Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Printable)
Tender beef cooked slowly with carrots, garlic, and herbs for a hearty flavorful main course.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Vegetables
04 - 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
05 - 1 large yellow onion, sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
08 - 1 lb baby potatoes, halved (optional)
→ Liquids
09 - 2 cups beef broth (gluten-free if needed)
10 - ½ cup dry red wine (optional, or more broth)
→ Seasonings & Aromatics
11 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
12 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if needed)
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
15 - 2 bay leaves
→ For Thickening (optional)
16 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
17 - 2 tbsp cold water
# How-To:
01 - Pat the beef dry and season all sides evenly with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high and sear the roast for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well browned. Transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
03 - Arrange carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and potatoes, if using, around the beef in the slow cooker.
04 - In a bowl, whisk together beef broth, red wine if used, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour the mixture evenly over the beef and vegetables.
05 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 5 hours, until beef is tender and vegetables are fully cooked.
06 - Transfer the beef and vegetables to a serving platter and discard the bay leaves.
07 - Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Stir into the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
08 - Slice or shred the beef and serve alongside the vegetables with the thickened sauce.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beef becomes impossibly tender without any fussing or babysitting—the slow cooker does all the work while you live your day.
- Sweet carrots and caramelized onions balance the savory depth, making it comfort food that actually tastes sophisticated.
- It fills your whole kitchen with an aroma that has people hovering around the stove hours before dinner.
02 -
- The searing step isn't optional theater; it's where half the flavor comes from, so don't let anyone tell you to skip it.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking the beef around the 6-hour mark rather than assuming it needs the full 8.
- The sauce tastes even better the next day after the flavors have settled, so this is actually better as a leftover than fresh.
03 -
- Use a good quality chuck roast with visible marbling—it's the difference between tender and spectacular.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, cooking on LOW is almost always better than HIGH because the meat stays more tender and the vegetables don't turn to mush.