Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This Slow Cooker Pot Roast recipe is a keeper – It’s full of flavor, the meat is fork-tender, and the vegetables are perfectly cooked.

Truth be told, I have not made a lot of pot roasts in my life. I have tried making my fair share of pot roast recipes, but I’m always disappointed when the meat is a little dry, the veggies are overcooked and mushy, or when the flavor is just kind of “meh.” I gave up on most things post roast a few years ago. I’d rather turn a roast into some kind of pulled meat in the slow cooker or my favorite slow cooker carnitas taco meat. That being said, I made a goal this fall to make the best slow cooker pot roast recipe. I wanted to save you the trouble of finding the best recipe so that you didn’t have to suffer through dry meat and mushy vegetables on your own. Truth be told, I went to the Pioneer Woman for help on this recipes because that woman knows how to cook beef. This recipe comes from her cookbook, and it’s a keeper.

Here’s what makes this slow cooker pot roast recipe great:

• You sear all the things. Searing the meat was something that I knew made things more flavorful, but I had never thought about searing off the vegetables too. Do it, friends! This might feel like an extra step (and it is), but it’s part of what makes this roast amazing. You sear up a well-seasoned chunk of beef, then onion halves, and then carrots. They are so good. The best part is you deglaze the pan you seared everything in with some beef stock and add that too the slow cooker too. This helps all those little charred bits of meat and vegetables make it into the final product – it adds so much flavor.
• Don’t cook the potatoes in the slow cooker. I normally throw the potatoes in with the carrots, and they just get too mushy. This recipe is meant to be served with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, made separately, and it’s so very good. That being said, I also think it’s important to peel and cut your own big carrots instead of using baby carrots for this. The larger carrots just keep their texture better. The carrots were my kids’ favorite part, and next time I’ll make double the amount. They were amazing.
• Use the drippings left in the slow cooker to make the gravy – you won’t regret it. Here’s a great little guide on how to make gravy from pan drippings.
• It’s full of flavor, it falls apart when it’s done, and it’s so very good. Take the time to do the full recipe and you won’t regret it!

You’re going to love this roast. Mark my words!

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Recipe from the Pioneer Woman’s Cookbook 

I’m in love with this programmable slow cooker. I think the best feature is that the lid locks on. After I lost a whole slow cooker of meatballs in the back of my suburban on the way to a party, I’ll never go back to one without a clamp-on lid. I didn’t realize how often I take my slow cooker places! For under $50, it’s a great option.

We loved this recipe and it is now the only way that I make pot roast. I hope this really changes your pot roast game.

Enjoy, from my kitchen to yours!