My Ultimate Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the best recipe for mouthwatering, flavorful tender chuck roast with potatoes and carrots. Try it today!
A pot roast is classic American comfort food. This slow cooker version of tender chuck roast is slow-cooked with carrots and potatoes in a rich beef broth. Check out my entire Pot Roast Catalog for more mouthwatering versions like French Onion and Indian Butter.
Table of contents
Ultimate Pot Roast
Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
This pot roast is near to my heart and one I’ve been sharing even before I started this website. It’s actually a pared-down version of a recipe I adapted for clients whose children were going off on their own. Just like my classic Pot Roast with Vegetables, I wanted to share some meals they could make that would remind them of the meals I had made for them. This dish delivers on that promise offering a warm, hearty, delicious meal with little cooking knowledge needed. Even without searing the meat, the roast will come out mouthwateringly tender.
The great thing about this Slow Cooker Pot Roast is that it is a whole meal made at once, with veggies, potatoes, and meat. It only takes a little effort in the morning and you come home to the most amazing dinner. You could even prep it the night before to save time in the morning.
Ingredients
- Chuck Roast: This juicy cut is perfect for slow cooking due to its marbling, which breaks down into tender meat.
- Vegetable Oil: This is used to sear and ultimately caramelize the outside of the meat which adds incredible flavor.
- Seasonings: You don’t need much to season this dish, just some dried thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper. You can use 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder or twice as much fresh thyme.
- Root Vegetables: The potatoes and carrots add delicious earthy flavor plus they turn a roast into a full meal. Feel free to add more root veggies – check out my Variations for ideas.
- Beef Broth: You want to use a good quality broth. My secret ingredient is Better than Bouillon concentrate (with water) and I always add an extra scoop for super beefy flavor.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the rich gravy. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a cornstarch slurry before adding it to the pot to avoid clumping.
Step by Step Instructions
Time needed: 8 hours and 15 minutes
- Season
Pat the roast dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle it with thyme and season with salt, and pepper.
- Brown
Heat a pan over medium-high heat with the oil. (If you have a slow cooker with the ability to brown, you can use it.) Once it’s hot and shimmering, place the roast in the pan. Sear it for 4-5 minutes on each side until it’s deeply browned.
- Cook
Place the peeled and chopped carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the minced garlic. Lay the browned beef on top of the vegetables. Pour the beef broth over the meat and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker and set cook time for 8-10 hours on low, or on high for 5 hours.
- Thicken
An hour before it’s done, mix cornstarch with cold water and stir it into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Alternatively, remove the meat and vegetables when done, transfer the liquid to a small saucepan, add the slurry, and cook on high for 2-3 minutes until the gravy thickens. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound carrots , peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- parsley , chopped, optional garnish
Instructions
- Season the chuck roast with the kosher salt, pepper and thyme (if you are sensitive to sodium, adjust to your taste or you can even leave the salt out altogether since you're adding broth).
- Heat your pan (or if you can brown in your slow cooker, do it in that insert to medium high.
- Add the vegetable oil and when it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- In your slow cooker add the carrots, potatoes and garlic.
- Lay the beef on top, then add the beef broth and cover, cooking on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
- In the last hour, mix your cornstarch and water and add it to the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. As an alternative you can take the food out when done cooking, then add the leftover liquid to a small saucepan with the cornstarch/water slurry mixture, and cook on high for just 2-3 minutes until the liquid is thickened into a gravy.
- Pour the gravy over the meat and garnish with parsley if desired.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: Switch up the Veggies!
This roast is easy to adapt for the season and what veggies your family likes. I love swapping in root vegetables like turnips, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. If I have onions or shallots on hand, I’ll pop them in for some more flavor. In the fall, I love different squash like butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin.
Can This Be Made Ahead?
You can season the meat and prep veggies ahead of time and store them separately overnight. However, I want to point out that FDA Food Safety Guidelines recommend against searing meat and cooking it later. Once it starts cooking, meat must reach a food safe temperature before it can be stored or consumed.
Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Searing: Browning the beef in a pan before adding it to the slow cooker is a step I would not skip if possible. That brown crust adds a delicious depth of flavor and you don’t want to miss it.
- Seasoning: Yes it looks like a lot of salt, but you also have to remember you have 3 pounds of vegetables under the meat you are seasoning too.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the liquid you’ll need some cornstarch. I usually add this in the last hour of cooking. You could also thicken the juices on the stove top with the cornstarch but for me, that’s just one more dish to wash.
- Yukon Potatoes: I love the buttery texture of Yukon gold, you can alternately use russet potatoes here without any problems too.
- Look at the Thyme: If you have fresh thyme, by all means, use it, I just like how easy this recipe is and pantry friendly so I normally use dried thyme unless I already have fresh on hand.
How to Store
- Storing: Keep covered when not serving. You can keep it on Warm for 4 hours or up to 2 hours at room temp. Place any leftover pot roast in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a slow cooker, covered on low, until hot. You can also heat it on the stove top, in the microwave or oven. Stir occasionally to make sure it heats up evenly.
- Freezing: Store leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Frequent Questions
Yes, you can substitute the chuck roast with top round, bottom round, or rump roast. You don’t want to use a premium cut, tougher cuts do better with the long cooking time.
Mash together 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl until it makes a paste. Slowly add the cooking liquid while whisking to keep the gravy smooth, until it’s about ½ cup total. Stir that mixture into the crockpot to thicken the gravy.
Overcooking can cause them to get too mushy. Cut them into large chunks. You can even place the veggies on top of the meat if you prefer firmer vegetables. They’ll cook in the broth steam instead of being submerged.
Variations
- Italian Style Roast: Replace thyme with 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of dried basil. Add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) into the broth. No additional cooking time is needed.
- Garlic and Rosemary Roast: Increase garlic to 4 cloves and add 2 sprigs fresh rosemary directly to the broth. Use red potatoes for a slightly different texture. Cook according to the recipe and remove the rosemary sprigs before serving.
- Mexican-Inspired Roast: Add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Add an optional can of diced green chilies for spice and a cup of salsa. Slow cook per instructions.
Related Recipes
More Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of this post.
I followed this recipe to the tee, and I ended up having to fish out the carrots and potatoes because after slow cooking for several hours, they have turned into mush and are ready to be mashed. Yikes! I kind of knew that was going to happens and I don’t know why I didn’t question the recipe beforehand. Oh well. I hope the flavor is good. I’m vegan so I have no idea what it tastes like— I’ll have to have my family tell me what they think.
I love your receipts, Nice pic, you look so sweet, healthy and pretty. Thank you again for your help in the kitchen.
We really enjoyed this recipe overall with some minor changes. This was the best pot roast I’ve ever made. I added one onion and a 1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon. I also waited to add the vegetables until after it was cooking for two hours. Cooked on low for 8 hours and meat was very tender. Thanks for the recipe.
Did you add the Cabernet right away or with the veggies?
I’m a newbie to cooking LOL… and was going to try this recipe for christmas dinner (covid has us staying home instead of going somewhere that knows how to cook). So i need to heat the meat on the stove first, correct? and brown it… how high does the heat need to be? As there are only two adults and one toddler… I’m only getting 2.25 lbs of beef… how long should I cook that on low? 6 hours? To what degree should the beef get so I know it is safe to eat?
I hope you had a good Christmas meal, ours was much much smaller than normal too. You would add it on high heat to the oiled pan, cooking without moving it for 4-5 minutes until the beef is well browned. Like a dark brown (but not black). Then flip and do it for about a minute less on the second side (pan will be hotter at this point). 6 hours would be plenty long for a roast that size too.
Excited to make this for Christmas Eve! But I’m planning on making mashed potatoes as a side, so I don’t need potatoes in the crockpot. Can I just do carrots? Should I/Can I replace the potatoes with something else?
Sure, you can use any root vegetable you’d like.
Can’t go wrong with celery
I’ve tried several other Slow Cooker Pot Roast recipes – this is the best, by far.
I cook it on High for 2 hours – then Low for 6 hours. I flip the roast after the first hour and baste the chuck roast every hour or two thereafter.
This is an AMAZING recipe! Thank you so very much!
Hi Sabrina! I’m going to try making this for Christmas dinner! Any sides you suggest with this? Thank you!
I love mashed potatoes with this dish and a side of rolls to soak up all the goodness. Enjoy!
Can i use beef tenderloin aka filet mignon? Will it be as tender as the chuck?
No, a different cut of meat would have different results. A tenderloin doesn’t have enough fat in it to braise.
Don’t add the vegetables until the last hour of cooking!! Any good cook knows that.That’s like making chicken noodle soup and adding your noodles while your chicken is cooking.It will be mush.
This is a delicious versatile pot roast that appealed to my entire family. I added more garlic and some tomato paste for a deeper flavor. Will definitely make again and my picky son requested this dish be added to the regular rotation.
First time I’ve tried it and it smells delicious, we’re really looking forward to dinner tonight! I like the idea of adding tomato paste, I’ll try that (or possibly tomato sauce whatever is on hand lol) next time. I think I’ll also throw in some red wine since I like the added layers of flavor that this adds.
Can i use frozen chuck roast or do i need to thaw it first? It’s only 2.5 pounds, not sure if that will lesson cooking time.
You need to thaw it first before placing it into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
My chuck roast is only 3lbs. Should I reduce the time?
Yes, you might only need around 6 hours. I’d check it then and go from there. You don’t want it to overcook and dry out. Enjoy!
This came out amazing! I usually do my roast in the oven with the bag. Used this recipe yesterday and my family raved. They said it was one of the best. I did add onion and put my meat in between the veggies, not on top. I also added Tarragon and bit of Rosemary. Also, I did the gravy stove top and added a little more pepper. Thank you for this!
Thank you this will be my christmas dinner this year. Wanted something differant for christmas this year. My question is people tell me that the bone in the roast gives more flavor well cooking. The second using better than bouillon, I would assume one table spoon for one cup of water.
You can use whichever one your prefer. 🙂
For the Better than Bouillon, I not only use it to make my broth but I add an additional scoop to deepen the flavor. Enjoy!
How do you get this roast to be tender? I’ve never ONCE had a good roast in the slow cooker. I followed the recipe and just got this slow cooker and it was done fast and I threw it away. It was like chewing leather.
If it was done fast, it sounds like your slow cooker may run hot. You might need to invest in a new one or check its temperature.
Roast is a very tough piece of meat. It needs a long cooking time to let the fibers break down and the meat becomes tender. It may come to temp quickly, but you need to let it keep cooking. Have patience and confidence and you will have a delicious dinner!
Add a little apple cider vinegar. It acts like a meat tenderizer.
The recipe doesn’t say what to do with the beef broth. I bought the Better then Bullion but not sure what to do with it.
You can just add a scoop in at the end to boost the flavor. I also use it to make the broth for this recipe.
I’ve made many slow cooker pot roast but this one is by far the best!! Definitely a keeper!
I made this today and it was awesome! Very tender, juicy and flavorful – and easy!
Love this simple recipe. I do add onions as I love them. I usually use russets rather than Yukon Gold because that’s what I usually have on hand. I do have to say that when I do use Yukons I don’t peel them. I have made it with chicken broth when I didn’t have beef broth on hand. I added a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce and it’s worked out perfectly. As Sabrina suggested I tinker with the herbs. I always add rosemary because it’s my wife’s favorite herb and it makes her smile. And a happy wife is a happy house!
Making it now for sandwiches so no potatoes or carrots! I browned the roast using rosemary olive oil and garlic and WOW does it smell fabulous!
I never peel the Yukons either. Not peeling them holds the potatoes together. Otherwise they turn to mush
Thank you Sabrina. I am now a rock star in my house thanks to this recipe! Needless to say, this didn’t last very long. We had ZERO leftovers!
If you’re using a 2lb chuck roast would you still do 8 hrs on low? Only feeding 3 people. Thank you in advance!
No, it might only need around 6 hours. I’d check on it so it doesn’t dry out.
How long to cook a 6.5 lbs pot roast in the slow cocker and on high or low. Ty
I’d say low for 10-12 hours. Enjoy!
I just made this recipe and it was juicy, tender and delicious!
Delicious! The beef was like butter!
This is a great roast recipe, but I do not recommend throwing the potatoes and carrots in at the start, since their cook time is no where near as long as the roast. They are mush after so many hours. The meat though, slow cooked this way is phenomenal.
Slow cooking will give so much flavor inside the beef it is a long wait but it’s definitely worth the wait once done. This is so a mouthwatering recipe, excited for the weekend to make this for our dinner!
I added 1/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce and a small can of V8 juice. Deglazed the browned bits with less than a 1/4 cup of red wine. I had to leave out the garlic due to dietary restrictions in my house but this was a great winter slow cooker dish. Next time I might add some mushrooms. Thanks for this recipe.
It’s been a while so just needed to refresh memory on a few things. Took a few ideas from this though and it turned out greeaaat! I use lg can of crushed tomatoes instead of broth. Half in bottom other 1/2 poured over all before start cooking….makes a more interesting gravy…yummy and naturally thickens ?
That sounds like a delicious ingredient addition! Have you checked out all the other variations? We have a ton of pot roast recipes on the site: https://dinnerthendessert.com/pot-roast-recipes/
Month and a half later and I’m back to hmmm, a pot roast in the slow cooker sounds good for this snowy, cold Jersey day. Went back through browsing history to find ‘that lady’s site’ …surprise! Ty for your reply!! Again looking just for refreshing but ALWAYS curious for a subtle variation I think will be good BUT the guys have no clue! No I have not looked but I’m headed there before store! I’ll let you know which or IF I leaned towards. Comfort food is calling!
I must be the one that got slow cooked because I messed this roast up big time LOL
This is the best recipe I have found Yet!!!
So easy so delicious!!
Thank you for sharing it with us ?
Kimberly
Sonoma California
How do you make it with better than bullion? Do you still use the broth or do you use water and add the better than bullion?
I use the better than bouillon to make the broth and then I add an extra scoop (personal preference) for added flavor.
This was a great new way of cooking pot roast for my family. My picky son who is hard to please, enjoyed this very much, and I got another stamp of approval for this meal! Thank you for sharing this wonderful version of pot roast dinner, I will definitely cook this again!
We love this recipe, it’s a favorite in our house! How long would this cook in a traditional roaster?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not comfortable giving a recommendation.
I do not see in the ingredients how much broth to add but I do see in the instructions to add it. Please advise.
You’ll be adding 2 cups of beef broth and add it in step 5. Enjoy!
Lets just say my boyfriend thanked me multiple times for dinner tonight. So definitely a winner at house. I used a beef cross rib roast. I made a thicker gravey with the juice. Cooked on high for about 3 hours and low for about another two. It fell apart easily.
Thank you for this recipe. One can appreciate the simplicity of just a “pot roast” slow cooking. The meat was soft and supple. Taste results to the cut of meat (density) and extent of marbling within the piece. The simple “meat and potatoes” home cooking brought me, simply “back” to the table. I thank you very much for that.
Pretty blah. Just not a lot of flavor. Everything came out nicely, but need to add more seasoning.
Are these recipes for frozen or thawed and fresh roasts?
Thawed or fresh roasts. 🙂
Ok recipe. I adjusted the broth to 1 cup beef and 1 cup red wine. Swapped out potatoes for parsnips and added a whole white onion. Cook the roast for a couple of hours before adding vegetables; otherwise, they severely overcook.
I’ve been making pot roast for over 35 years and they were always good but this was amazing and so easy! My husband couldn’t stop talking about how good it was! Not sure what the others did that said it wasn’t good! I did add half a sliced onion in with the veggies and made my broth with Better Than Bouillon (if you haven’t tried this you need to…I won’t use the cubes ever again!). I ate way too much. It was just so dang good!
Heidi,
You are so right. The better than bouillon, is a terrific product. I’ve been using for a couple of years, this in spite of what Alton Brown says.
I agree!! Better than bouillon beats out all the others. Just Soo good!
Work out great
Not making this again. Having the pot roast above the veggies left the entire thing so dry that it got tossed. And the gravy went right down the sink because is was so watery and it didn’t thicken up at all. Followed each direction, each given ingredient measurement and cook temp/time. Never again.
So sorry about the first comments experience. This better on low for 8 hours, smaller pot, check the liquid – if drying add more broth, make sure you put the cornstarch and water on the stove and stir often. Try it again, mine was superb. I added a dash of cooking red wine and chopped onions. Good luck!
Mother of 2, Mine turned out great. Did you make sure to sear the roast on all sides? Must be top, bottom and sides for 4 to 5 minutes on medium high heat. This holds the moisture in. And, if the roast is not cooked long enough it will not soften and break apart easily. The same goes with a roast if you just bake it in the oven at 350-375. it will take a few hours to get tender. If it only goes a couple of hours it will be tough. I usually braise and pour Daie’s, or Allegro liquid seasoning/marinate over it with sliced onions on top. Hope tis helps.
I always cover my slow cooker meals with a combination of water and broth. So mine was more like 2 cups broth, 2 cups water. This helps to keep it moist and delicious!
I used a rub that I found on another site, and let it sit over night. This is just personal preference as we like A LOT of flavor. Everything else I followed to a T. I definitely recommend making the gravy outside of the crockpot for optimal thickening. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll likely never try another pot roast recipe again!
@Laurie, please share what rub you used!
Great, great recipe. My family thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing. Super delicious!
It was wonderful! Great recipe…indeed! My mom said it was “dee-licious”!!!
I just wanted to say that this recipe is the ideal default as far as slow cooking a roast. I can see where some who follow the recipe exact may find it lacking in their preferable level of seasonedness and the solution to that for any base recipe is soy sauce. I added two packets of soy sauce to the beef broth and browned the roast with dehydrated onions as well. ( cooking spray works just as well if you’re trying to cut the fat of oil:)
Thx
I did something similar, I used a rub consisting of salt/pepper/cumin and then added a little worcestershire.
Very good easy recipe instead instead of cornstarch i add instant tapioca 1tbsp at beginning instead makes a nice smooth gravy.
Absolutely delicious! I was a bit scared to just throw the cornstarch mixture in but totally delicious. Best gravy ever! Thanks
Easy, tender, DELISH! I did add 1/2 beef broth and a can of beefy mushroom soup!
How long should this cook if the roast is only about 2.5 lbs?
It might only need around 6 hours. Make sure to check on it to ensure it doesn’t dry out though.
Made this last weekend and I was disappointed at the lack of flavor and how thin the gravy turned out. It was not bad, but it was not fantastic either.
Without onion this pot roast is sorely lacking flavor. I will add onion next time
Kids loved it, including my 7 month old. Everyone had seconds. Even had enough left over to send with the hubby for work.
I am making this now Sabrina..
I only have 2.5 pound chuck roast
How long do I cook in crock pot?!
How many hours for 2.5 pound in crock pot on low or high??
Please respond..??
I’m so sorry. I’m just now seeing this. I would’ve suggested using a smaller slow cooker (4 qt) but everything else should stay around the same. You can check it at the 4 hour mark (if on high). Hope it turned out well.
This was incredibly easy and quick to put together. I didn’t measure the salt. I just did and black pepper and salt rub with the thyme and it was enough salt with the beef broth added. I have tried other recipes before and it was always too salty or the meat was too tough but, this recipe had the perfect balance. Thank you!
Wouldn’t recommend this. Love everyone of her recipes but this one isn’t it, in my opinion. Followed instructions exactly…. started going at 10:30 am, was extremely tough after 7 hours, was hoping to break up after 8. It’s 7:22 pm
and still extremely tough. Vegetables are getting mushy. Very bland. Not sure what’s going on? But won’t be making this again, and will probably have to toss.
I believe cooking times are too long. Not just a problem with this recipe else my cooker maintains a higher temp. Suggest adding carrots and potatoes half way through cooking process.