Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast
on Nov 01, 2016, Updated Jul 28, 2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this slow cooker pot roast, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseat on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!
Perfect Pot Roast (Slow Cooker or Oven Cooking)
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 2–3 tbsp. olive oil
- salt (preferably coarse salt like kosher)
- pepper
- 3 to 5 lb. chuck roast (could also use top or bottom round roast)
- 2 onions, peeled and cut in half
- 6–8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks
- 2 cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon dry crushed rosemary or 3–4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven. Salt and pepper all sides of roast well. When the oil is shimmering, add the roast and sear it well on all sides (about a minute per side). Remove the roast from the skillet and place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Add the two onions to the same skillet the that roast cooked in and sear them for one minute, cut side down. Add them to the slow cooker. Place the carrots in the skillet and sear them for another minute, stirring often. Add 2 cups of beef stock to the hot skillet to deglaze the pan (the liquid will help remove all the little cooked on bits of vegetable and beef from the pan which adds tons of flavor). Pour the carrots and the broth from the skillet into the slow cooker. Add more beef stock until the roast is half covered in stock (this might be up to another 4 cups of stock). Sprinkle herbs over the contents of the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for about 4 hours (may need a little more time if you’re using a 5-lb. roast). You’ll know your roast is done if you can break off pieces of meat with your fork.
- Serve the meat with the carrots and onion slices over some steaming mashed potatoes with gravy on the top.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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!
Always turns out perfect!
Made this today with a chuck roast and it was fork tender with the most delicious flavor from searing the vegetables too.
I agree with you that to use the larger carrots would yield a firmer result. I needed to use my large bag of the snacking size and they were too soft but still yummy as could be.
Make this & you won’t be disappointed.
I’m going to make it today it sounds wonderful. I’m curious why you don’t add potatoes to your recipe?
I serve them mashed on the side, I don’t add them to the pot because I think they get too mushy!
The flavor is AMAZING. I think I’m just going to fill the pot with carrots next time because they were to die for. Next time I’ll cook it a little longer, so the roast can be a little more tender.
I completely agree with you about the carrots! And yes, by all means, adjust the timing to your liking and what meat you have to work with!
My bottom roast is only 2lbs…thoughts on how long to cook?
I’d start the checking the temperature at 2 hours and then check it every 15 minutes after that until it’s cooked through. I’m not sure just how much time you’ll need but that’s a safe way to get a cooked but not overcooked roast. The potatoes will still take the full amount of time or slightly longer if you are opening and closing the lid a lot.
Had a rump roast to cook…..so here is where I bounced. Oh it turned out sooooooo good! I love the texture of the carrots, firm, yet tender and so flavorful. I turned the juice into gravy and it didn’t even need any more seasonings to be amazing. I made your pumpkin biscuits to go with it since the oven was available…..thought I would experiment a bit and put some thyme and black pepper into half of the dough….um nope….they were ok, but I love the pumpkin biscuits so much, the additional flavors didn’t take them up a notch. Why mess with a good thing! Thanks for the great recipes!!!!
Will this work if you cook it on law for six hours?
It might need a little longer than 6 hours to be really tender on low, depending on the size of your roast.
I’ve never made any roast in my crock using HIGH.. they are tender ? Maybe that’s what I’m doing wrong. Sometimes it’s 8-13 hours on low getting it tender I place my carrots & celery & potatoes last two hours
Thanks for the thoughts, always helpful to know what’s working with other cooks!