This slow cooker Amish pickle juice beef is the kind of dependable dinner that works hard for you while you get on with the day. The dill pickle brine helps tenderize a lean eye round roast and adds a savory tang that balances beautifully with simple pantry ingredients, giving you fork-tender beef with hardly any hands-on effort. It is a practical, old-fashioned style of meal that fits right into a busy family routine.
Serve this beef with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or roasted carrots to soak up the flavorful juices. It is also wonderful piled onto toasted sandwich rolls with provolone, or tucked beside green beans and a simple salad for an easy Sunday-style supper.
Slow Cooker 6-Ingredient Amish Pickle Juice Beef
Servings: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 beef eye round roast, about 3 to 4 pounds
1 1/2 cups dill pickle brine
1 packet ranch seasoning mix, about 1 ounce
1 packet brown gravy mix, about 0.87 ounce
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
1. Place the eye round roast in the slow cooker. Scatter the sliced onion over and around the beef, then sprinkle the ranch seasoning and brown gravy mix evenly on top.
2. Pour the dill pickle brine over the roast. Set the butter on top in small pieces.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
4. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and slice or shred it, whichever your family prefers. Return it to the slow cooker juices for a few minutes before serving so it stays moist and flavorful.
Variations & Tips
For sandwich night: Shred the beef instead of slicing it and spoon some of the juices over the top before piling it onto toasted buns. Add provolone or Swiss if you want to make it extra cozy and filling.
For milder pickle flavor: If anyone at your table is unsure about pickle brine, use 1 cup of brine and 1/2 cup of beef broth instead. You still get the tenderness and tang, but the flavor is a little gentler.
For a heartier supper: Add baby potatoes and thick carrot pieces during the last 3 to 4 hours of cooking on low. They will soak up the juices and turn this into more of a full one-pot meal.
For best texture: Eye round is lean, so try not to cook it longer than needed once it is tender. Returning the sliced or shredded beef to the juices at the end helps keep every serving moist.
For make-ahead ease: Assemble everything in the slow cooker insert the night before, cover, and refrigerate if your insert is refrigerator-safe. In the morning, set it into the cooker base and start dinner with almost no effort.