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Slow Cooker Pot Roast - This easy slow cooker pot roast cooks low and slow right in the crockpot, yielding the most fall-apart tender beef and the dreamiest gravy!

This easy slow cooker pot roast cooks low and slow right in the crockpot, yielding the most fall-apart tender beef and the dreamiest gravy!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast - No-fuss, fall-apart pot roast made in your crockpot with the most tender vegetables! And the gravy is perfection.

Featured Comment

This is the absolute best pot roast I’ve ever had. I am glad to replace our family recipe using packaged onion soup mix with wine and fresh herbs. Thank you for this recipe! It is damn delicious!
RACHEL
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Why you’ll love this slow cooker pot roast

  • Classic comfort food. Sometimes you just need a classic comfort food dish that brings you back home. Something mom used to make, and something you can simply enjoy on a Sunday night with friends and family with all the crusty bread.
  • Easiest crockpot recipe. This is truly the easiest pot roast recipe that can cook all day long in your slow cooker for 7-8 hours, filling up the entire house with a cozy, homey feeling all around.
  • Includes a built-in gravy. The meat not only comes out unbelievably fall-apart tender but the recipe also includes the most perfect gravy that you can make from the leftover cooking juices!
  • Freezer-friendly. Pot roast is an excellent dish to freeze for meal prep, whether it’s for a new mom, a neighbor, or a loved one recovering from surgery, keeping in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Key Ingredients

Beef

Boneless chuck roast

Vegetables

Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, celery, and sweet onion

Liquid

Beef broth, red wine, flour, and tomato paste

Aromatics

Garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley

Slow Cooker Pot Roast - No-fuss, fall-apart pot roast made in your crockpot with the most tender vegetables! And the gravy is perfection.

how to make the easiest crockpot pot roast

  1. Prep the beef. Season the chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Sear. Brown the chuck roast in a hot cast iron skillet until a nice crust forms, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
  3. Combine. Whisk together the beef broth, red wine, all-purpose flour, tomato paste, and Worcestershire.
  4. Layer the ingredients. Place the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf at the bottom of a 6-qt slow cooker, then stir in the liquid mixture and season with salt and pepper. Place the seared chuck roast on top of the vegetables.
  5. Cook low and slow. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. The pot roast will be done when it is fork-tender and falling apart.
  6. Shred the beef. Remove the beef and vegetables from the slow cooker, then pull the meat apart using two forks or a hand mixer. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm.
  7. Make the gravy. Strain the leftover cooking juices from the slow cooker into a small saucepan, then skim the fat (or else you’ll end up with greasy gravy). Bring to a gentle simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
  8. Serve. Serve the shredded meat with the vegetables, spooning the gravy over on top.

PRO TIP

This pot roast makes for great leftovers.

Use the leftover meat for sandwiches, soups and stews, stroganoff, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and casseroles.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast - No-fuss, fall-apart pot roast made in your crockpot with the most tender vegetables! And the gravy is perfection.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH POT ROAST

Tools For This Recipe

Slow Cooker Pot Roast: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of meat?

Chuck roast is ideal but brisket or rump roast (bottom round roast) can also be used.

Do I have to use red wine?

Not at all! Additional beef broth can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute but broth will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine.

Can I use dried herbs instead?

Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. For example, the correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh thyme = 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

How do you know when the pot roast is finished cooking?

The pot roast is ready when it easily pulls apart with a fork. If there’s any resistance, that’s a sign that the connective tissue (collagen) has not broken down yet. You can also insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, checking that it reaches 190-205°F.

Can I make pot roast in the oven instead?

Yes! Don’t have 7-8 hours to wait in the slow cooker? Here is one of my favorite pot roast recipes made in the oven.

How can I store leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Is pot roast freezer-friendly?

Pot roast freezes like a dream and can keep in the freezer for 2-3 months, perfect for quick and easy meals during those busy weeks ahead.

Slow Cooker Pot RoastIMG 2

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 hours 25 minutes
Total: 8 hours 45 minutes
This easy slow cooker pot roast cooks low and slow right in the crockpot, yielding the most fall-apart tender beef and the dreamiest gravy!
4.9 stars (137 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 3 pound boneless chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 2 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

  • Season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
  • Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, wine, flour, tomato paste and Worcestershire; set aside.
  • Place potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth mixture; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with beef.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or until beef is fork-tender.
  • Remove beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion from the slow cooker; shred beef, using two forks. Cover with aluminum foil.
  • Strain cooking juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan over medium heat; discard solids. Skim any remaining fat from surface and discard. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until desired thickness, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion with juices immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Equipment

Cast Iron Skillet
Cast Iron Skillet
Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker
Saucepan
Saucepan

Notes

  • Sear the meat. Searing the chuck roast – top, bottom, sides, everything and all around – over medium high heat will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
  • Choose a wine you will drink. A dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
  • Yukon golds hold up very well. Yukon golds hold up much better throughout the long cook time than russet potatoes, which tend to break down and fall apart. Red potatoes can also be used.
  • Carrots and celery should be cut in larger pieces. The vegetables should be cut a little larger here as they will cook down quite a bit in the slow cooker (or else they will be overcooked, fall apart and turn to mush).
  • Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient in pot roast, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the roast. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
  • Freeze as needed. Pot roast freezes like a dream! Freeze the shredded meat separately from the sauce, packing the meat tightly in freezer bags with a little bit of the cooking juices to prevent the meat from drying out. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
  • Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking in the leftover gravy!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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