Portillo’s Italian Beef (Easy Copycat Recipe)

This copycat Portillo’s Italian beef brings the iconic Chicago sandwich right to your kitchen — tender, slow-cooked beef soaked in a savory, herb-packed au jus, piled high on a hoagie with sweet peppers and spicy giardiniera. It tastes just like the original, and your slow cooker does almost all the work. Whether you like it wet-dipped or dry, this is the ultimate comfort sandwich for game day or any hungry crowd. Below you will find the ingredients, the method, the secret to that legendary au jus, and answers to common questions.

What Is Portillo’s Italian Beef?

Italian beef is a legendary Chicago street food, and Portillo’s is its most famous name. It is thinly sliced or shredded slow-cooked beef, simmered in a deeply seasoned broth called au jus, then served on a sturdy Italian roll. The sandwich is finished with sweet green peppers or fiery giardiniera, and often dipped back in the jus for a juicy, messy, utterly craveable bite. This copycat captures all of that bold flavor at home.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat

• Tastes like the original — juicy, savory, and herb-packed.
• Slow cooker does the work. Hands-off and easy.
• Feeds a crowd. Perfect for game day and parties.
• Customizable. Wet or dry, mild or spicy.
• Great leftovers. The beef only gets better in its juices.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what each part does:

• Beef chuck roast — marbled and perfect for slow cooking until tender.
• Beef broth — the base of the signature au jus.
• Italian herbs, oregano, garlic, red pepper — the bold seasoning blend.
• Giardiniera — the tangy, spicy pickled-vegetable topping.
• Hoagie rolls and peppers — to build the classic sandwich.

How to Make Portillo’s Italian Beef

1. Sear the seasoned chuck roast until browned on all sides.
2. Slow-cook it in beef broth with the herbs and spices until fork-tender, about 8 hours on low.
3. Shred or thinly slice the beef and return it to the au jus to soak.
4. Pile it on hoagie rolls and top with peppers and giardiniera.
5. Spoon over au jus (or dip the whole sandwich) and serve hot.

The Secret to the Au Jus

The au jus is everything. The magic is in slow-cooking the beef right in the seasoned broth so the meat and the jus flavor each other over hours. Do not skimp on the herbs — oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic, and a good hit of red pepper build that unmistakable Chicago flavor. And always return the shredded beef to the jus before serving so every bite is soaked and juicy. Save extra jus for dipping.

Wet vs Dry (and Toppings)

Chicago has strong opinions here. Dry is the sandwich as-is; wet means dipping the whole thing in au jus for maximum juiciness; and dipped is somewhere in between. For toppings, sweet peppers keep it mild, while hot giardiniera brings the heat. Try it both ways and pick your side.

What to Serve With It

Serve it with crispy fries, potato chips, a crunchy coleslaw, or a simple green salad. It is a natural fit for game-day spreads alongside other crowd favorites. For more copycat classics, try our Chipotle steak bowl or garlic butter steak and shrimp.

Storage and Reheating

Store the beef in its au jus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days — it actually tastes better the next day. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with plenty of the juices so it stays moist. The beef also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; thaw and reheat in its jus.

Calories and Nutrition

Each sandwich runs about 520 calories with roughly 42g of protein, making this a hearty, protein-rich meal. To lighten it, serve the beef over greens or in a lettuce wrap instead of a roll. Full values are in the recipe card.

Portillo’s Italian Beef Recipe

Copycat Portillo’s Italian Beef

A Chicago-style copycat Portillo’s Italian beef – tender slow-cooked beef soaked in a savory, herby au jus, piled on a hoagie with peppers and giardiniera. Just like the original.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 sandwiches

Calories: 520

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 lb beef chuck roast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) for serving
• 6 Italian hoagie rolls

Method

 

1. Season the beef chuck roast with salt and pepper and sear it in olive oil in a hot pan until browned on all sides.
2. Transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high 4-5 hours) until the beef is fork-tender.
4. Remove the beef and shred or thinly slice it, then return it to the seasoned broth (the au jus) to soak.
5. Pile the beef onto hoagie rolls, spoon over some au jus, and top with sliced peppers and giardiniera. Serve hot, with extra au jus for dipping.

Notes

For an authentic Chicago experience, dip the whole sandwich in au jus (wet style). Use a hot giardiniera for spicy, or sweet peppers for mild. Make it in the oven at 300F for 3-4 hours instead of a slow cooker. Leftover beef keeps 4 days in the fridge in its juices and freezes well.

Frequently Asked Questions

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