Making a warm, comforting batch of crockpot beef and noodles is my go-to meal for ending a long week. Simply add a few ingredients to the crockpot in the morning and let it cook all day while you do whatever you need to do. Your entire house will smell delicious by dinnertime.
This easy recipe tastes like you cooked the dish all day, but you don’t have to actually stand over a pot stirring it. The beef becomes impossibly tender and shreds apart easily, and you’ll be amazed how well it combines with the delicious gravy. This is a real family-favorite that everyone will enjoy!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This is the ultimate comfort food. The beef is cooked until incredibly tender and shreds easily in the rich gravy. Adding in the egg noodles at the end makes them fluffy and coated in the gravy. It’s pure comfort in a bowl.
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Just dump everything in the crockpot and walk away. You only have one pot to wash when you’re done. This is also perfect for a busy weeknight because I like to add all of the ingredients to the crockpot before I leave for the day, and then come home to a finished dinner with no last-minute work needed.
Ingredients You Will Need
These are some of the ingredients you’ll need to make this dish. See the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions.
Beef Chuck Roast
Beef chuck roast is a great cut of beef for a recipe like this because it has enough fat to stay moist during the slow cooking process, resulting in super tender meat. Trimming off any excess, hard fat from the outside of the roast will keep your gravy from becoming too greasy.
You could also use a bottom round roast or beef stew meat. These cuts of meat may not become as tender as chuck roast, but will still work in this recipe.
Low-Sodium Beef Broth
I like to use low-sodium broth because I can better control the seasoning of the final gravy. The broth is poured over the beef to create the flavorful braising liquid for the meat. If you do not have beef broth on hand, you can substitute chicken broth with a bit of soy sauce to get that beef-like flavor, or water mixed with beef bouillon paste.
Frozen Egg Noodles
Thick frozen egg noodles are ideal because they hold their texture well and won’t turn into a mushy mess in the gravy. You can simply toss them into the crockpot in the final half hour of cooking, right from the freezer. If you can’t find the frozen kind, try wide dried egg noodles, but watch them carefully as they will cook much faster.
How to Make It
Let’s walk through exactly how to make this comforting dinner in just a few simple steps.
Season the Beef
Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Load the Crockpot
Add the chopped onion to the bottom of the crockpot. Add the beef, beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the beef easily shreds with a fork.
Shred the Meat
Remove the roast and shred with two forks. Then stir it right back into those savory juices.
Add the Noodles
Stir in the frozen egg noodles. Cover and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
Thicken and Serve
Mix the cornstarch with the cold water, and stir into the crockpot for the last 10 minutes of cooking, or until thickened. Stir in the butter and serve warm.
My Best Recipe Tips
Dry the roast completely with paper towels before adding the seasonings. This ensures the seasonings will stick to the meat, rather than having them float away in the liquid and steam the beef.
If you’re using dried egg noodles, start checking them after 10 minutes. Dried egg noodles absorb the liquid quickly and can become mushy. Taste and add more salt and pepper only at the end. As the beef cooks, the salt and flavors concentrate.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze the shredded beef and gravy in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months, but do not freeze the noodles because they will become mushy after thawing.
- To Reheat: Gently reheat the beef and gravy on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a bit of beef broth to thin the gravy if needed.
What to Serve with It
- Crisp green salad with vinaigrette
- Warm dinner rolls
- Green beans, roasted
- Honey glazed carrots
Easy Crockpot Beef and Noodles
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Cutting board
- 2 forks for shredding
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast fat trimmed off
- 1 tsp salt additional, to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 12 oz frozen egg noodles
- 2 tbsp cornstarch optional
- 2 tbsp cold water optional
- 2 tbsp butter optional
Instructions
- Dry the chuck roast and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add onion to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the beef on top.
- Pour beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over the beef, then cover with the lid.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until beef is fork tender.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Then return it to the slow cooker.
- Add egg noodles to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
- Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, add to the slow cooker, and continue cooking on high for 10 more minutes.
- Add butter, season with additional salt and pepper, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried egg noodles instead of frozen?
Sure thing! Just keep an eye on them since they tend to only take 10-15 minutes to cook in the crockpot.
Why did my gravy turn out too thin?
Different beef roasts have varying amounts of moisture. In this case, whisk together a quick cornstarch slurry, add it to the crockpot, and cook on high for 10 more minutes to thicken the gravy.
Can I prepare this the night before?
Absolutely! Prep your onion and combine all of your dry spices the night before and put everything in the slow cooker first thing in the morning.
Leave a Reply