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    Home » Slow Cooker

    The Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast!

    LAST UPDATED: November 13, 2019 PUBLISHED: November 13, 2019 By Pam Greer 12 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This Slow Cooker Braised Pot Roast is sure to become a family favorite.  This is a classic slow cooker pot roast, just like mom used to make!  Pure comfort food! 

    Close up of pot roast on a platter with vegetables.

     

    Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    Is there anything more suited for the slow cooker (crock pot) than pot roast?  I don't think so.  It is the perfect one pot meal and I can think of nothing I enjoy more for a Sunday dinner!  

    There is something so wonderfully homey about pot roast.  I eat a lot of foods now that I didn't even know existed when I was young - kale, quinoa, and kohlrabi - to name just a few.  

     

    But a good Sunday pot roast, that feels like it's been around forever.  It never gets old.  Potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and meat all combine to taste exactly like I remembered it from when I was young.  It is comfort food at it's finest.

     

    Celery, potatoes, red wine, bay leaf, onions, carrots, chuck roast and beef broth to make slow cooker pot roast.

    Ingredients for Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    • Celery.
    • Potatoes.
    • Red Wine - this is optional, but I love the depth of flavor and richness that it adds. 
    • Onions.
    • Bay Leaf.
    • Carrots.
    • Chuck Roast - bone in or boneless.  I prefer bone in for the added flavor, but it's boneless is sometimes easier to find.
    • Beef Broth. 
    • Olive Oil - if you are browning the beef (not pictured.)

    Photo collage showing the first four steps for making crock pot pot roast.

    How to Make Crockpot Roast Beef

    My first two photos are out of order - sorry!  

    Sometimes I don't brown the pot roast first, but I find that it adds so much flavor, that if I do have time, I brown it. 

    If you are browning the beef, swirl a little olive oil in a heavy pan and heat over medium high heat.  Season the beef with salt and pepper and cook on both sides until nicely browned - about 5 minutes per side. 

    While the meat is browning, slice the celery and carrots and cut the onions into a large dice.  Add them to the slow cooker.   

    Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and add them to the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

    Place the well browned roast on top of the potatoes. 

    Photo showing the next steps for pot roast - deglazing the pan and pouring the broth in the slow cooker!

    Pour the red wine into the pan into the pan that you browned the beef (if not using red wine, use the beef broth.   Cook, scraping up the browned bits for a couple of minutes.  Then pour over the pot roast in the slow cooker.  

    If you used red wine, add the beef broth now and nestle in the bay leaf. 

    Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

    If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir into the sauce about 30 minutes before serving. 

    Close up of beef pot roast with veggies.

    The Best Pot Roast! 

    This is so good.  Pure comfort food!  You can change up the vegetables, but I like to keep it classic with just potatoes, carrots, celery and onions.  

    You also can decide if you want to brown the beef or not.  I prefer the beef browned, but if you don't have time, don't let that stop you from making this! 

    Serve it with a salad and some bread and you have a heavenly dinner! 

    More Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes

    Even more pure comfort food is this Beef and Barley Soup! 

    It doesn't get much better than Slow Cooked Pork Butt!  So many uses for this moist and tender meat! 

    How about a bowl of the Best Minestrone - cooked all day in the slow cooker for great flavor! 

    If you make this I would love it if you would follow me and tag me on Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

    Platter of pot roast and vegetables.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 29 votes

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    This Slow Cooker Pot Roast is comfort food at it's finest!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 7 hours
    Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 901kcal
    Author Pam Greer

    Ingredients

    • olive oil if browning the meat
    • salt and black pepper
    • 3 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast
    • 3 stalks celery sliced into 1-inch pieces
    • 3 carrots sliced into 1-inch pieces
    • 4 potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
    • 1 yellow onion large dice
    • 1 cup beef broth
    • ⅓ cup red wine optional
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

    Instructions

    • If browning the beef, add a drizzle of olive oil to a heavy pan and set over medium high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the pot roast and brown in the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until nicely browned.
    • While the roast is browning, place the carrots, celery and onions in the slow cooker. Top with the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Place the beef (either browned or not) on top of the potatoes and nestle in the bay leaf.
    • If you browned the beef, pour the red wine (or beef broth if you're not using wine) into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Pour this over the beef in the slow cooker.
    • Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
    • If you'd like to thicken the sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water and stir into the sauce in the crockpot about 30 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    You can use boneless beef or bone in.  
    Browning the beef is optional, but it does add more depth of flavor.  
    Red wine is optional, you can deglaze the pan with the beef broth. 

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 901kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 83g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 274mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 2520mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7829IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 16mg

    This was originally published in 2014 and has been updated for 2019.

    More Slow Cooker Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Chili
    • Slow Cooker Pinto Beans with Beef and Bacon
    • Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marjie says

      November 18, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      This could make it into my rotation for Thanksgiving week, instead of roast beef....

      Reply
    2. Gina says

      November 13, 2019 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      I love using my slow cooker and this recipe did not disappoint!

      Reply
    3. Sandi says

      November 13, 2019 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      What a delicious dinner this was...I love the step by step directions.

      Reply
    4. Jenn says

      April 09, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      Total comfort food faceplant of epic proportions! Love it!

      Reply
    5. Samantha Dawn says

      April 09, 2018 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      A great comfort food recipe!! Classic for a reason and my entire family loved it!

      Reply
    6. Lou Lou Girls says

      December 15, 2014 at 3:28 pm

      I'm totally in love with this! Yummy. Pinned and tweeted. We appreciate you being a part of our party, and I hope to see you on tonight at 7 pm. We love partying with you!
      Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls

      Reply
    7. Amee says

      December 09, 2014 at 10:31 am

      This sounds so amazing! I love beef dishes!!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        December 09, 2014 at 12:42 pm

        I do too!

        Reply
    8. HapaMama says

      December 08, 2014 at 3:07 pm

      I've been craving pot roast! Pinned this...

      Reply
    9. Cher @ Paleo + Life says

      December 08, 2014 at 2:16 pm

      Agreed. Pot roast = ultimate homemade dinner. I'm so sad that my little girl hates it.
      (Of course, she hates everything that doesn't involve sweetener, so that may be the real problem...)

      Reply
    10. JessicaJ says

      December 08, 2014 at 8:02 am

      I agree with you Pam, comfort food at its finest! Pot roast will forever remind me of childhood 🙂

      Reply
    11. Joanne says

      December 08, 2014 at 6:55 am

      Definitely total comfort food!

      Reply

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