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Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the savory champion of easy, tender and delicious family dinners, and leftovers are the BEST!
There are many reasons why our slow cooker pot roast recipe is the perfect dinner solution. First it’s very easy to throw together. Second, being able to cook an entire meal in one pot makes for easy clean up. Yes to less mess! I could go on an on but you probably know the rest by heart; the meat is extremely tender, the vegetables are cooked to perfection, the roast smells like heaven while it cooks, and the rich, savory broth makes really good gravy! Â And don’t forget, leftovers make a fantastic roast beef sandwich!
Can you add more potatoes or other vegetables to this slow cooker pot roast?
Absolutely! If I’m having extra folks for dinner, I often increase the number of carrots and potatoes so we have more than enough to go around. There’s no need to make any other adjustments to the ingredients. This recipe also works with a small or large chuck roast. If you are cooking for two, you can cut a large chuck roast in half and freeze part for later. We love having leftovers for lunches, or another dinner or two, so I always make a big crock pot roast. Make sure to adjust your cooking time if you have a small, or half roast.
Sometimes I add celery to the slow cooker too. It really just depends on what I have on hand. The three things I never omit are the potatoes, carrots and plenty of sweet onion. My husband adores the onions, and so do I. They’re hiding under the potatoes in the photo, but they’re there!
Do you need to brown the roast before putting it in the slow cooker?
For this recipe yes, you should brown this heavily seasoned roast on the stove top before putting it in the slow cooker. This step helps build a more complex flavor and those crusty bits of beef are so good. Chuck roasts that are seared before slow cooking are more tender, if that’s even possible. Searing enhances the flavor so don’t skip this simple step, it only takes a few minutes for each side. The seared roast is put in the slow cooker, then covered and cooked for about eight hours on low.
Season the roast with your favorite flavored salt blend or Mrs. Dash if you’re trying to reduce sodium in your diet. You’ll need some salt for good balanced flavor, but you can control the sodium by using a less salty flavor enhancer. Don’t forget there’s salt in the low-sodium beef broth or stock too. It’s best to use a minimal amount in the beginning and season more liberally at the end, in my opinion 🙂
If you don’t want to use the slow cooker, this recipe is easily adapted using the oven method. Place the roast and vegetables in a Dutch Oven and bake at 350F degrees for about 2 1/2 or 3 hours depending on the size of the roast.
Don’t forget you can make gravy out of the leftover cooking liquid.
If you have a gravy loving family like mine, they’ll be thrilled with this flavorful, beefy gravy. Once you remove the roast and vegetables to a platter, tent with foil to keep warm. Pour the broth through a strainer into a medium saucepan. Discard any solids like the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Allow the juices to sit for a few minutes and then spoon out some of the fat that accumulates on top. You don’t have to get every drop, but remove as much of the oily fat as you can.
Combine cold water with cornstarch and whisk until blended. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the beef broth while stirring over medium heat. Bring the gravy to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Check the seasonings and serve! Don’t you love an easy recipe that turned out great every time?!
The only other thing I can say about this slow cooker pot roast is that my family loves it!
Pull out the slow cooker (you know, that big appliance in the back of your pantry or junk closet) and make this easy slow cooker pot roast for dinner! Serve this lovely slow cooker pot roast with some hearty bread or soft warm rolls to sop up the gravy. This is Sunday supper at it’s best!
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Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 8 hrs
Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
Yield: 6 to 8 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course
The savory champion of easy, tender and delicious family dinners. Leftovers make the best sandwiches ever!
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
For the roast:
- 1 chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons blended season salt, or Mrs. Dash
- 2 cups beef broth, or beef stock
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 or 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 whole large potatoes, peeled and halved
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 sweet onions, peeled and cut in half
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley leaves for garnish
for the gravy:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water, more or less for desired thickness
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Heavily season both sides of the chuck roast with your favorite seasoning blend. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the roast and brown well on both sides. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker and turn on low. Set the timer for 8 hours.
- Add a cup of the beef broth to the skillet and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Pour this broth and all remaining beef broth or stock, red wine and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme to the broth around the roast.
- Add the vegetables to the slow cooker stacking them on top of the roast. Cover and simmer on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Halfway through cooking, move the vegetables to the edges so the potatoes and carrots are in the broth if possible. Cook until the beef and vegetables are tender.
- Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter. Tent with foil and keep warm while preparing the gravy.
- Strain the remaining beef juices into a medium saucepan. Discard the solids such as the bay leaves, garlic and thyme. Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat. In a small measuring cup mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the beef broth stirring constantly. Allow the gravy to simmer and reduce slightly, uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Serve
Recipe Notes
- Add several stalks of celery to the slow cooker with the garlic if desired.
- Any dry red wine will work well with this roast.
Nutrition
Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1251mg | Potassium: 1246mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5161IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5mg
Kitchen Essentials – our favorite Slow Cooker
Last year I finally bought a shiny new slow cooker! Mine was so old it didn’t even have a timer or controls and only two temperatures – hot and too hot! I researched various brands and found this KitchenAid 6-quart Slow Cooker with glass lid on sale on Amazon. This model was the number one pick on a 2017 equipment review on Cook’s Country. This pretty slow cooker has a 6-Quart removable, oval-shaped ceramic vessel, 4 temperature settings, an LED display, 24-Hour programmability, keep warm setting and an easy to read digital display. I LOVE it! Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.
Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.
Here are a few more recipes you might enjoy:
Mississippi Pot Roast – a tender, well flavored slow cooker pot roast with pepperoncini and a simple homemade ranch dressing. The briny little peppers add a spicy punch of flavor, and it couldn’t be easier to make! Click HERE to get the recipe.
Juicy, tender and beautifully flavored, our easy Oven-Braised Pot Roast Recipe is the perfect weekend dinner solution! Click HERE to get the recipe.
Classic Roast Beef and Gravy – well seasoned and slow cooked, this sirloin roast comes to the table tender and juicy and served with a rich red wine gravy. Click HERE to get the recipe.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Â Â Tricia
Originally published November 2011, updated September 2019
sue says
My favorite dinner ~ my mom’s is a tough act to follow, but I’ll give yours a shot this week, it looks amazing!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Sue!
Gerlinde@Sunnycovechef says
I will pull out my slow cooker and make this delicious looking pot roast . It’s the perfect comfort food. Pinned!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Gerlinde! Enjoy 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I am so ready for Sunday pot roast 🙂 Summer is a great season, but comfort food season is pretty good, too! Just a perfect dinner right here.
Tricia Buice says
Bring on the comfort food Jennifer – thanks so much!
Asmita says
I just had lunch and I am feeling hungry all over again. The pot roast looks yummy!
Sue/the view from great island says
Pot roast is probably my all time favorite dinner. Your finished plate is to die for— I know from experience it's hard to make pot roast look as good as it tastes!
Mary says
Oh my goodness, I just pinned this to try soon! That is one awesome looking roast, Tricia. I love the ease of it and the fact that it doesn't require any special mixes or powders. I can't wait to try it. Your veggies look so perfect as well. The one time I tried an all in one roast veggie combo in the crockpot, the veggies were mush by the time the meat was done.
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow says
That pot roast looks particularly good with those rolls! 😉 I do love pot roast and I am a believer that the searing makes the deal! ;)<br /><br />I loved the Twilight books, too Tricia! Read through them like a forestfire! Now, I haven't really wanted to see the movies… it seems they are never as good as the books. I look forward to hearing how it is! Enjoy time with your girls.