Beef Manhattan Recipe

Our easy beef Manhattan recipe in a Crockpot or on the stove turns out great. A flavorful slow cooker chuck roast that turns out super tender. You have got to make this shredded beef served over a bed of mashed potatoes or garlic bread for dinner.

Our slow cooker beef manhattan recipe is somewhat similar to our Crockpot bbq beef dish because you just throw it on in and let it cook all day. No need to brown or sear at the beginning, you can if you want to though. I like super low prep always on busy mornings. If we are heading out the door early the last thing I want to do is prep anything.

As for your protein I like to use chuck but if I find another similar cut on sale I will grab that. Biggest thing to remember is you want a decent amount of marbling to add moisture. Meaning that fat = flavor y’all. It will render down quite a bit when cooking and can be removed at the end too if desired.

This dish was first served to me at a little spot in New York City. I will say that this copycat version is really close to what it tasted like. Much cheaper to make homemade of course.

Below explains in our cooker because that is my all time favorite way. You could easily use the same ingredients but on your stovetop too. You’ll need to pay closer attention to this because of course you don’t want it to bubble over. Once you get right temp where the lid stays on well you can kinda’ set it and forget it.

Beyond the sauce ingredients, what makes this dish recognizable is how it is served. Of course you can do whatever you want but on top of a piece of homemade garlic bread with a dollop of mashed potatoes is typical.

Ingredient Notes

Ideally you will want to use a 2-3 pound piece of chuck roast or other cut like sirloin tip roast works but more fat is better, boneless and thawed

Throw in a packet of your favorite dry Gravy mix, dry + a packet onion soup mix or make your own and some red wine vinegar will give it a kick of zingy flavor you’d expect

Beef Manhattan with Frozen Roast

If yours is still hard follow our timing and temp for slow cooker frozen roast, it will still work!! The only difference is you will use the ingredients here but the timing for right out of the freezer (which is a minimal difference).

How Long to Cook Beef Manhattan in Slow Cooker

You’ll want to cut your roast up into large chunks instead of leaving it whole. This will allow it to break down faster and get as tender as possible so it can soak up the sauce / gravy better. You just cover and slow cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours or on high less but this is not recommended for the ideal outcome.

You want it to become tender enough to shred with forks with little effort. Traditionally this is served on a plate on top of crisped garlic toast or with two as a sandwich.

Stovetop Directions

I like to make it as a Dutch oven recipe because the heat stays in the cast iron pot really well without escaping. If you do start with this method it is really easy to brown the meat with a bit of olive oil at first. Then tone down to medium heat with the other items and let it simmer for 3-4 hours.

How do you know when it’s done?

This is all about the texture. You want to cook it low and slow, and long enough to break down the connective tissues of the meat until it is tender enough to shred with 2 forks. If it takes any effort to pull and shred apart it needs more time. Give it another 30 minutes and check again until it reaches this point and serve.

FAQ

For full Crock pot beef Manhattan instructions and nutrition facts follow the steps below. Like I said, I would highly suggest the longer cooking time for best results so it stays really moist. If you want to make this faster I would use the same ingredients but timing from my Instant Pot bbq beef post.

Add a layer of mashed potatoes on the toast and top with the beef and some of the au jus sauce out of the crockpot. You could almost make this as an appetizer too on top of a piece of toast with potatoes and gravy like we do with our Mississippi Pot Roast.

How to save leftovers

This saves really well if you do have leftover shredded beef too which is nice. You know how I hate to waste food. Remember to wait until it is cooled before transferring into an air tight container or freezer bag. It will stay well in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating I just use my microwave in a bowl.

I would add a tbsp of beef broth on the top to add moisture and a pinch of salt and pepper. A quick and easy way to enjoy your pot roast dinner idea. Pure comfort food y’all, even the day after it was first made.