This slow cooker pot roast recipe is a great addition to your weekly or holiday menu plan. The meat and vegetables are cooked in a slow cooker, and as a result, you'll have the tender and juicy meat and veggies you always crave.
Slow-cooking pot roast is one of my favorite ways to cook a tougher cut of beef to perfection. I think you'll enjoy this pot roast recipe because it is so effortless. It's easy to prepare and doesn't require a long list of ingredients.
The pot roast meat is pretty versatile, too. I use the leftover meat to make sandwiches, burritos, or casseroles.
The Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pot Roast
To make this slow cooker pot roast you'll need beef chuck, burgundy wine, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, soy sauce, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion.
Beef Chuck. It's my favorite cut of beef for any slow-cooking recipe. It's pretty inexpensive and often goes on sale at my local grocery store. Alternatively, you can use brisket or round roast. These cuts of beef are perfect for braising, pressure-cooking, or in a slow cooker.
Burgundy. It's a red wine that is made in France. It enhances the taste and aroma of the dish and helps tenderize the meat.
Burgundy is the primary wine used in dishes like Beef Bourguignon. If you don't have any Burgundy at home, feel free to use any dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or a pinot noir.
Soy sauce. It's one of my favorite ingredients for a stew, braise meat or pot roast. Soy sauce adds a nice caramelized color to a stew. It also adds a complex umami flavor that makes meat taste tastier.
Wosterschire sauce. It's made of anchovies that give the sauce the same umami quality as soy sauce but without the extra salt or gluten. It's used to enhance and brighten the flavors in meaty dishes.
How to Slow Cook Pot Roast in a Crock Pot
Step 1. Brown the Beef Chuck
- Pat the beef chuck dry with a paper towel and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add the oil and cook the beef chuck undisturbed for about 3-4 minutes or until browned. Flip the meat to brown the other side.
- Transfer the browned meat to a slow cooker and repeat this process with the remaining pieces.
Step 2. Deglaze the Pan
- Add the onion and garlic, cook for minutes or until the onion is browned.
- Add the burgundy or dry red wine to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Be sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until the liquid is reduced in half.
- Transfer the onion, garlic, and wine mixture to a slow cooker.
Step 3. Slow Cook the Beef Chuck
- In a large bowl, combine beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and salt.
- Pour the beef broth mixture into a slow cooker.
- Add carrots, thyme, rosemary, and potatoes into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Step 4. Thicken the Sauce (An optional Step)
- Remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker.
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then pour the cornstarch and water mixture into the slow cooker and gradually stir in to the sauce until it has thickened to your desired consistency.
FAQ and Cooking Tips
To stop vegetables from being mushy in a slow cooker, you need to cut them into large pieces and make sure that you place the vegetables on top of the protein. If you are using small potatoes, keep them as a whole.
To store the leftover pot roast, separate the meat from the gravy and store them in separate airtight containers. Properly stored, the leftovers will last up to 4 days in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
To reheat the pot roast, transfer the meat, gravy, and extra broth to a baking dish. Cover and bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes if it was kept in the fridge, or 60 minutes if frozen. It should bake until the meat is heated through.
Check Out More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Crock-Pot Spiced Mixed Nuts
- Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
- Crock-Pot Chicken Stew
- Crock-Pot Chicken Couscous Stew
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4½ pounds beef chuck roast, (trimmed of excess fat)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper, (to taste)
- 2 large onions, (cut into big chunks)
- 8 garlic cloves, (peeled and smashed)
- 6 thick carrots, (cut into big chunks)
- 3 celery stalks, (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 pound whole baby potatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup burgundy or dry red wine
- 2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, (or about 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, large, (or about 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
To thicken the sauce/gravy:
- 1-2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1-2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels then season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oil then brown the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side then transfer to a slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine and cook until reduced by half. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.
- In a bowl, mix broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce then pour into a slow cooker.
- Add the celery, carrots, whole potatoes, rosemary, and thyme into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker. (Optional) Gradually stir the cornstarch and water mixture into the sauce until until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt or soy sauce if necessary.
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