Pour raw beef chuck eye steaks in the slow cooker and 4 other ingredients to get a meal so delicious the whole family will be begging for more!

This 5-ingredient slow cooker summer welcome using raw beef chuck eye steaks is the kind of easy, set-it-and-forget-it meal that makes busy days feel a little more special. You simply lay the raw steaks flat in the slow cooker, pour a quick savory-sweet mixture over the top, and let the slow heat turn them into tender, saucy beef the whole family will be begging for. It has that backyard cookout flavor without standing over a hot grill, which makes it perfect for warm Midwestern evenings when you’d rather be out on the porch than in the kitchen.

Serve these tender slow-cooked chuck eye steaks spooned over creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice to soak up all the flavorful juices. In the summer, I love pairing them with corn on the cob, a simple garden salad, or sliced tomatoes and cucumbers from the farmers’ market. For a more casual, kid-friendly spin, shred the beef and pile it onto toasted buns with pickles and a side of potato chips or coleslaw—everyone can build their own plate just how they like it.

Servings: 4

2 pounds beef chuck eye steaks, about 1-inch thick

Place the raw beef chuck eye steaks flat in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker insert, making sure they cover as much of the surface as possible. It’s okay if they overlap slightly, but try to keep them mostly flat against the bottom.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the dry onion soup mix, beef broth, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until the soup mix is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the raw chuck eye steaks in the slow cooker, making sure all of the meat is moistened. Use the back of a spoon to nudge the steaks so the liquid runs underneath and around them.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the beef chuck eye steaks are very tender and easily pull apart with a fork.

Once cooked, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed with a pinch of salt or a little extra barbecue sauce for sweetness and tang. Gently remove the steaks with tongs, keeping them in larger pieces if you like them steak-style, or use two forks to shred the beef directly in the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.

Serve the beef and plenty of the rich sauce over your favorite side, and spoon any extra juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if you have it, for a pop of color.

For a slightly sweeter, more summery flavor, swap half of the beef broth for apple juice or pineapple juice; this goes over especially well with kids. If your family prefers a bit of heat, stir in 1–2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce with the sauce mixture. To keep things extra simple and pantry-friendly, you can replace the beef broth and onion soup mix with one 10.5-ounce can of condensed French onion soup plus 1/4 cup water; reduce added salt at the end, since canned soup is salty. For a lighter version, trim any large visible pieces of fat from the chuck eye steaks before placing them in the slow cooker, and use a reduced-sugar barbecue sauce. If you want more vegetables in the pot, you can tuck thick slices of onion or chunks of carrot under and around the steaks, but remember this will slightly increase the cooking time. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh, cold beef and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook. Don’t thaw frozen steaks in the slow cooker; instead, thaw them completely in the refrigerator before cooking so they heat through quickly and safely. Make sure your slow cooker is at least half full but not more than about two-thirds full for even cooking. Once the cooking time is done, keep the slow cooker on WARM if you’re not serving right away, but refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store leftovers in a shallow container in the refrigerator and use within 3–4 days, reheating until the beef is steaming hot before serving again.