pork Rind Gremolata Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This dinner will impress guests without requiring you to spend an entire day in the kitchen. Serve with grits and crumbled pork rinds for a dinner no one will soon forget. 06 of 29 Beer-Braised Pot Roast Photo: Hector Sanchez Sunday supper and potroast go hand-in-hand, and this classic couldn't be easier thanks to your slow cooker. Dark stout beer gives this dish a rich, deep flavor. 07 of 29 Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Guisada means "stewed" in Spanish, and this recipe is a delicious way to showcase the rich flavors of a beef chuck roast. While some cooking will happen in a skillet, slow cooking allows the beef to tenderize and fully marinate in the spicy gravy. 08 of 29 Peppered Beef Soup Jennifer Davick Is there anything cozier on a cold winter night than a bowl of beef soup? Actually, yes! Beef soup that's served in a toasted bread bowl. 09 of 29 Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce over Pappardelle Pasta Photo: Greg Dupree Picky eaters? They'll enjoy every last bite of this decadent homemade pasta sauce over their favorite shape of pasta. 10 of 29 Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Sweet tea and fresh ginger give this dinner party-worthy dish one-of-a-kind flavor. This bright sauce is the perfect balancing act with hearty short ribs. 11 of 29 Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Laurey W. Glenn Sometimes you need more than just a Hail Mary to get your food ready for game day. Prep for the tailgate in advance with these easy nachos that will score major points with your crowd. 12 of 29 Julie Yoste's Mississippi Roast Alison Miksch Sometimes you need a recipe with a few ingredients that you can cook low and slow. The Mississippi Roast is one of Pinterest's most popular recipes, and after one bite, you'll see why. 13 of 29 Slow Cooker Goulash Jennifer Causey Warm your soul with a hearty serving of homemade Goulash. A tip from the Test Kitchen for the dreamiest sauce: Choose a roast with good marbling throughout. 14 of 29 Beef-and-Bean Chili Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham There's nothing like a slight chill in the air to remind you that it's chili season. This recipe is not for the faint-of-heart with chunks of stew meat as well as ground beef packed into every bite. 15 of 29 Beer-Braised Beef Tips with Root Vegetables and Horseradish Victor Protasio This is a stick-to-your ribs dinner that your guests will not soon forget. Horseradish adds a welcome zing to your old-school pot roast in this recipe. 16 of 29 Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Hector Manuel Sanchez This recipe calls for a mix of ground beef and ground pork to make flavorful meatballs that are kid-friendly and tailgate-ready. The slow-simmered sauce is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 17 of 29 Four-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Melina Hammer This simple pot roast recipe can be served in a variety of ways, whether over veggies and potatoes or between sandwich buns. You can easily dress it up or dress it down, just like a good pair of jeans. 18 of 29 Slow-Cooked Cowboy Brisket and Beans Hector Manuel Sanchez Whether for a summer cookout or a fall tailgate, this BBQ recipe won't disappoint. A side of Texas Toast with this dinner makes us say YEEHAW! 19 of 29 Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Antonis Achilleos This New England-inspired recipe is comfort food at its finest. This is a simple dish you can love wherever you live. 20 of 29 Spaghetti Casserole Jennifer Davick Pasta night is already easy, but we went ahead and simplified it even more by turning it into a slow-cooker casserole the kids will love. For speedy preparation, we rely on store-bought sauce and canned tomatoes, but we doubt anyone will know the difference. 21 of 29 Beef Bourguignon Hector Manuel Sanchez Julia Child love this dish for a reason, and we've made it even simpler for you. This rich recipe is fall-apart tender thanks to hours in the slow cooker. 22 of 29 Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Whether for a holiday gathering, a dinner party with friends, or a Sunday supper with the grandparents, Bolognese is always a good choice. This recipe makes 12 generous portions, so you will be hard pressed not to have some delicious leftovers, too! 23 of 29 Best Slow-Cooker Chili Lee Harrelson We're not exaggerating when we say this is the Best Slow-Cooker Chili. Be sure to invite company over to share—this recipe was made to feed a hungry crowd. 24 of 29 Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes When you're having a crazy week and can't have the broccoli fight with the kids, whip up easy slow-cooker Sloppy Joes for a happy dinner table. From tailgates to weeknights, this recipe is always a welcome surprise. 25 of 29 Zesty Pot Roast Photo: Hector Sanchez The secret ingredient to this flavorful pot roast? A hint of lime. 26 of 29 Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili Hector M. Sanchez This is truly a dump-it-and-forget-it recipe for your most relaxing Sunday yet. From the black beans to the brisket for the spices, every bite is perfectly flavorful. 27 of 29 Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers Photo: Hector Sanchez Pickled peppers add just the right amount of tang to tender, savory beef. Make this the night before the big game, so you can focus on the cheering for your team rather than preparing a meal. 28 of 29 Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches Southern Living Here's your new go-to barbecue recipe for tailgates, cookouts, and parties. Just add a side of fresh coleslaw and your favorite chips. 29 of 29 Red Bean Chili Southern Living With just six ingredients, this has to be the easiest chili recipe you'll ever make. You can also cook it in your Dutch oven if you prefer. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit