Description
Sticky savory Chinese pulled beef brings pure comfort straight to your dinner table with tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat that’s packed with rich Asian-inspired flavors. Slow-cooked until perfectly shredded, this dish delivers a seriously satisfying meal that’ll have your family asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
Aromatics and Spices:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- green onions
Instructions
- Trim 2 lbs of beef chuck roast by removing excess fat and cutting into large chunks for uniform cooking and tenderness.
- Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef chunks on all sides for 5-7 minutes to develop rich flavor.
- Transfer browned beef to a slow cooker and pour in ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 2 whole star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 cup low-sodium beef broth.
- Stir sauce ingredients together to combine thoroughly, ensuring beef chunks are fully submerged.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low temperature for 3-4 hours until meat becomes extremely soft and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until completely smooth.
- Whisk cornstarch mixture into cooking liquid and cook on high for 15-20 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Return shredded beef to thickened sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Garnish with chopped green onions before serving for fresh flavor and color contrast.
Notes
- Beef selection matters most for tender, flavorful results, so choose a well-marbled chuck roast for maximum richness.
- Searing the meat before slow cooking creates a deep, caramelized exterior that locks in robust flavor profiles.
- Adjust the sauce’s sweetness and saltiness by tasting and adding small amounts of brown sugar or soy sauce as desired during the final reduction.
- For gluten-free diets, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg