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Make the best crock pot roast with simple kitchen/pantry ingredients (no soup mix!). It combines melt-in-the-mouth tender chuck roast with potatoes and carrots in a rich gravy for an easy, hands-off, comforting meal!
When it comes to Sunday dinner and cozy meals for busy and/or lazy weeknights, nothing beats this super simple crock pot roast recipe. There’s less than 5 minutes of prep, and unlike Mississippi pot roast, it requires no packet seasonings (or onion soup mix!) – just wholesome kitchen and pantry staples! Once cooked, it’s a cozy, hearty, satisfying meal that’s great for feeding a crowd!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Beef roast: I recommend a well-marbled chuck roast for the most tender results. Chuck roast is ideal as it’s a tough, affordable cut that contains plenty of marbling of fat and connective tissue. When cooked low and slow, this cut becomes melt-in-the-mouth tender and juicy. Beef brisket would also work equally well.
- Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil.
- Worcestershire sauce: This adds subtle tang and umami depth.
- Aromatics: A combination of onion (yellow or white) and garlic for lots of flavor (no soup mix necessary!).
- Beef broth: Use a rich store-bought or homemade beef broth – regular or reduced sodium. Beef Oxo/bouillon cubes + water to the same volume would also work.
- Vegetables: Make more of a complete meal by adding baby potatoes (yellow or red potatoes) and carrots (regular carrots or thick baby carrots).
- Spices: Fresh rosemary, dried (or fresh) thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the drippings into a rich brown gravy.
- Fresh parsley: Optional to garnish for a little burst of fresh flavor.
Instructions
Prep the veg and meat: Peel and slice the onion and carrots into thick 1-inch pieces. If you’re using large potatoes, chop them to a similar size (baby potatoes can be cooked whole or halved). Then mince the rosemary and garlic.
Preheat a large skillet with the oil over medium to medium-high heat. Pat the chuck roast dry with a paper towel, season it with salt and pepper, then place it in the pan and sear until evenly browned on every side. Once seared, transfer the meat to the crockpot.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the skillet for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. To get all the flavor from the skillet, deglaze it with a small amount of broth/water, scrape up the brown bits, then pour everything into the slow cooker.
Cook in the crock pot: Add all the remaining ingredients, except the cornstarch, to the crock pot (onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, and carrots). Close the lid. (Note: If you prefer firmer carrots and potatoes, only add them in the last 2-3 hours.)
Cook the pot roast in a slow cooker on LOW for 8-10 hours, until fork-tender and/or a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 190-200ºF/88-93ºC.
Finally, leave the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing or shredding it (with two forks). Optionally sprinkle with some fresh parsley and serve the tender pot roast!
Make Pot Roast Gravy: Strain the drippings from the crockpot into a saucepan, stir in the cornstarch (in a slurry to avoid lumps), and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. Optionally, stir in cold butter just before serving for a super smooth and velvety gravy.
Top tips for the perfect pot roast
- Choose the right beef cut: A well-marbled chuck roast or brisket will produce the most succulent, tender pot roast. In case it’s frozen, make sure it’s fully thawed.
- Sear the meat: Searing the meat (although technically not necessary) until it’s evenly browned all over improves the roast’s overall color, flavor, and texture.
- Deglaze the pan: The crispy brown bits are packed with flavor, so make sure to deglaze the pan with a little broth, scrape them up, and add to the crockpot.
- Layer the ingredients properly: It’s important to place the meat in the crockpot first and top it with the remaining ingredients (like any veggies). Everything cooks most evenly this way, and the flavors from the top ingredients seep down into the meat.
- Avoid peeking: Peer through the lid rather than open it frequently, as that causes temperature changes and allows moisture to escape, affecting the cooking time and final result of the slow cooker pot roast.
- Allow the meat to rest: Leave it for at least 10 minutes (15 minutes is even better) for the juices to settle and redistribute for perfectly moist, succulent meat.
- Use the drippings: You can use them as-is or thicken them with cornstarch (like I do) into a rich gravy, perfect for serving with the slow-cooked beef roast.
Storing and freezing
Refrigerate: Allow the crockpot pot roast to cool, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze: Transfer the meat and juices to freezer-safe containers or Ziplock bags (spread flat), and store for 2-3 months. Leave it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Add it to a saucepan or Dutch oven and heat over low until warmed through or in a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between, until heated through.
More crock pot recipes
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken
- Crockpot Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
- Crockpot Steak and Gravy
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
If you try this easy crockpot pot roast recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Perfect Crock Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless beef chuck or beef brisket, well marbled
- 2.2 lb potatoes either baby or normal – red or yellow
- 20 oz carrots 5 large or thick baby carrots
- 16.5 oz onion 1 large
- 1.8 oz garlic 6 cloves
- 4 cups beef broth or bouillon cubes + water (regular or reduced sodium)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch to thicken the gravy
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onion and carrots into thick 1-inch pieces. If you're using large potatoes, chop them to a similar size (baby potatoes can be cooked whole or halved). Mince the rosemary (and thyme if using fresh) and garlic.
- Preheat a large skillet with the oil over medium to medium-high heat.
- Pat the chuck roast dry with a paper towel, season it with salt and pepper, then place it in the pan and sear until evenly browned on every side. This should take just a few minutes. Transfer the meat to the crockpot.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in the skillet for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. To get all the flavor from the skillet, deglaze it with a small amount of broth/water, scrape up the brown bits, then pour everything into the slow cooker.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, except the cornstarch, to the crock pot (onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, broth, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, and carrots) and add the lid.If you prefer firmer carrots and potatoes, only add them in the last 2-3 hours.
- Cook the pot roast in a slow cooker on LOW for 8-10 hours, until fork-tender and/or a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 190-200ºF/88-93ºC.Alternatively, cook it for 4-6 hours on HIGH.
- Leave the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing or shredding it (with two forks). Optionally sprinkle with some fresh parsley and serve the tender pot roast!
To make the gravy
- Strain the drippings from the crockpot into a saucepan, stir in the cornstarch (in a slurry to avoid lumps), and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens.Optionally, stir in some cold butter just before serving for a super smooth and velvety gravy.
Video
Notes
- Red wine: Replace ¼-1/3 cup of the beef broth with dry red wine added to the crockpot to create a richer gravy for the crock pot beef roast.
- Tomato paste: 1-2 tbsp of tomato paste will create a richer, more acidic gravy.
- Mushrooms: will add earthy, umami-rich flavor to the dish.
- Celery: will add even more depth to the gravy and extra body to the overall dish.
- Bell peppers: particularly red or orange bell peppers for a sweet, crisp, vibrant addition.
- Brown sugar: Or a little honey to balance against the savory flavors.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
