This Slow-Cooker Pot Roast combines slow-cooked tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef chuck roast with onions, carrots, baby potatoes, and a perfect blend of flavorful spices in a rich brown gravy.
Slow-cooker pot Roast is an easy beef roast recipe that yields delicious results every time. Even the novice chef can handle it. The easy-to-make gravy mixes right in the crock after the vegetables and beef are done. If you like this tasty dish, you will love my Swiss Steak, Beef Tips and Gravy, and Hamburger Stew.
What is Slow Cooker Pot Roast?
Slow-cooker Pot Roast and Vegetables are tender, flavorful, slow-cooked chuck roast, onions, carrots, and potatoes smothered with creamy beef gravy seasoned to perfection.
This is such great comfort food and close to heavenly when served with warm rolls and sweet cream butter. It takes just a few minutes to throw in the crock pot to enjoy one of my favorite meals ever, with wholesome farm-fresh ingredients.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Meat: chuck roast or rump roast
- Vegetables: onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes
- Spices and herbs: kosher salt. freshly ground black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.
How To Cook a Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker
A Pot Roast Recipe is easy to cook and one of my family’s favorite meals. It is a dump-and-go recipe of beef, vegetables, herbs, and spices slow-cooked in the crock pot or a Dutch oven.
When the roast is finished, use the juices to make a simple gravy. You can add everything at once, or if you don’t want your vegetables to be pretty soft, add them two hours before the roast is complete.
Preparation Tips
- Cook this recipe in a crock pot or Dutch oven. It is a little faster in a Dutch oven but not by much.
- A Dutch oven is a large, heavy pot with a lid suitable for both the top of the stove and inside the oven. So you brown your roast right in the pan on the top of the stove, add all your goodies, put the lid on, and pop it in the oven. It is fantastic for anything slow-cooked; brisket, ribs, chuck roast, pork roast, and even soup and chili. The Dutch oven is inexpensive and works like a charm.
- Chuck roast is by far my favorite cut of meat for this recipe, followed by rump roast.
- If using a little red wine, choose a dry, bold red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Make sure it is a wine that you would enjoy drinking.
- A lot of recipes call for throwing in the potatoes and carrots at the beginning with the chuck roast. I find it better to let the roast cook for a while and then add the potatoes and carrots. This keeps the veggies from getting too soft and turning to mush.
- Season with fresh or dried herbs. The rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh herbs.
What Cut of Beef is Best?
I personally think chuck roast is the best choice for this recipe because of its flavor and tenderness. Chuck roast has fat and cartilage, which makes it so tender after it is slow-cooked in a crock pot or Dutch oven. Rump roast is a great second choice.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
To freeze, first cool completely, then store the roast and veggies in a sturdy freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
Got big eaters? You can easily increase the size of the chuck roast and throw in another onion and a couple more carrots. You will not need to change any other part of the recipe.
More Crock Pot Recipes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 lbs chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 onions quartered
- 4 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup dry red wine optional see notes
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 lbs baby yellow potatoes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chuck roast. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chuck roast and sear it on both sides. Remove the roast and place it in the crock pot.
- Add the onions to the skillet over medium heat and cook until browned on the edges. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the onions to the crock pot with the beef.
- Add the beef broth, wine if using, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves to the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours.
- Add the carrots and potatoes and cook on high for an additional 2-3 hours.
- Remove the chuck roast and vegetables and place them on a cutting board. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Whisk the cornstarch with water. Slow whisk the mixture into the crock pot, cover and cook on high for 10 minutes. Slice the chuck roast against the grain. Serve with the vegetables and gravy.
Video
Notes
- Cook this recipe in a crock pot or Dutch oven. It is a little faster in a Dutch oven but not by much.
- A Dutch oven is a large, heavy pot with a lid suitable for both the top of the stove and inside the oven. So you brown your roast right in the pan on the top of the stove, add all your goodies, put the lid on, and pop it in the oven. It is fantastic for anything slow-cooked; brisket, ribs, chuck roast, pork roast, and even soup and chili. The Dutch oven is inexpensive and works like a charm.
- Chuck roast is by far my favorite cut of meat for this recipe, followed by rump roast.
- If using a little red wine, choose a dry, bold red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Make sure it is a wine that you would enjoy drinking.
- A lot of recipes call for throwing in the potatoes and carrots at the beginning with the chuck roast. I find it better to let the roast cook for a while and then add the potatoes and carrots. This keeps the veggies from getting too soft and turning to mush.
- Season with fresh herbs or dried herbs. The rule of thumb is for every tablespoon of fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
Nutrition
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Jenn
Ohmygosh Beth this looks absolutely delicious! My mouth is watering lol – a must-try!
Libby
Not sure if this has been asked yet or not, but I have pork shoulder on hand, could it be used in place of the beef? How would you suggest I adjust the cook time? TIA! 🙂
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delay. I had to get my taxes filed this weekend. Yes you most certainly can do this with a pork loin. I think with pork I would switch to chicken broth. I think it complements it better.
Autumn Murray
Yum! I love making pot roast in a slow cooker as the meat always turns out so tender. I’ll try your recipe. Thank you.
Claudia
Such a great recipe! My family loved it and now they want me to make it again. Thanks for sharing, Beth.
Joanna Clute
Wowsas! This recipe looks so delicious! It has my tummy growling for some!
Beth Pierce
Mission accomplished! Thank you!!
Tiffany La Forge-Grau
This recipe reminds me of when I was groing up. My great grandmother made a similar, unbelievable dish.
Funke Olotu
this looks so yummy, Can’t wait to send this to my friend that enjoys trying new recipes more than i do!
Blair villanueva
Your recipe looks delectable! Instead of roast, is it possible to use chicken meat?
Beth Pierce
Yes you certainly could although you might need to cut the cooking time depending on what parts of the chicken you are cooking with.
Porsha Carr
I thought I had left a comment on this before but I can’t find it. If I did I apologize. But either way that looks insanely yummy!
Terri Steffes
Oh Lordy, I am ready for a crock pot chuck roast right now! THat looks incredible. Your family are some lucky people.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Terri! I will tell my family that you think they are lucky people! 😉
kristin lesney
Have to try out this. Looks easy but love the gravy idea.
Kiwi
I need to do more crockpot meals. This post just really inspired me!
Heather
This is very similar to my grandma’s recipe. It was one of my favorite dishes!
Keely elise
I’m so hungry now! Lol.
Love the Dutch oven x
Beth Pierce
Mission accomplished!
emman damian
I would like to try the crock pot pork and noodles. Seems like a yummy dish too! Nice recipe!
Jaye Shields
Slow cooker recipes are the best because they’re so easy. There carrots in this recipe look so delicious that they jus off the page!