Slow Cooker Root Beer Beef Sandwiches

Summer temps mean I don't want to turn on my oven, so I turn to the slow cooker instead. You can make all sorts of tasty meals in your crockpot that are inexpensive as well as time-saving.

This recipe for Slow Cooker Root Beer Beef Sandwiches is the perfect example of a tasty meal with little to no effort involved. With just a few ingredients and your crockpot, dinner can be served. 

Slow Cooker Root Beer Beef Sandwiches

If you are looking for a delicious recipe to satisfy your summer barbeque cravings without slaving away in a hot kitchen all day, you are going to love this slow cooker root beer beef sandwich recipe! You only need a few ingredients & a couple of minutes of prep time to whip this one up!

My slow cooker is my favorite kitchen gadget.  Well, gadgets.  I have a few of them and each serves a different purpose. My go-to is this 6 qt Crock-Pot. I love the locking lid and programming options.  I use this for practically everything but have an 8 qt Hamilton Slow Cooker for when we have guests or I'm doubling larger recipes for the freezer.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Root Beer Beef Sandwiches

• Beef Rump Roast
• Barbecue Sauce
• Root Beer
• Buns
• Salt & Pepper

How to Make Slow Cooker Root Beer Beef Sandwiches

1. Place your roast in the slow cooker. Cover with 2 cups of barbeque sauce and 2 cups of root beer.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, until meat is cooked.
3. You can baste (spoon liquid mixture on top) for more flavour.
4. Remove the roast & allow to cool.
5. Shred the meat to your desired size. You can shred it as fine or chunky as you prefer.
6. Add more liquid from the crockpot as you are shredded if you need to.
7. Place your shredded meat onto buns and top as desired.

What should I top my sandwich with?

I love to top mine with a little coleslaw while the kids are perfectly happy slapping a few pickles on with some extra barbeque sauce. My brother has a thing for adding chips to his sandwiches. While I used to curl my lip at it, it actually provides a nice crunch and the possibilities are endless for flavor combos!

What buns are best for barbecue beef sandwiches?

This is such a personal choice but I HIGHLY recommend toasting your bun/bread for any sandwich. And butter it! My husband had never toasted or buttered his bun for a sandwich before, which is crazy to me since the Scottish shops we ate together buttered all their rolls!

I'm a huge fan of ciabatta rolls to step up sandwiches. I love the flavor and the texture of them. You can do a plain hamburger bun, seeded buns, onion rolls, or even just toss the meat onto your favorite bread! Great for the picky eating kiddo that won't touch anything but that one brand of white bread…

What type of sauce should I use?

You are free to pick any type of BBQ sauce you wish. If you want tangy, use it! If you prefer mild, use it! The choice is all up to you and your taste.

I've found the combo of barbecue sauce & root beer to be quite forgiving, so I can get away with using a cheaper barbecue sauce while cooking it & top the sandwiches with a little of our favorite. Our house is split 3-3 between Cookies & Sweet Baby Ray's, but no one complains no matter which way I make this!

If you want to make your own sauce, go right ahead! I love topping it with a little of my homemade barbeque sauce when I remember to whip it up before its time to eat!

If you want to take the heat up a little without trying a different sauce, you can add a little hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes when it is cooking.

What brand of root beer is best?

I'm not very brand loyal when it comes to most things but I am a total root beer snob. Maybe it comes from living in the Midwest, but A&W is the only root beer that I'll buy. I've tried a few different brands. but none had that flavor that was just right (except Culver's but I can't grab a bottle of that whenever the mood strikes).

Most root beer is caffeine free, but I know one brand in the US has caffeine & know many moms are gonna hard pass on that for a kid-friendly dinner! If you aren't using A&W or Mug, just make sure to check your label.

Some similar recipes have you cook it without the barbeque cause & drain the root beer after cooking but the flavour is a bit too BBQ sauce & lacking on the root beer that way, IMO.

Can you freeze the leftovers?

This will be good in the fridge for about 3-4 days. If you aren't a fan of leftovers or won't be able to use them up in time, you can place it in a freezer container/bag for up to 3 months.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Slow Cooker Applesauce
• Slow Cooker Roast Beef
• Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apple Cider Gravy
• Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
• Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki Cups