Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

96 Comments

5 from 22 votes
10 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
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Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic glaze and tender fall apart beef, you’ll LOVE this whole meat in one pot!

Crockpot Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic gravy and carrots and potatoes.Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast is one of the first pot roasts I ever made in the slow cooker. I find myself using slow cookers in recipes people normally wouldn’t think of slow cookers for like Crisp and Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken and Slow Cooker Pastrami Sandwiches but we use it for pot roasts much more than the blog would make it seem like.

This Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast is full of flavor from the balsamic vinegar, red wine and my secret flavor enhancing beef base. I use Better Than Bouillon for my bases and they add a ton of flavor to dishes. I use them in anything where there is a sauce that requires a stock. This adds the same flavor without having to cook the stock down.

One pot meal, this Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast has carrots and potatoes too.

Best practices for Slow Cooker Pot Roasts:

  • Season your pot roasts aggressively. It adds a ton of flavor to the roast and will also season your sauce.
  • Brown the roasts very well on both sides. Since we are adding liquids to the slow cooker it won’t have an opportunity to brown in there.
  • Try to keep the liquids minimal as the meat will also release quite a lot of liquids. This also makes for more flavorful sauces.
  • Let the meat rest for 10 minutes once you take it out of the slow cooker, this also gives you time to reduce the liquids to a thicker glaze/sauce.
  • If you have room in the slow cooker add vegetables to make this a truly easy meal. I add carrots and potatoes as they hold up well in slow cookers.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Roast browned really well before going in the slow cooker.

Looking for more slow cooker roast recipes?

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic glaze and tender fall apart beef, you'll LOVE this whole meat in one pot!

Tools used in the making of this Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Better Than Bouillon: I almost never buy boxes of broth because I keep the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon.
Balsamic Vinegar: I love cooking with balsamic vinegar as it adds a ton of flavor. I love this brand and the Trader Joe’s brand as well.

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Dinner, then Dessert

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic glaze and tender fall apart beef, you'll LOVE this whole meat in one pot!
Yield 10 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic glaze and tender fall apart beef, you'll LOVE this whole meat in one pot!
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 4 pound chuck roast boneless
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon beef base (totally optional but it is awesome)
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 carrots chopped into 1? pieces (if you have room)
  • 12 baby gold potatoes (if you have room)

Instructions

  • In a large pot or skillet add 2 tablespoons of canola oil oh high heat.
  • Season the pot roast with the salt and pepper.
  • Add the pot roast to the pan and brown on both sides, 3-5 minutes on each side.
  • Add the meat to the slow cooker.
  • Add the onions into the pan you browned the beef in and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • If you have space around the meat in the slow cooker add in some small potatoes and carrots.
  • Top the beef with the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
  • In a small cup add the beef base (if using) to the balsamic vinegar and whisk.
  • Top the beef with the balsamic mixture, red wine and brown sugar.
  • Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Remove bay leaf before serving.
  • To make the sauce into a glaze, strain the liquid out after it is done cooking.
  • Spoon off the fat and discard.
  • Add the remaining sauce to a small pan and cook in a saucepan on medium heat until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
  • If you want a stronger balsamic flavor, add in another 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the sauce before cooking it down in the saucepan.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 1555mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3080IU | Vitamin C: 25.4mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 10.7mg
Keyword: Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

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One pot meal, this Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast has carrots and potatoes too.
Crockpot Balsamic Pot Roast with a rich balsamic gravy and carrots and potatoes.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  2. This is the only recipe I use now when we want pot roast. It is amazing and the beef melts in your mouth. My daughter was visiting and I made it, she now makes this recipe at her home and it is a go to recipe for both of us anytime we want pot roast. Yum!

    Reply

  3. This recipe is phenomenal!! Will definitely make it again! Used the leftover roast for shredded beef sandwiches the next day!

    Reply

  4. Loved this! Such wonderful flavor! And so very easy to prepare. I used a nice Zinfandel. A little in the crockpot and a little in a glass. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Sabrina!

    Reply

  6. I have made this several times and it is absolutely delicious. However, I have yet to be successful at reducing the liquid into a glaze. It reduces in volume, over about 20 minutes, but still never thickens up. What is the trick? Thank you!

    Reply

  9. What kind of red wine did you use? I’m sure there are many that would work, but what kind did you personally use? Thanks!

    Reply

  10. sorry, have tried recipe yet. had a question re: tip for browning the meat in the insert so that you don’t lose any of those flavors. Do you set the insert directly on a stove burner?

    Reply

    1. Yes, you use it on the stove top before transferring it to the base. It definitely saves you an extra dirty dish without losing any of the flavor. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  11. I’m a little bit confused about some of the instructions. It says to tap the beef with the onion, but it also says later to top the beef with the balsamic mixture red wine, and brown sugar. Do those go on the beef before the onion? Or after?

    Reply

  12. Made Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast last night and WOW! Fantastic! My son gave you his “you could sell this” rating. Positively excellent! Added small whole carrots an hour before done cooking as not fans of mushy carrots. Made salt and vinegar mashed potatoes to go with the wonderful gravy this recipe makes. Great Recipe.

    Reply

  13. This is officially my perfect recipe. I’ve tried so many of the slow cooker beef roasts and I’m just not a fan of the tomato base. This has a perfect balance of tart and sweet that compliments the beef perfectly. I substituted a bit of beef stock for the red wine because I’m in the middle of moving with two very small kids and all wine needs to be saved for drinking purposes 😉

    I look forward to trying the recipe again with the wine, but for now, it hit the spot and made enough for two additional freezer meals at the new house. We paired it with creamy mashed potatoes and skillet garlic green beans. Delicious!

    Reply

  16. Just want to say I have been using this recipe for a couple of years now and nothing beats it! Have all my stuff to get this into the crock tomorrow morning now that it’s getting colder. Thanks for the family favorite!

    Reply

  17. Do you mix the balsamic with the wine and brown sugar?
    Or is it:
    1) balsamic mixture separately
    2) wine and brown sugar separately
    Just couldn’t tell from the instructions-sorry
    (My first time using a balsamic vinegar also)

    Reply

      1. This is my Go To crock pot roast recipe! We LOVE it!! I reduce the brown sugar to 2 T and add a pound of sliced mushrooms! Thank you for sharing it!!

        Reply

    1. I’ve never tested it using an instant pot. If you decide to try, I’d love to know what worked out for you.

      Reply

    2. Made Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast last night and WOW! Fantastic! My son gave you his “you could sell this” rating. Positively excellent! Added small whole carrots an hour before done cooking as not fans of mushy carrots. Made salt and vinegar mashed potatoes to go with the wonderful gravy this recipe makes. Great Recipe.

      Reply

  19. This is amazing easy recipe to put together. I did add couple of things to the process. I only used five small Yukon gold potatoes, I cut them in half and browned in the skillet first.

    I cut five slits in the beef, and used five small garlic cloves in each (one clove per) different slits. I put 1/2 cup of flour in a gallon baggie after salt and peppering the beef. I add the beef to the bag and shook the beef. Once lightly floured, I browned the beef as directed by the recipe.

    I did everything else per the recipe. It’s in my 6qt slow cooker now. My home smell amazing.

    I just finished eating my delicious dinner. This was the best pot roast I have ever made (I have made many pot roast). This one has so much wonderful flavor. This will be my go to pot roast recipe. Thank you much for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait until, I can have guest over for dinner again. My friend and family will love this pot roast.

    Clean up was a snap. I used a slow cooker liner in my Crockpot.

    Reply

  20. Made this tonight. It was delicious and the house smelled wonderful all day. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  23. It’s just after midnight on Christmas Morning. I’ve finally finished all my food prep for the special Christmas meal and, for the second year running, this amazing recipe will be centrepiece. Everyone loves it! I have ME, and hosting Christmas dinner for six can be a real challenge, but this recipe takes all the stress out of the main dish. Merry Christmas from our little island of Stronsay, Orkney ?

    Reply

    1. If you go to the recipe card and hover over the serving amount (it’s in green), the slider tool with show up and you can adjust from there. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  25. I’m a dork…?
    I followed this recipe, but thought it was for Pork! ?
    Sooooo….. I now have this 2.84lb Pork Shoulder in the Slow-Cooker on low. Crossing my fingers!????

    Reply

  26. If I could give this recipe 10 stars I would. Absolutely the best pot roast I have ever made. The recipe is perfect as written, no need to change a thing. So tender, flavorful. What can I say but AWESOME!!!

    Reply

  28. Hi.
    Silly question maybe. But do you have this recipe to make a smaller batch. Or can I just half everything ?

    Have to sat cant wait to cook this. Looks gorgeous.

    Terry.

    Reply

    1. Yes, you can use the slider tool to adjust the ingredient list to whatever number of servings you’re looking for. The only recommendation I have would be to use a smaller slow cooker. If there’s too much space, it may not cook it properly and dry it out. Enjoy!

      Reply

  29. This will be our second time to make this recipe. It was delicious the first time! Just got everything in the slow cooker. My mouth will be watering all day!!

    Reply

  30. I made this last night and just enjoyed it for dinner. Wow, I love the red wine balsamic flavor. I used a 2lb roast and cooked it on low for 5 hours. I kept the liquid measurements the same and added a splash of extra wine for personal preference. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  32. We all absolutely loved it. The best pot roast we’d ever eaten! Everyone went for seconds.
    My husband added more wine. It was a good idea.

    Reply

  33. Hi

    I have everything except the red wine and the beef base, but I do have beef broth. Is the wine necessary? Could I use beef broth instead + balsamic vinegar + brown sugar to get relatively the same results?

    Reply

  34. Putting this together right now and noticed that it doesn’t call to add any water to the crock pot. Is the balsamic mix the only liquid in the pot?

    Reply

  35. I have a small chuck roast – 2.5 pounds. Is the cooking time less than the 4 pound timing in the slow cooker?

    Reply

  36. Here in Australia we dont have numerous items that are mentioned in recipes from U.S. It would be helpful if contributors gave a description so we can search the markets for a similar item. Juliet

    Reply

  37. Hi! Making this tomorrow! I apologize for the stupid question but do I just sprinkle the brown sugar over the roast or an I supposed to mix it with the balsamic mixture? Thanks so much!

    Reply

  38. I made this today for a Sunday dinner because I love to smell the crockpot all day. It was amazing! You were right about the balsamic vinegar and the beef base. I purchased the same kinds you use (of course I did!) and boy is there a difference between them and the regular stuff from the grocery store. Soooo flavorful! Wonderful dinner and the roast was beyond tender.

    Thanks for another amazing recipe! ~Cindy

    Reply

  39. It was a cold and blustery day today so decided to make this recipe … the aroma in my house all afternoon was almost too much to stand! Made it with the potatoes and carrots, and OMG! Beyond delicious! I have several pot roast recipes, this one tops them all!

    Reply

    1. I edited it to show correctly now. Thank you for catching that and letting me know. I think I definitely need more coffee before posting at times, haha!

      Reply

    1. Sorry about that, I edited it to show correctly now. You’ll want to add it in at the same time as the balsamic mixture. Thank you for letting me know.

      Reply

  43. This looks delicious! I notice the ingredients call for red wine but I don’t see where it is added in the directions? Can you clarify please? Do you just add it when’s you add the balsamic vinegar? Can’t wait to try it! 

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for catching that! You want to add in the red wine into the slow cooker at the same time as the balsamic mixture. I edited it to show correctly now.

      Reply