Slow Cooker Pot Roast
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No-fuss, fall-apart pot roast made in your crockpot with the most tender vegetables! And the gravy is perfection.

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why i love this recipe
- Classic comfort food. Sometimes you just need a classic comfort food dish that brings you back home. Something mom used to make, and something you can enjoy on a Sunday night with friends and family.
- Easy slow cooker recipe. This is the easiest pot roast recipe that can cook all day long in your crockpot. The pot roast also comes out unbelievably fall-apart tender with the most perfect gravy that you can make from the cooking juices. Not to mention, all the tender potatoes, carrots and celery that soak up all that lovely flavor.
- Freezer-friendly. Pot roast is a great dish to freeze for meal prep, for a new mom, a neighbor or a loved one recovering from surgery, keeping in the freezer for up to 3 months.

how to make the easiest crockpot pot roast
- Season the chuck roast generously, and sear on all sides until a nice crust forms
- Whisk together the beef broth mixture – beef broth, wine (or additional beef broth), flour, tomato paste and Worcestershire
- Add all the ingredients into a slow cooker, topping with the seared chuck roast
- Slow cook for 7-8 hours (the pot roast will be done when it’s fork-tender and falling apart)
- Make the gravy, skimming the fat (or else you’ll end up with greasy gravy)
- Shred the meat and serve with gravy
tips and tricks for success
- Sear the meat. Searing the chuck roast – top, bottom, sides, everything and all around – over medium high heat will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Yukon golds hold up very well. Yukon golds hold up much better throughout the long cook time than russet potatoes, which tend to break down and fall apart. Red potatoes can also be used.
- Carrots and celery should be cut in larger pieces. The vegetables should be cut a little larger here as they will cook down quite a bit in the slow cooker (or else they will be overcooked, fall apart and turn to mush).
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient in pot roast, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the roast. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Freeze as needed. Pot roast freezes like a dream! Freeze the shredded meat separately from the sauce, packing the meat tightly in freezer bags with a little bit of the cooking juices to prevent the meat from drying out. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking in the leftover gravy!
PRO TIP
Pot roast makes for great leftovers.
Use the leftover meat for sandwiches, soups and stews, stroganoff, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and casseroles.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH POT ROAST
Slow Cooker Pot Roast: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using chuck roast for the best results possible. Brisket or rump roast (bottom round roast) can also be used.
Additional beef broth can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute. Broth will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Yes! Don’t have 7-8 hours to wait in the slow cooker? Here is our favorite pot roast recipe made in the oven.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! Pot roast freezes beautifully and can keep in the freezer for 2-3 months, perfect for quick and easy meals during those busy weeks ahead.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, wine, flour, tomato paste and Worcestershire; set aside.
- Place potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth mixture; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with beef.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or until beef is fork-tender.
- Remove beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion from the slow cooker; shred beef, using two forks. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Strain cooking juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan over medium heat; discard solids. Skim any remaining fat from surface and discard. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until desired thickness, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion with juices immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this today and have to say it’s THE BEST pot roast I’ve ever had. Cudos!!!
This was AMAZING! Best beef roast receipe I’ve ever had! I used 2 cups beef broth since I can’t have wine and no Worcestershire
sauce since I’m Gluten free and it came out perfectly! I absolutely LOVED this. I have shared this with numerous people and am excited to make this again! It’s easy and effortless and tastes wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
So does leaving out the Worcestershire sauce make this recipe gluten free?
What a terrific recipe! For those wanting to reduce cooking time without sacrificing the tenderness of the meat, or turning the veg to mush, you can start off on high, and then turn it down to low after an hour. It will be done in 5 to 6 hours, rather than 7 to 8.
Thanks for all the great recipes you post – you are one of my favorite sites!
I used to just throw the beef in the crock pot with some potatoes, carrots and onion soup mix. Now that I’m retired, I decided to put a little more time and effort into the meal using your recipe. So glad I did. It was damn delicious!
I made this yesterday but added an extra 1/2 cup of broth and an extra 1/4 cup of wine. I left it for just under 7 hours and it was PERFECT. Thanks for the recipe:)
Making this right now. Didnt have any Thyme, so will see how it goes, but smells great already.
It smells great right now! But really wish there was a video for it! I just like to know I’m doing things right! We also didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce so I had to figure out a sub. We shall see how it goes! Will change my rating if need be after eating but it was super simple to throw together.
I made this but I made a few changes based on what I had and my tastes. I substituted ketchup for tomato paste. I used 1 cup cream Sherry for wine(very sweet). Himalayan Pink salt. 3 cups beef broth( I wanted more liquid since I added more veggies) 6 Rosemary and 1 sage spring. I did not strain the sauce but removed the stalks and left the sage leaves with the veggies. I left out the onion and parsley. Added two more carrots and celery ribs. I used 4 medium potatoes since I don’t have a scale handy. It turned out amazing.
my husband made this just the other night and it is damn delicious. Honestly the best pot roast ever! So glad we tried it. We followed the recipe just added a rutabaga and a parsnip and sweet potatoes, and yes it is even better the next day.
Excellent! My husband, who is not a pot roast person loved it! 8 hours on low was perfect! The vegetables did not fall apart, were cooked perfectly, just as the roast was! And the sauce very tasty! Too full right now, but can’t wait to have the leftovers again! Thank you for a great recipe.
This is a good recipe that produces a delicious roast that only gets better days later. I chopped my vegetables a lot smaller than the recipe recommends and added a few dashes of Maggi seasoning. Simmered overnight on the stove. Very tasty and will make again.
Is the 1/4 cup of flour used in step 7?
The all-purpose flour is used in step #3:
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, wine, flour, tomato paste and Worcestershire; set aside.
My roast is 2.25 lbs. should the cooking time be less? If so, how much time? I like lots of veggies, more than the recipe calls for. Does this affect the cooking time? Thanks
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this ourselves, we cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let us know how it turns out! Good luck! 🙂
Oh. My. God. This was the best pot roast I have ever made! Thank you so much for the recipe! My family loved it and I want to cook it again for my extended family someday this winter. It surely fills you up and is one of the best comfort food dishes! Will be sharing this recipe for sure!
P.S. I did not strain the juices because I didn’t want to lose all the yummy herbs and spices. After reducing it by half in a saucepan, the gravy was perfection! I also used the high setting on my crockpot for 7 hours and everything was perfect.
Happy crockpotting everyone!
First time trying this recipe so I’m not sure how it will come out. Gave 5 stars for the simplicity of the recipe.
One question, is the meat supposed to sit up so high or do I need to move veggies to the sides and bring it lower?
The chuck roast should be sitting on top of the vegetables. There is no need to bring it down lower. Hope that answers your question, Evelyn! 🙂
Can this recipe be made without the vegetables? My family prefers oven roasted veggies so I’d like to cook them separately.
I had the same question. Thank you.
I made this today and it turned out really delicious!! I have made similar recipes before, but the last step of straining the juice, removing the fat and biking/stirring to thicken really made the dish!! I used a gravy separator to help get the fat separated from the sauce. I will definitely make this again!!!
This was Damn Delicious :). My husband grew up in the Midwest, and had many pot roasts growing up. He said this was the best pot roast he’d ever had. It was so good, even my picky son liked the roast without the gravy. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!!
P.S. I forgot to add the bay leaf and thyme, so I added them to the gravy while reducing. Turned out perfectly.
Recipe came out great….will need salt to taste but awesome meal
My first crock pot recipe EVER and it acme out PERFECTLY. the ratios were great too! I didn’t use the Worcestershire sauce and it didn’t make an ounce of a difference. My house smelled great too!
SO easy and tender and glad I stumbled upon this blog!
Thanks for sharing!
Im making this today using two 2 1/2 lb roasts. Not using potatoes as im making mash potatoes. Sounds so good!! I will cook up to 10 hrs if needed
Turned out great. Very simple recipe. If I use this one again I would only do 1lb of potatoes and double or triple the carrots. Maybe more flour as I couldn’t get the broth to thicken up. But still great flavors.
Excellent pot roast, I just had major surgery recently and my neighbor made this for me and my family the day I came home from hospital, OMG what a treat.. real food! I have since made it a few times… Thank-you! we love one pot meals x