There is nothing more comforting than a big pot roast with hearty vegetables. This is the easiest, 5 minute prep Crockpot Chuck Roast recipe. Slow cooked and the meat literally falls apart and melts in your mouth and requires minimal effort!.
When it comes to the ultimate comfort food, I make pot roast more often than any other dish. This Crockpot Chuck Roast recipe is all about slow-cooked beef that melts in your mouth. The whole family loves it. Is this the best Sunday dinner or what?.
This roast is paired with tender veggies, potatoes, onions and seasoned just right. But the best part is that it literally only takes about 5 minutes to prepare. And we all have that time, right?.
If you want something easier to make with beef, this Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is another chuck roast we love. Short Rib Ragú is also great.
Cooking roast beef in a slow cooker is one of the easiest and most foolproof ways to make incredibly tender, fall-apart beef. The low, slow cooking process helps break down the collagen in tougher cuts of meat like chuck roast, resulting in beef that is super tender and full of flavor.
Whether you’re prepping Sunday dinner or just want a hearty weeknight meal, slow cooker roast beef is sure to satisfy In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to make the best, most tender slow cooker pot roast.
Benefits of Slow Cooker Roast Beef
There are several reasons why using a slow cooker is the perfect method for cooking roast beef
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Tender Fall-Apart Meat – The low heat and extended cooking time allows the meat to become incredibly tender and juicy. The collagen melts into the meat, leaving you with beef that practically falls apart with the touch of a fork.
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Deep, Rich Flavor – Slow cooking gives the seasonings and ingredients plenty of time to permeate the meat, resulting in complex layers of savory flavor in every bite.
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Low Effort – Simply prep and add everything to the slow cooker in the morning and dinner is ready when you get home. It’s practically hands-free cooking.
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Budget-Friendly – Affordable cuts like chuck roast and rump roast shine when slow cooked. You get melt-in-your-mouth tender beef for a fraction of the cost of fancier cuts.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Follow these tips and tricks to take your pot roast to the next level:
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Choose the Right Cut – Look for chuck roast, rump roast, or bottom round. These cuts have great marbling and connective tissue to get tender when slow cooked. Avoid leaner cuts like eye of round.
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Brown the Meat – Taking 5-10 minutes to sear the roast on all sides before slow cooking enhances the flavor significantly.
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Load up on Flavor – In addition to salt and pepper, add herbs, spices, garlic, onion, or other aromatics to infuse big flavor. Worcestershire sauce, red wine, or beef broth work well too.
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Add Veggies – Carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery are classic additions. They soak up all the delicious juices and seasoning.
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Let Meat Rest – Let the roast rest at least 10-15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute so your beef stays nice and moist.
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Make Gravy – An easy gravy takes your roast beef over the top. Whisk together the cooking juices with flour or cornstarch to make a simple, delicious gravy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for fork-tender slow cooker roast beef:
Ingredients:
- 3-5 lbs chuck roast or rump roast
- 1-2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1-2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 onion, sliced or diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2-3 cups beef broth or stock
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1⁄4 cup red wine (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc.)
Directions:
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Prep the roast: Pat the roast dry and season generously all over with salt, pepper, and any additional herbs or seasonings.
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Brown the meat: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear roast on all sides until well browned, about 5 minutes per side.
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Load up the slow cooker: Place seared roast into slow cooker and add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and any other flavorings. Add the vegetables around perimeter of slow cooker.
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Cook on low: Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low until meat is fall-apart tender.
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Make gravy: Transfer roast and vegetables to a platter. Strain and defat cooking juices. Whisk in flour or cornstarch to make gravy.
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Rest, slice and serve: Let roast rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with gravy.
And that’s it – incredibly simple steps to make the most tender, delicious slow cooker pot roast you’ve ever tasted. This method works perfectly for making beef pot roast for any occasion from casual family dinners to special Sunday suppers.
Recipe Variations
The basic slow cooker roast beef recipe is very versatile. You can tweak it to your tastes with these easy additions:
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Mushrooms – Sautéed mushrooms added in the last hour of cooking are a nice touch.
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Bacon – Cook chopped bacon until crisp, then brown the roast in the rendered bacon fat for extra flavor.
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Red wine – For a bolder flavor, deglaze the pan with 1⁄2 cup red wine after searing.
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Cream of mushroom soup – Use this instead of broth for a creamier gravy.
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Potatoes – Swap in sweet potatoes, baby potatoes, or other varieties.
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Root vegetables – Add parsnips, turnips, or rutabaga for more variety.
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Fresh herbs – Sprinkle in some thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc at the end for a pop of color.
Serving Suggestions
While slow cooker roast beef is delicious all on its own, here are some tasty ways to round out your meal:
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Mashed Potatoes – Creamy mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to soak up all that delicious gravy.
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Yorkshire Pudding – These baked puffs are a nice touch to serve alongside a traditional roast beef dinner.
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Bread or Rolls – Warm bread or rolls are great for dipping in the meat juices.
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Mixed Vegetables – Round out the meal with a medley of sautéed veggies like asparagus, green beans, or brussels sprouts.
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Crisp Salad – A fresh green salad adds a nice crunch and brightness to balance the richness of the beef.
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Wine – A medium or full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec makes the ideal pairing.
Leftover Ideas
One of the bonuses of cooking a roast in the slow cooker is having leftovers! Here are some tasty ways to repurpose them:
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Pot roast sandwiches – Pile tender beef and gravy onto crusty rolls for an amazing sandwich.
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Pot roast tacos – Warm the shredded beef in spices and serve in tortillas with all the fixings.
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Beef and vegetables hash – Dice up the leftovers and cook with potatoes for a hearty hash.
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Pot roast omelet or frittata – Add shredded beef and gravy to egg dishes for a protein-packed breakfast.
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Pot roast pasta – Toss leftover beef and veggies with pasta noodles and gravy for a satisfying dinner.
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Pot roast soup – Simmer beef, veggies and broth together to make a comforting soup.
With the simple tips and easy recipe in this article, you can look forward to fall-apart tender roast beef any night of the week. Next time you’re craving comfort food, let your slow cooker work its magic on a delicious pot roast. Enjoy!
What Makes this Recipe So Simple?
- Only one veggie to chop. I chose baby carrots and small potatoes to cut down on the time it took to cut other vegetables. Simple ingredients, simple prep–that makes for the best meal!.
- No need to brown the meat. In many slow cooker recipes, the meat is browned before it is cooked. I leave this step out of my recipe and still get a tender and juicy pot roast.
- Literally toss everything in the slow cooker and walk away. This crockpot pot roast recipe is a true “toss and go” recipe. After putting everything in the slow cooker, all you have to do until it’s time to serve is enjoy the smell of the food.
- chuck roast: A chuck roast always works out well for me For slow cooking, this is the best cut of meat. When heated slowly, the meat gets so tender and juicy!
- Petite potatoes don’t need to be cut up for this crockpot chuck roast. For this recipe to be as simple as possible, it’s best to use babies potatoes. I usually use small white potatoes, but red potatoes will also work well.
- carrots: to avoid extra chopping, thick baby carrots are best. You can cut full sized carrots into chunks if preferred. Be careful not to use tiny baby carrots because they will cook too quickly and get mushy.
- The only thing you’ll need to chop is an onion. A sweet yellow onion works best in this recipe.
- broth: I like a beef broth that doesn’t have any added salt or less sodium for this recipe. Maybe you could go all out and make your own beef broth?! That would take a lot more work and time that I don’t have. Beef stock will work as well in this crockpot roast.
- garlic: freshly minced is ideal. To save time, use the jarred minced garlic if available. You can use garlic powder if needed. Start with one teaspoon and add more if you like before serving.
- seasoning: keeping this super simple. Salt, pepper and thyme is all that you need. For the most tender beef, make sure to salt it a lot. You can adjust as needed though. Sometimes I use dried thyme and sometimes I add a few sprigs of fresh thyme to this pot roast.
- If you want, you can add a splash of red wine to this recipe if you want to. I also like to add a little Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to change the taste every once in a while.
Step By Step Instructions:
- First, put the carrots, onions, and potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker pot. This is a simple slow cooker pot roast recipe. Toss to combine. You don’t have to add salt, pepper, and garlic, but you can if you want to.
- Place the beef chuck roast on top of the veggies.
- Pour the broth over top of the meat. Cover completely with the sea salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Toss a few fresh sprigs of thyme if desired.
- Cover and cook on low heat for eight hours, or until the meat is soft enough to fall apart with a fork and the vegetables are soft. If the meat is still tough after 8 hours, it’s not done yet! I don’t recommend cooking on high, but if you have to, 4 to 6 hours should do. It probably won’t be as tender though. Low temperature is ideal for the most tender roast.
- Do not use a knife to cut the meat into pieces when it is done. Instead, let it fall apart on its own. Mix corn starch with water if you want the juices to be thicker. Move to a serving platter and let it sit for five minutes before serving. Store leftovers.
- You can thicken the juices easily if desired. We’ve always liked the roast’s juices better, and we pour them over as we serve. If you want to make it a little thicker, mix about 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the juice at the bottom 20 to 30 minutes before you serve it.
- When you can easily tear the meat apart with a fork, it’s done. Don’t freak out if the meat in your pot roast is really tough when you come back to it. This just means it is not done yet. We worry a lot about cooking meat too long, but a pot roast needs to cook all the way through to be soft and melt in your mouth.
- If you want, you can skip the searing step and just brown the pot roast on each side in a little olive oil before putting it in the slow cooker. I rarely do and love the results still. I don’t have time for that extra step most of the time!
Putting leftovers in the fridge: Move the chuck roast to a shallow dish so that it can stay in the juices. You can store the carrots and potatoes separately if desired, but it is not necessary. Store airtight for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, microwave or put back in the crockpot if desired.
Freezing: To freeze, allow the crockpot chuck roast to cool completely, I usually do this in the refrigerator. Again, make sure to store in some of the juices for best results. Place in a freezer safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. I don’t think you should freeze the carrots and potatoes because they can get mushy when they thaw, but if you don’t mind, go ahead and freeze them!
Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast Recipe – How to Make Flavorful Beef Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker
FAQ
How do I make sure my beef is tender in a slow cooker?
How do you keep roast beef from drying out in a slow cooker?
Why is my roast beef tough in slow cooker?
Does slow cooking beef longer make it more tender?
How do you cook a roast in a slow cooker?
Here’s how you do it: Toss the roast into your slow cooker along with the diced onion, sliced carrots, garlic cloves, a dollop of tomato paste, beef stock, and red wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the roast, onion, carrots, and garlic into the slow cooker. Stir in the tomato paste, beef stock, and red wine. Season with salt and pepper.
Can you cook roast beef in a crockpot?
The crockpot is best known for its ability to transform tough cuts of meat into something tender and juicy, and this slow cooker roast beef recipe is the perfect example. The slow cooker allows the meat to be cooked at a slow, consistent low temperature, breaking down tough muscle fibers to produce a deliciously tender roast.
How do you cook beef in a slow cooker?
Place the cut onions into the slow cooker and arrange them in an even layer. Rub the garlic butter mixture onto the beef. Set the beef on top of the onions. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 4-6 hours on high. Remove the beef and slice it. Serve with the juices, or whisk them with flour or cornstarch in a pan to make gravy.
What kind of beef should I use for a slow cooker pot roast?
When it comes to slow cooker pot roast (or any pot roast, really), tough cuts of meat work best. For this reason, we recommend using one of the following cuts of beef. Chuck Roast – Used in this slow cooker pot roast recipe, chuck roast comes from the shoulder and neck region of a cow and is slightly fattier than other options.