This Slow Cooker Roast Beef Debris Po’ Boy recipe features super tender shredded roast beef slow-cooked in a savory gravy and served on French bread rolls. Comfort food at its best!
Comfort food. It’s something we’re craving now more than ever. But what is it really?
The truth is, it just depends. Each person’s definition of comfort food is a bit different. Often it’s food related to a specific memory. Maybe it was your favorite meal that your mom made when you were a kid. Maybe it’s warm chocolate chip cookies. Maybe it’s a gooey, cheesy casserole. For some folks it’s pizza. For others it’s pasta.
One of my ultimate favorite comfort foods is beef and a rich gravy. But not just any beef and gravy… it’s a roast beef debris po’ boy.
My Slow Cooker Roast Beef Debris Po’ Boy recipe is super simple but overwhelmingly delicious. So, let’s grab those crock pots and get to cooking!
What is a debris po’ boy?
As I’ve been told, Benny and Clovis Martin owned a coffee and sandwich shop in New Orleans near the French Market in the 1920s. When a streetcar conductor strike happened, many workers went without work and of course went hungry. Being former streetcar workers themselves, the Martin brothers took pity on the folks on strike and worked to feed them with leftover meats and breads they had each day. They would build the scraps into sandwiches and hand them out to the “poorboys” who were out of work. The name became synonymous with the sandwich. It then was typically shortened to po’ boy.
Today, po’ boy sandwiches are filled with just about anything you can imagine – though fried seafood (oysters or shrimp), ham and cheese, and roast beef are traditional. You will also find them on menus around the world with a myriad of different toppings, like onion, sliced tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, and provolone cheese.
Now, we are specifically talking about debris po’ boys. The folks down at Mother’s Restaurant in New Orleans lay claim to the specific debris po’ boy and say that debris (pronounced day-bree) is all the stuff that falls off the roast beef while it’s cooking, mixed up in the rendered beef fat and juice.
It’s evolved a little bit over time and is now more of a sandwich made up of super tender, fall-apart, shredded roast beef, gravy, and fixings. At Mother’s, those fixings are mayonnaise, creole and yellow mustard, shredded cabbage, and pickles.
But again, this isn’t a regular old roast beef sandwich. What makes it different is how super tender the meat is and all that delicious gravy. This is a gravy-running-down-your-arms kinda sandwich. You’re seriously gonna need some napkins or paper towels here.
What kind of bread is a po’ boy served on?
For me, making a true roast beef po’ boy calls for only one kind of bread. Leidenheimer bread. It’s got a super light, almost cotton candy-esque, interior and amazingly crisp exterior. It’s perfect for sopping up all the juicy gravy from the meat. While I’m fortunate enough to have a local restaurant that uses the New Orleans classic bread and will sell me some, I know not everyone has a source for the stuff. So, opt for light, tender French bread style sub rolls or hoagie rolls, and toast it in the oven for a few minutes to try and recreate that crispy exterior.
Another way to serve this delicious roast beef mixture is over rice, mashed potatoes, or grits! I’ve even been know to make loaded fries with it and top some fresh hot fries with the beef, gravy, and some cheese! Yum!
But here’s the thing… regardless of the exact ingredients, meat, carbs, and gravy can’t be a bad thing. So, if you’re needing a little comforting, you need to try this out!
And, if you love the rich flavor of this slow cooked beef, you should try this Mississippi Pot Roast!
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5 to 3-pound) beef chuck roast
- 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus mix
- 1 (.87-ounce) packet brown gravy mix
- 1 cup water
- 4 to 6 French bread sub rolls – about 6 inches each (or 2 large French bread loaves cut into 2 to 3 pieces each)
- finely shredded cabbage
- dill pickle chips
- mayo
- yellow mustard
- creole mustard
Instructions
- Spray the crock of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add the chuck roast. In a small bowl, whisk together the au jus mix, gravy mix, and 1 cup of water. Pour it over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Once the beef is super tender, carefully remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred the meat when cool enough to handle. Discard the fat and return the shredded meat to the gravy in the slow cooker. Mix to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Warm the bread in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to crisp up the exterior.
- Dress the bread with mayo and Creole and/or yellow mustard. Add generous amounts of the shredded beef and gravy to the sandwich. Top with the shredded cabbage and pickles.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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My family loves meat! This sandwich was a success for our “Soup, Salad, or Sandwich Sundays”
Thanks, Ginger!
Can I use a rump roast?
Yes, you can swap in a rump roast for chuck roast, but just know it’s a bit leaner and less marbled with fat. That means it might not turn out quite as tender or juicy—especially in slow-cooked recipes like this, where chuck really shines.
I made this today for a dinner party and all the families loved it! I made it as a main dish and plan to use any leftovers for sandwiches the next day. The flavor is amazing! I was worried it would need more, and I thought about adding some tomato paste, onions, or garlic. But truthfully, it doesn’t need any extras! This is a great recipe in flavor and simplicity, and an all-around crowd pleaser.
I’m so glad to hear everyone loved it! It sounds like you nailed it by keeping it simple.
I have a couple of roasts I need to use from my freezer and this sounds delicious! I will need to freeze half of the prepared meat though for another time. Would you shred it up before freezing or leave as a larger piece and shred down the road when I bring it out of the freezer again!
Also wondering if I can cook both roasts in my large crockpot or do two separate pots? Thank you for sharing another great recipe!
I’m glad you’re excited to try the recipe! For freezing, I’d recommend leaving the roast whole and shredding it once you thaw it. It helps retain moisture and flavor. As for cooking both roasts, using two separate crock pots is the way to go. This ensures they cook evenly and you can control the timing better. Enjoy!
Made it last year and it was delicious
Planning to make it again this week
Hope you’ll enjoy it just as much the second time around!
JUST made this. It’s AWESOME! I live in New Orleans’ Garden District, and this stands up against some of the best roast beef debris in town. It’s just that good. The only thing I did different was to sear the meat first before putting it in the crockpot. It only takes 10 more minutes (3 mins per side and 1 min per width), but it’ll enhance the flavor. And we’re ALL ’bout flava down ‘ere. Again, this is AWESOME!
THANK YOU Stacey for sharing this. I’ll make this again in a heartbeat (and next time I might even share some of it).
Gotta geaux cause this is callin’ my name from the frig . . . Byeeeeeee
Thank you so much for the incredible feedback! I’m beyond thrilled you enjoyed it, especially coming from someone in New Orleans—that’s high praise! Searing the meat first is a fantastic touch, and I can only imagine how much extra flavor it added. I love how you made it your own!
And hey, no judgment if it doesn’t get shared next time—I’d have a hard time parting with it too. 😉 Hope it becomes a regular in your rotation!
Enjoy every bite, and thank YOU for making my day with this comment!
The Best Sandwich of all time.
Ha! Thanks, Stephanie! I’m pretty fond of them, too!
It was absolutely amazing. I did add onions which no Cajun dish omits and sprinkled some cayenne pepper o the roast before cooking. Delicious. Will definitely make again
So glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome recipe but you don’t need the cooking spray. With the au jus mix the meat won’t stick. We love this and will be making it again. Thank you for it. Its great
Thanks, Ronnie! Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t normally leave reviews, but had to for this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly. Honest review; very easy to throw together. When I pulled the beef out to shred I tasted it and thought it was a little bland. When I put it back in the gravy, it tasted better. I had to let it sit for about 1/2 hour while I was getting everything else for the meal ready. When we started to dish up our food I tasted it again…HOLY SMOKES it was AMAZING!! I made the sandwiches, and the mustard and mayo together with the juice from the meat…chef’s kiss. We couldn’t stop picking at it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thanks for trusting the process, Ann! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I miss a good “We Never Close po boy from the store right by our house in New Orleans East back in the early 80’s. It was so good. Esp the gravy! And the leidenheimer bread makes a big difference too. I sure miss NOLA food!
That bread changes it for sure!!
Although I love Roast Beef Po Boys, I mainly use this recipe for a main course formal dinner. I serve it with buttery parslied potatoes, green beans and carrots. I serve this at the retreat center I run in the mountains for large groups. EVERYBODY RAVES ABOUT THE AMAZING FLAVOR! Thank you for sharing!!!
So glad to hear you’ve gotten some great use out of the recipe!
My sister-in-law fed us this and I fell in love! I was surprised when she sent me the recipe because it only called for the au jus and brown gravy packet. I assumed it contained so much more but she insisted it didn’t. I’m cooking this for New Year’s Eve.
Awesome! So glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
I made this several times. This is my very favorite! These are the closest beef po-boys to the New Orleans po-boys that I have found. Making them today for my birthday!
I couldn’t get a higher compliment! So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
So yummy.
Thanks, Maggie!
Do you have a favorite au jus or gravy mix?
I much prefer the McCormick brand.
Coat the outside of the bread with a little olive olive oil, or if you really want some comfort a thin layer of melted butter.
Plus if you know the people making your bread ask them to only cook it 3/4 of the way through, so you can finish it in the oven.
Please remember if the gravy doesn’t slide down your arms there’s not enough.
Thanks for those great tips and I couldn’t agree more about the gravy!!!
IN Nola, we also put the debris over fries, just add some shredded mozarella to top..YUMMMMMMMM.
Also if you want a bit more bite to beef, add a shot of worcheshire sauce while cooking…
Those fries are so good! We make them, too!
I will definitely be making this!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!
Omygosh. I am stuck at home, trying to stay well, plenty of food here, but nothing looks good to me. Opened my email and THIS RECIPE! It looks so good I can almost taste it, but have none of the ingredients. And can’t go to the store. Shame on you, teasing an almost 88 year old woman. I am in central Georgia. I think you need to make me one, or two of these, and hand deliver to me. Ok, you know I am just having fun with you, will save and make this soon.
Ha! Hopefully the conditions will improve soon and you’ll be able to get a taste of these po’ boys!
N’vr mind I just found a good answer you’ve proved on another recipe. thank you
Just asking … some recipes call for searing the meat before hand? (I’m scared … lol) but is it okay to precede on as the recipe calls for? Thank you 🙂
No worries, Chandra! I’m glad you found the answer. I’ll answer anyway, just in case anyone else has the question… It is certainly an option, but it is not a requirement. It will add some flavor, but won’t really do much else.