Crock Pot Pot Roast Recipe

There’s something incredibly satisfying about coming home to the smell of a pot roast that’s been cooking all day in your crock pot. Knowing that a warm and hearty meal is waiting for you after a long day is a welcome sight for many of us.

It’s a classic comfort food meal that I love to make on cold and dreary days. Fall apart tender chunks of meat and perfectly tender vegetables cooked in a delicious sauce that you can easily turn into gravy.

Best of all, it is easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients you can have your dinner in the crock pot and ready to cook in only 15 minutes!

Choosing the Right Cut of Meat

However, the key to making a good pot roast is picking out the right cut of beef. For this recipe, I prefer to use a boneless chuck roast, which is perfect for slow cooking.

The chuck roast comes from the shoulder area of the cow, which means it has a good amount of fat and connective tissue. When you cook it low and slow, all that fat melts into the meat, making it incredibly tender and flavorful.

If you can’t find a chuck roast, another good option is a beef brisket or a bottom round roast. Both of these cuts are a little leaner than the chuck, but they’ll still do well in the slow cooker.

Just keep in mind that leaner cuts might not be quite as tender, so you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly, or they might benefit from a little extra liquid to keep the meat moist.

The Vegetables

Russet Potatoes: The potatoes will become nice and tender and absorb some of the cooking juices, making them super flavorful. You could also use Yukon Gold potatoes, which have a buttery texture and will give the dish a slightly different taste. If you prefer your potatoes to be softer, red potatoes are another option.

Baby Carrots: The sweetness of the carrots provides a nice contrast to the beef and other vegetables. You don’t even have to cut the baby carrots in half. However, if you have whole carrots, be sure to chop them into chunks so they cook evenly.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms add a nice earthy flavor to the roast. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can leave them out.

Onions: Vidalia onion adds a subtle sweetness as it cooks down. If you prefer a more intense onion flavor, you can use yellow onions instead. For a milder taste, white onions work too.

Garlic: Minced garlic gives a nice depth of flavor to the whole dish. You can adjust the amount of garlic to your taste or add garlic powder if that’s what you have on hand. 1 clove of garlic equals 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.

Feel free to use whatever vegetables that you prefer. Other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips could be great additions, or you could throw in some green beans in the last hour of cooking for something different.

Cooking the Pot Roast in the Crock Pot

The beauty of using a slow cooker for pot roast is that the slow, steady heat does all the work for you. You simply layer your ingredients, starting with the beef broth and vegetables, and then place the seasoned chuck roast on top.

The Worcestershire sauce is poured over the roast, adding a bit of tang and depth to the overall flavor. From there, all you need to do is cover the slow cooker and let it work its magic for the next six to eight hours.

Cooking on low heat for a longer period ensures that the meat becomes tender enough to fall apart with just a fork. If you’re in a rush and don’t have the full six to eight hours, you can cook it on high for about four to five hours. Just be aware that the roast might not be quite as tender, but it’ll still be delicious.

Making the Gravy (Optional)

Cooking a pot roast and vegetables in a crock pot are wonderfully delicious on their own, but what really pulls this dish together is the homemade gravy.

Once your roast is cooked, you’ll want to strain the cooking juices. This gives you a flavorful base to make the gravy. If you’re not into making gravy, the roast and veggies can be served as is, but trust me, the gravy is worth the extra few minutes of effort and I am not even a huge gravy fan.

To make the gravy, you’ll want to skim the fat off the cooking juices and save about half a cup of it. This fat helps give the gravy richness and body. In a saucepan, whisk the fat with flour and pepper to form a smooth base, then slowly whisk in the remaining cooking juices. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly, and cook until the gravy thickens. It usually only takes a couple of minutes.

If you like your gravy thicker, you can let it cook for a little longer. If it’s too thick, just add a splash of beef broth to thin it out. Pour half of the gravy back over the vegetables in the slow cooker, and serve the remaining gravy on the side with the roast.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

If you have leftovers, pot roast and vegetables reheat well and can even taste better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld together. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

To reheat, you can use the microwave or warm everything up in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. If you made gravy, you might want to thin it out with a little broth or water when reheating, as it tends to thicken up when cold.

Crock Pot Pot Roast and Vegetables

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 4 large russet potatoes, cut in large chunks
• 1/2 pound of baby carrots
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast, 3-4 lbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Gravy Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a 6-qt. slow cooker add beef stock, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker.

Pour Worcestershire sauce over top of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Turn off slow cooker and remove roast, cover lightly with foil and let rest.

Strain cooking juices in a bowl, and place vegetables back in slow cooker and cover. Skim fat from cooking juices reserving ½ cup of the fat.

In a large saucepan, add ½ cup of the cooking fat. Whisk in flour and pepper until smooth. Slowly whisk in remaining cooking juices.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Pour half of the gravy mixture with the cooked vegetables and then serve the remaining gravy with the pot roast.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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