This easy Instant Pot Italian Beef is an amazing low carb pressure cooker beef recipe, that doubles as a quick Italian Beef Sandwich recipe with pepperoncinis!
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Tender Beef
Slow cooked beef, so tender it pulls into shred and melts in your mouth, is one of life’s true pleasures.
Although there are all sorts of ways to season and prepare beef like this, Classic Italian Beef is a personal favorite. It offers a deep meaty flavor, laced with herbs and tangy pepperoncini peppers.
You can enjoy the beef on its own as a low carb option, or pile it high on sub rolls and cover it with provolone cheese.
Who Invented Italian Beef?
Is Italian Beef Really Italian?
Sort of… It was actually invented in Chicago, in the 1930s, by an Italian immigrant and restaurant owner.
As the story goes, in a pinch Al Ferreri stretched a beef roast to feed over 150 people by shaving it extra thin and serving the meat, soaking in its juices, on bread.
This led to a sandwich shop chain that has been making beef sandwiches this way for decades.
What Kind of Meat Do You Use for Italian Beef?
Although any sort of beef roast could be used, I find you get the most flavor and the best texture from a chuck roast.
However, if you happen to have another type of beef roast in the freezer, go for it!
In the original Italian Beef recipe, Al shaved the beef into thin slivers. Yet most home cooks do not own a commercial meat slicer. Therefore we’ve changed the recipe to a shredded beef variation.
It offers the same flavors and appeal, with less equipment or time involved.
What Ingredients You Will Need
- Beef Chuck Roast – Perfectly marbled with fat for the best shredded beef.
- Butter – Start the onions and garlic off in butter to release their flavors.
- Red Onion – Sliced, not chopped.
- Garlic – The more the merrier!
- Pepperoncini – Use mild or hot peppers, making sure to reserve some juices for the recipe.
- Worcestershire Sauce – To accentuate the deep beefy flavor.
- Beef Broth – Used instead of wine for a low carb paleo version.
- Sugar – Just a small amount of brown sugar (or palm sugar) balances the tangy ingredients.
- Italian Seasoning – This dried Italian herb blend puts the I in Italian.
- Crushed Red Pepper – For a flavor kick!
Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot
In my original slow cooker beef recipe, I add wine to the cooking broth to deepen the flavor.
However, here we are trying to keep the recipe low carb, so feel free to skip the wine… And for very low carb (keto) skip the sugar as well.
If you prefer using a slow cooker, so you can set-and-forget your beef roast all day, go for it! But for those who don’t usually think about dinner until they are driving home in the evening, the Instant Pot method is the answer to perfectly tender beef and peppers.
How to Make Instant Pot Italian Beef
You can make Chicago-style Italian Beef in the oven as well. However, if you want to make it in the least amount of time, a pressure cooker is the best option.
- Sauté – Cook the onions and garlic on the sauté setting to soften and sweeten them.
- Pressure Cook – Next add all remaining ingredients. Then set the Instant Pot on high for 50 minutes.
- Shred – Once it’s safe to open the pressure cooker lid, shred the beef in the juices. It will be very soft and tender, so you can shred it with tongs or a couple forks.
For quick Italian sandwiches, pile the beef on sub rolls. Lay a slice of provolone cheese over the top. And set it under the broiler for 1-3 minutes to melt the cheese.
See Our (Printable) Pressure Cooker Italian Beef Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make This Low Carb?
If you are sticking to a strict low carb, paleo, or ketogenic diet, skip the traditional bread!
You can adjust this low carb base recipe to be even lower in carbs by taking out a little bit of sugar. However, I feel it does help balance the overall flavor.
Consider adding a keto sweetener like stevia or erythritol instead of sugar.
How Long Will The Leftovers Last In The Fridge?
This recipe can last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. I usually add some of the juices from the instant pot in with the beef to keep it nice and juicy, while also adding extra flavor.
How Spicy Does This Recipe Get?
If you use mild pepperoncini, it’s not spicy at all. You can adjust the spice level by buying mild, medium, or hot peppers.
Then Serve This Recipe With:
Keto Cloud Bread
Low Carb Magic Mug Bread
Cauliflower Rice
Lemon Butter Roasted Asparagus
The Best Sautéed Mushrooms
Other Great Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto Recipe
- Homemade Instant Pot Applesauce Recipe
- Instant Pot Perfect Carnitas Recipe
- Instant Pot Green Chicken Curry Recipe
- Instant Pot Italian Chicken Orzo Recipe
- Best Instant Pot Baked Beans Recipe
- Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken Curry Recipe
- Instant Pot Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe
- Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe (Crockpot & Instant Pot)
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