This Japanese Barbecue Chuck Roast Recipe is an effortless, delicious dinner made with just 5 main ingredients! Cook it in the slow cooker until it is fall-apart tender, then add your favorite Japanese style barbecue sauce on top (we've included our two favorites in the post!). Serve it over fluffy rice with a veggie on the side for a full meal that even picky eaters will love.
If you love this Asian pot roast recipe, check out our many other Chuck Roast Recipes for your next dinner inspiration!
Skip to:
- Why this recipe is great
- How to use Japanese BBQ sauce?
- Ingredients for slow cooker Asian pot roast
- Helpful kitchen tools
- How to make Japanese Barbecue Chuck Roast
- How to prep this dinner ahead
- How to serve Japanese barbecue beef
- Storage instructions
- FAQ
- Tips & Tricks
- More Asian inspired recipes
- Recipe
- Comments
We're on a mission to master Crock Pot chuck roast recipes of every variety, flavor, and style! Today's Asian pot roast recipe is a Japanese-American fusion of sorts that gives you something totally different to do with chuck roast than the typical.
If you're looking for other easy one pan dinner recipes, I highly recommend these Raspberry Barbecue Shredded Chicken Sandwiches or these Italian Beef Sandwiches.
Why this recipe is great
- This dinner recipe is TRULY as easy as they come! No homemade sauces, no complicated cooking methods.
- It's super flavorful and filling!
- These ingredients can all be kept on hand for a last-minute, SOS dinner plan. Keep the roast in the freezer and everything else in the pantry until you're ready.
- You can serve it several different ways, which keeps leftovers interesting all week long. Check out our serving ideas below!
How to use Japanese BBQ sauce?
If you are new to Japanese barbecue sauce, get excited! You can use it on lots of things, like rice bowls, shredded chicken, grilled chicken, slider sandwiches, chicken burgers, fried chicken, meatballs, roasted Brussels sprouts, stir frys, and more. Our favorite way to use it is on shredded beef for bowls or sandwiches, like this recipe.
Ingredients for slow cooker Asian pot roast
This recipe only requires 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper)! Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few tips for the best results.
- Chuck roast: Choose something that is 3-4 lbs, a bright red color, and well marbled with fat. You can freeze a raw beef chuck for 3-4 months. Thaw fully at room temperature before cooking.
- Beef broth: You can substitute hot water and a beef bouillon.
- Japanese barbecue sauce: We have used both Kinder's Japanese Barbecue Sauce and Bachan's Original Japanese BBQ Sauce. Both are good and can be found at a lot of grocery stores, including Walmart.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make Japanese Barbecue Chuck Roast
This is *almost* a dump and go recipe, so the prep should take you less than 10 minutes to complete before you let the slow cooker work it's magic.
Mix the seasonings in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the chuck roast. I like to rub mine in a bit with my hand to make sure it sticks.
Meanwhile, heat a large 12-inch skillet over high heat. This is a great time to use a cast iron skillet!
Once the skillet is hot, sear each side of the roast for 4-5 minutes on each side, until it's a nice golden brown color. This step adds tons of flavor!
Transfer the meat to a 6 qt slow cooker (or larger). Pour the beef broth into the hot skillet and simmer it for 60 seconds, using a spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Next, pour the broth over the meat in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-4.5 hours. The meat should fall apart easily when prodded with tongs or forks.
Once the meat is super tender, use two forks to gently remove any large chunks of fat. Discard the fat and the liquids from the slow cooker.
Use the forks to pull the meat apart into bite sized shreds, then return the meat to the empty Crock Pot.
Pour 2-3 cups of Japanese bbq sauce over the meat and stir well. We like ours saucy, but add as much or as little as you'd like.
Allow the Asian beef roast to cook for 15-30 minutes on low to warm the sauce. Then dish up and enjoy!
How to prep this dinner ahead
You have a couple of options if you want to prep this ahead. Firstly, you can season the meat, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it for 3-4 months. Then thaw fully before cooking as directed.
The second option is to make the recipe fully as directed, then freeze the finished meat in an airtight container for 3-4 months. Thaw fully, then reheat over medium or medium-low heat in a large pot on the stove. You may need to add extra sauce to freshen it up.
How to serve Japanese barbecue beef
You can serve this in a variety of ways! Try a different idea with your leftovers all week long.
- Serve it over white or brown rice (We almost always opt for Jasmine rice that we make in the Instant Pot or on the stove. You can even freeze it ahead and reheat for a faster dinner.)
- Try it on top of baked sweet potatoes.
- Serve it alongside roasted broccoli or crispy roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Try it over cauliflower rice for a healthier option.
- Serve it as a sandwich on a hamburger bun.
- Make mini slider sandwiches with Hawaiian rolls.
- Try it in lettuce wraps!
Storage instructions
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave until warmed through, or over medium to medium-low heat in a pot on the stove. If the meat is a little dry after heating, add another splash of bbq sauce to liven it up.
FAQ
The flavors in this sauce are reminiscent of American barbecue, but with added notes of popular Asian flavors, such as umami, mirin, ginger, and sesame. The sauce is also typically thinner than American versions.
Absolutely! Bachan's and Kinder brand both sell entire varieties of sauces, including sweet, spicy, and citrus versions that would be excellent substitutes.
Tips & Tricks
- Don't skip the searing step. This is a very simple recipe, so the searing is a big part of adding a lot of flavor.
- If the meat doesn't easily pull apart when you check it, just continue to cook it for another hour or so. It will get tender, I promise!
More Asian inspired recipes
Looking for other recipes like this Japanese Barbecue Chuck Roast? Try these:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Japanese Barbecue Chuck Roast Recipe
Equipment
- 6 qt slow cooker or larger
- 12 inch skillet I like cast iron, but any will work
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb chuck roast
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon oil olive or avocado
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1-2 cups Japanese style BBQ sauce *see note
Instructions
- Mix seasonings in a bowl and stir together. Sprinkle evenly over each side of the chuck roast.3-4 lb chuck roast, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Once hot, sear roast for 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a slow cooker.2 tablespoon oil
- Pour the broth in the hot skillet and simmer for 60 seconds, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour over the meat in the slow cooker.1 cup beef broth
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-4.5 hours, or until it falls apart easily when prodded with tongs or forks.
- Once ready, use tongs to move the meat onto a cutting board. Use two forks to gently remove any large chunks of fat. Then use the forks to pull the meat apart into bite sized shreds. Discard any cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
- Add the shredded meat and Japanese bbq sauce back to the empty slow cooker and allow to cook for 15-30 minutes on low. Serve over rice.1-2 cups Japanese style BBQ sauce
Notes
- Don't skip the searing step. This is a very simple recipe, so the searing is a big part of adding a lot of flavor.
- If the meat doesn't easily pull apart when you check it, just continue to cook it for another hour or so. It will get tender, I promise!
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
SDees says
I made this today and used no salt.I used low sodium beef broth and the salt content in the Japanese BBQ sauce was pretty high so I’m glad I didn’t use added salt. Overall it was very good and my husband said it was the best roast he’s had. He is not fond of beef roasts. So that’s a win
Misty says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Mlm says
The easiest dinner. Love how many different ways it can be served too!