Crockpot Roast—nothing beats a hearty meal like this! Enjoy fall-apart beef with tender veggies, and turn the leftover sauce into a delicious gravy to drizzle over everything.
Love a good roast prepared in the slow cooker? You’ll be obsessed with this Mississippi Pot Roast or try out these Roast Beef Sandwiches next!
Crockpot Roast
This Crockpot Roast with potatoes and carrots comes from my friends, Donna and Chad, over at The Slow Roasted Italian. The recipe comes from their cookbookThe Simple Kitchen
— a truly stunning cookbook and wonderful resource!
The Simple Kitchen Cookbook has more than 80 quick and easy recipes with a full-sized photo for every recipe. Inside The Simple Kitchen, there are eight chapters and each chapter has at least 10 tested-to-perfection recipes that are tried and true favorites. There are also tons of kitchen tricks and techniques sprinkled throughout. The dish I’m featuring today is called “Down-Home Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes” (found on page 13).
This roast is fantastic! Fall-apart-tender meat, perfectly cooked and seasoned veggies, and a delicious flavorful gravy that is the perfect complement and finishing touch.
This recipe has a bit of prep work to it (such as preparing and cutting the meat), but trust me, the 20 minutes you’ll spend is well worth it.
With that, let’s jump into the details!
Quick Tip
Just to clarify, when we say “crockpot,” we mean any type of slow cooker. “Crock-pot” is a trademark, but we use it as a generic term for all slow cookers.
Let’s Chat Meat
In our humble opinion, a beef chuck roast — especially a well-marbled one–is the best roast for this recipe! The beef cooks to be so tender, it literally falls apart — no dry and flavorless meat here!
Other cuts that are either the same (or come from the same area), but may have different names, including blade roast, shoulder roast, cross-rib roast, and seven-bone roast. Some butchers may simply label a chuck generically as pot roast. When in doubt, ask the butcher in your store for guidance in finding the right meat for this recipe!
We sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker, which adds layers of flavor and imbues an even better texture. Two tips: Thoroughly pat the meat dry with a paper towel (this will ensure a better sear), and generously season with salt and pepper. It may seem like there is a lot of salt and pepper, but the chuck roast needs it for full flavor potential!
Quick Tip
Other favorite recipes where we use a beef chuck roast: Beef Gyros, Beef Ragu, and this Crockpot Beef Stew.
How To Season a Crockpot Roast
A good seasoning blend makes a world of difference for a roast and veggies. While a lot of recipes call for onion soup mix, we prefer to make our own seasoning blend with slightly different flavors.
This recipe calls for a Tuscan seasoning blend that contains thyme, sage, marjoram, basil, oregano, and rosemary. The blend of these seasonings is unbelievably good with the meat and veggies.
The flavor of the spices only intensifies as the roast simmers for hours and they have a chance to meld with the other ingredients.
Quick Tip
If you find yourself making this crockpot roast often, you may want to make up a bigger batch of the seasoning blend. Here’s how to do that: Combine 3 tablespoons dried rosemary, 3 tablespoons dried oregano, 3 tablespoons dried basil, 1 ½tablespoons dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried marjoram, and 1½ teaspoons dried sage. Whisk all of the ingredients together and add only 2 tablespoons of the blend to the pot roast. Store the remaining in a glass jar in a cool, dry, dark place.
How To Make A Pot Roast Tender
The secret to an ultra-tender pot roast is starting with good meat and then cooking it low and slow... which is exactly what the slow cooker does for us!
Some other tips:
- Cook the meat for longer. The meat needs more time in the slow cooker than the veggies. This is why we add in the veggies at the halfway point. If we throw the two together from the start, either the meat will end up tough and undercooked (by the time the veggies are done), or the veggies will be very mushy (by the time the meat is tender).
- Cook on low. While you can prepare this easy crockpot roast beef on the high setting, we always recommend low. The low temperature brings up the internal temperature of the meat so slowly that the whole roast cooks evenly across its entirety — the roast will be perfect from crust to center!
- sear the beef, Don’t skip this step! This adds a nice crust which will create a much deeper flavor and yield a better texture of meat.
How Long To Cook Pot Roast in a Crockpot
This recipe calls for a slow cook on high for 5 hours or low cook for 10 hours. If you can plan in advance, I’d highly recommend low for 10 hours. The tenderness of the meat is unbeatable!
As a general rule of thumb, cooking on the low setting takes about twice as long as cooking on the high setting. (In most models the difference is 170 degrees F for low while high is 280 degrees F.)
The size of the roast will affect the cooking time. Smaller roasts will cook quicker while larger roasts take longer. A 2-pound roast can be done in as little as 7 hours on low while a 3-pound roast will take closer to 9-10 hours.
Crockpot Roast FAQs
Technically, you don’t have to sear the roast before cooking, but I highly recommend it! If I have a few extra minutes, browning the beef before adding it to the slow cooker maximizes flavor and improves the texture.
I always recommend low heat for this recipe. Not only is there more room for error, but the meat also turns out more tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow!
You do need some liquid to create steam, but for better flavor, I recommend using beef broth or stock and wine instead of water.
For food safety reasons, don’t add a frozen or partially frozen roast to a slow cooker.
Since vegetables cook faster than meat, I add the meat first and partially cook it before adding the veggies. At the halfway point, place the vegetables on top and gently stir them in.
What To Serve With Crockpot Roast
One of the great things about a crockpot roast is that you’ve really got it all in one — succulent beef, perfectly cooked veggies, and a luscious gravy! That said, it is a heavier meal and can certainly benefit from some lighter and more vibrant sides:
- Salad. Some crunchy lettuce with fresh veggies is another welcome side to offset the meat’s richness. Try our favorite Caesar Salad, Italian Salad, Garden Salad, or Olive Garden Salad.
- Roasted veggies. The meat is very rich, so it’s nice to offset that a bit with some color and crunch. Try one of the following on the side: Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Carrots, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Green Beans, or Roasted Cauliflower.
- Crusty buttered bread. Crusty bread or warmed Dinner Rolls are the best to sop up the extra gravy from this Crockpot Roast!
More Crockpot Recipes
- Porcupine Meatballs meatballs made with white rice!
- Taco Chili with deliciously seasoned ground beef
- Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork with the BEST homemade BBQ sauce
- Spaghetti Bolognese with loads of hidden veggies
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili a reader favorite and winner of many chili cook-offs!
Crockpot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Tuscan-style seasoning blend (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) OR you can substitute with additional beef stock
- 3 cup low-sodium beef stock
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 2 pounds baby red potatoes, cut in half or quarters if large (~6 cups)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- PREP: Pat beef dry all over with a paper towel. Cut the beef into 3-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
- SEAR: Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven (or oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot) over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the pot, place the roast pieces in the pot. Brown the pieces on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side. To get a good sear don't overcrowd the meat; it's better to sear the meat in batches. (Don't skip this step– we are adding layers of flavor here.) Once the roast is nicely seared with a good crust, remove it from the Dutch oven and place it in your slow cooker. (Use a 5-quart or larger slow cooker).
- DEGLAZE PAN: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced onions to the Dutch oven and cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the seasoning blend and add the Worcestershire sauce; stir to combine. Pour in the wine (or additional beef stock). Deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula as it bubbles. Pour in the beef stock. Stir to combine, and then add the contents of the pot into the slow cooker.
- COOK: Cover and cook for 5 hours on high (or 10 hours on low). Add the carrots and potatoes halfway through the cook time.
- GRAVY: Remove the roast and vegetables from the slow cooker Place them on a serving dish and tent with foil. Ladle the cooking liquid into a 4-quart saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk until completely smooth to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pot and stir. Boil the gravy until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as necessary.
- SERVE: Serve the pot roast and veggies with the gravy on the side.
Video
Recipe Notes
- 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It looks so yummy and full of energy. I will make it for my family to enjoy this weekend. Thank you so much for your sharing. Hope to hear more recipes from your site
Thank you!
The best ever!!! FINALLY, a pot roast recipe that results in the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness other recipes only promise. I used a boneless beef chuck shoulder roast, ~2.5 lbs, but kept everything else the same (though I made only 1/3 of the Tuscan herbs).
Whoa… My wife actually said, “This is just delicious!” as she helped herself to two additional pieces of roast. (Unheard of from this only occasional carnivore.)
Thank you so much for a perfect dinner! Bravo!
AHHH I am seriously soooo happy to hear this!! I am all about that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, YUM!!! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I’m re-posting since I forgot to apply the well deserved ‘5-star rating’ you’ve earned, via your continued efforts in reaching out to everyone, and hopefully bringing pure joy to all through our interaction with you and your website, which was created extremely well.
I read through your posts on the “Crock Pot Roast’ and saw others comments concerning this meal (recipe) not being Heart-Healthy. I went over the ingredients several times and I can’t figure out why others feel this way and stated that they only eat this meal a couple of times during the winter (comfort food).
Please inform me what ingredients are fattening. I see that the sodium is reduced (low) – other than that, I don’t have a clue. My mouth was continually watering while reading through all the ingredients.
You are certainly a master at crafting recipes and photography. I appreciate your dedicated time very much, while making sure that your words, video instruction, photographs and alternative ingredient examples therein are very understandable. I know that you spend many hours on each recipe that you share with the public.
Given all the positive comments you’ve received herein, I’m sure that I and my dogs are going to love this very tasty dish. I truly hope that you and yours truly enjoy your Thanksgiving, only a few days away. Please let everyone know what you prepared (I’m curious).
Thanks Again!
I read through your posts and saw some comments concerning that this meal (recipe) is not Heart-Healthy. I went over the ingredients several times and can’t figure out why others are saying to only eat this meal a couple of times during the winter (comfort food). Please inform me what ingredients are fattening. I see that the sodium is reduced (low) – other than that, I don’t have a clue. My mouthwash watering after reading all the ingredients. You are a master at crafting recipes and I appreciate your time very much in making sure that everything therein is understandable. Given all the positive comments, I’m sure that I and my dogs are going to love this tasty dish. Hope you and yours enjoy your Thanksgiving. Please let everyone know what you prepared (I’m curious).
Ken, thank you sooo much for your kind and thought out message!! 🙂 This recipe is great and delicious and with all things should be eaten in moderation! It’s a considerably healthy dish and we love it several times a month! I know many people try to steer clear of too much red meat for heart health so I think that is what they are referring too. I hope you and your cute dogs enjoy this!! Thanks again for your kind message! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious!
I was wondering – this might be tricky – but do you think it would be possible to cook this halfway one day and then gently bring it up to temp, toss in the potatoes and carrots and finish it the next?
Hmm I’m worried it would dry out the meat, but honestly not sure the results without personally testing. Wish I could be of more help!
Holy wow. I made this with the Trader Joe’s cab. pot roast and it was amazing. I used the TJs 21 Season Salute instead of the other seasoning but other than that I did everything as written and I’m obsessed. Thank you!!
So happy this was a hit! 🙂 Thanks for the comment and review Hannah 🙂
So I’m making this recipe as I type this comment. I watched the video after hour 7 so to late to turn back, and I noticed that your Tuscan style blend has none of the same ingredients as a store bought Tuscan seasoning shaker. I used store bought. How bad of a mistake did I make? Maybe re name your blend to something different to avoid the same mistake. Still smells great!
How did it turn out? I hope you loved it! Thanks for the feedback on the recipe Danny!
To provide 5 star valuable content about crockpot post roast . It was so flavorful .
Thanks!
Can I prep it the night before and just plug in the crock pot in the morning? Thanks, it looks yummy!
I’ve never done that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
I’m doing the same right now. Can you tell me how it came out ? I’m concerned how the meat will be after sitting in the wine and broth overnight.
I’d like to cut this recipe in half (there’s just two of us) and do the cooking on low. Would I still cook for 10 hours or would I cut the cooking time back?
Cooking time should be similar; perhaps check at 9 hours. Enjoy!