Slow cooker pot roast is one of my favorite ways to make a chuck roast because cooking it low and slow gives you incredibly tender, fall-apart beef. In this recipe, we sear the roast first for extra flavor, then cook it with carrots, potatoes, herbs, and a simple red wine and tomato sauce mixture that becomes a rich gravy at the end.
The key to the best pot roast recipe is giving it enough time to cook on a low setting. That makes the slow cooker ideal for making a pot roast. A three-pound roast needs about 8 to 10 hours on low so the connective tissue has time to break down and the meat becomes fork-tender. As the roast cooks, the flavors of the sauce, herbs, beef, and vegetables meld together, leaving you with the ultimate comforting dinner.
The Slow Cooker Pot Roast is my very favorite for a roast. Tastes fantastic. Great recipe. Making it for third time today.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chuck roast: This cut has plenty of marbling and connective tissue, resulting in tender, fall-apart meat after long, slow cooking.
- Ideal for low and slow cooking: After 8-10 hours on low in the crockpot, the roast becomes fork-tender rather than tough.
- Searing the roast adds flavor: Browning the meat and deglazing the skillet before the slow cooking captures all of the flavorful brown bits and adds flavor.
- Built-in gravy: Red wine, herbs, tomato sauce, and the juices from the roast create a rich, savory gravy right in the slow cooker.
- A complete meal: Potatoes, carrots, and onions cook alongside the roast to all be enjoyed together.
How to Make a Pot Roast in the Crockpot
- Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides and place it in the preheated skillet. Brown the roast on the top and bottom until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add red wine to the hot skillet and use it to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Then pour the wine and bits into the slow cooker.
- Whisk in the tomato sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Then add in the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, and finally the browned roast. Cook on low until the roast is fork-tender, then remove it from the slow cooker. Skim any excess fat off the top of the liquid.
- In a small bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the slow cooker and cornstarch. This makes a cornstarch slurry. Then whisk that mixture into the slow cooker to make a gravy. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Shred the pot roast using two forks. Serve with the vegetables topped with the gravy.
Best Meat for Slow Cooker Pot Roast
For this pot roast recipe, you will want to get a chuck roast. These can also be labeled chuck shoulder roast or chuck pot roast. Because this cut of meat is heavily marbled, it is best cooked slowly at a low temperature with liquid. Chuck roast is also the cut I use in my crockpot beef stew, where the long cooking time gives you the same result. Look for a chuck roast that has plenty of visible marbling throughout the whole roast. When cooked low and slow, the fat and connective tissue break down, resulting in the tender fall-apart texture you want in pot roast.
How Long to Cook Pot Roast
As I mentioned above, a key to cooking this cut of beef is to do so at a low temperature and for an extended period of time. Pot roast will reach a safe temperature long before it reaches the tenderness we are looking for, so you will want to go off of texture and not temperature for this recipe. The goal with chuck roast is to continue cooking it until the connective tissue has broken down and the meat is fork-tender.
While some recipes can be cooked in the crock pot on high or low, I recommend only using the low setting. You can expect a three-pound roast to take 8 to 10 hours. Please note that slow cookers vary a great deal in terms of temperature; therefore, I’m offering you a range.
Why We Sear the Roast First
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t sear meat before slow cooking to seal in moisture. We do it for the priceless flavor it adds. Searing the meat and deglazing the pan to keep all of the caramelized brown bits adds such great flavor to the whole dish, making it an important step in the best slow cooker pot roast recipe.
Cooking with Wine
When choosing a red wine for this recipe, I would recommend using one that you enjoy drinking. You will not want to use a wine labelled “cooking wine” or a red blend. I recommend using a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Malbec. While you do want to choose a wine you enjoy the flavor of, you don’t have to break the bank on something expensive.
I often get asked, when cooking with wine, if the alcohol will cook off. Much of the alcohol will cook off during the long cooking time, but if you need to avoid alcohol completely, replace the wine with beef broth.
FAQ
Usually, it just needs more time. Chuck roast goes through a phase where it is fully cooked, but the connective tissue hasn’t broken down enough yet to make it tender. Keep cooking on low until a fork can easily shred the roast.
Technically, you can, but I strongly recommend cooking it on low. The low and slow method helps you get perfect tenderness, and cooking it on high can result in tougher meat.
While this recipe will work without searing, it does provide a delicious flavor that the roast won’t get from the slow cooker alone. My personal opinion is that searing is always worth the extra time it takes.
No, the roast does not need to be submerged in liquid. The meat and vegetables will release additional liquid while they cook, giving you plenty at the end to make a smooth and delicious gravy.
Storing Leftover Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Store any leftover pot roast and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Be sure to also save the gravy. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in the oven. Always use your best discretion with leftovers.
Freezing Pot Roast
Allow the roast to cool completely, then transfer it with the gravy to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat it, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently.
What to Serve with Pot Roast
This pot roast recipe is truly a meal on its own with its potatoes, carrots, and gravy. If you want to round out the meal further, here are some good options:
If you make this crock pot roast recipe or any of my other recipes, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment. And if you love this kind of slow-cooked dinner, my Mississippi pot roast is another reader favorite.
Recipe Video
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 pounds chuck roast (1360.8 grams)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine see note in the post about replacing wine (118.3 ml)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (227 grams)
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 pound baby Yukon potatoes (453.6 grams)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides. Place the roast in the preheated skillet. Brown the roast on the top and bottom until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 pounds chuck roast, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the wine to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits.1/2 cup red wine
- Pour the wine and the browned bits into a 6 quart slow cooker. Whisk in the tomato sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Then add in the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, and finally the browned roast. Cook on low for 8 hours.8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 large yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves
- You can expect a 3-pound roast to take 8 to 10 hours, or until the roast is fork tender, falling apart easily when shredded. (Please note that slow cookers vary a great deal in terms of temperature; therefore, I'm offering you a range.)3 carrots, 1 pound baby Yukon potatoes
- When the roast is fork-tender, remove it from the slow cooker. Skim any excess fat off the top of the liquid.2 tablespoons cornstarch
- In a small bowl, combine some of the hot liquid from the slow cooker and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk them together and whisk them into the slow cooker to make a gravy. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste.2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Shred the pot roast and serve with the vegetables and topped with the gravy.
Ron Alphin says
This looks very good. I’ve never shredded the meat before. I used to make a similar version, just like your recipe. I used beef broth instead of the wine. I also used a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix instead of a raw onion. And cut the meat into large chunks.
Paul says
Your site is the first one I turn to every time I decide to cook something!
Love your slow cooker lazagna recipe
Mac and Cheese rocks
Going to try this slow cooker pot roast this week as weather is turning cold and wet
I’m so glad you like what you’ve tried! Thank you for your kind words!
Lynn says
The Slow Cooker Pot Roast is my very favorite for Roast. Tastes fantastic. Do you have a way I can save this file not as a pin. I wanted to be able to go back to I spill on it LOL
Great recipe. Making it for third time today
I’m so glad you like this recipe as much as I do! There should be a pink box right above the recipe card. If you enter your email address the recipe will be sent right to you and you can save it in your email.
Kate Brown says
I am crazy about your recipes; I haven’t had a bit of trouble making OR eating every recipe I’ve tried. HOWEVER, your website drives me crazy with all the ads and having to go to two pages of website stuff to get something to print. Plus, to print all the tips, you have to print all those enormous pictures, which, while they are gorgeous to look at, waste a lot of paper and ink since we can only afford to print in black and white! Keep cooking, Lisa, you’re doing a terrific job.
Hi Kate! Thanks for your kind words. When it comes to printing, the whole site isn’t really designed for printing, just the recipe card. I can appreciate how that’s frustrating. You might try copying and pasting the sections you want printed into a word document and going from there. As for the ads, I would ask you to consider that I’m not just looking to be compensated for my labor (which I absolutely am), I am running a business. Not only do I have employees to pay, there are endless costs involved in running a website like this – everything from hosting the site, sending out emails, and the actual recipe cooking and testing costs money. Without ads, there literally would be no Simple Joy. And again, while I can appreciate your frustration, without running ads, I wouldn’t be able to provide free recipes. There is a jump to the recipe button at the top of each page that will take you right to the recipe. Again, thank you for the kind words, and I appreciate you following along!
Terry says
I print from here all the time. I have for a few years now. When I hit print above the recipe, I have the option to print notes or tips, print the picture, make the text s, m or l. if I’m telling my computer or phone, whatever I’m on, to print, then yes, it prints everything. Using the print button Lisa supplies keeps ads out. I’m on an android right now, and I barely had any ads. Sometimes I’m on my iPad with Safari, I really don’t have ads. Hope this helps 😊