Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow cooker pot roast reheats well with its cooking juices spooned over each portion. Potatoes, carrots, and celery cook alongside the beef, covering dinner’s main components. I pack a leftover portion before putting the dinner dishes away. The recipe makes six servings with 55g protein each.

Why This Works

Chuck roast benefits from long, gentle cooking, which softens its connective tissue. Searing first adds a browned surface before the beef enters the slow cooker. Broth and wine provide the cooking liquid around the meat and vegetables. Garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves season that liquid throughout cooking.

The potatoes cook in the same liquid, so another starch isn’t necessary. Carrots and celery add vegetables without requiring separate pans at serving time. The supplied nutrition lists 685 calories per serving. Optional gravy uses the existing cooking liquid rather than a separate sauce base.

How It Comes Together

The listed timing includes 10 minutes prep and 8 hours 10 minutes cooking. Total time is 8 hours 20 minutes using the shorter low setting estimate. The directions allow 8 to 9 hours on low. Larger or less tender pieces may need the longer end of that range.

Start by seasoning and searing the roast in a skillet. Transfer it to a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker with the remaining components. After cooking, remove the herb stems and bay leaves before portioning the meat. Serve with cooking juices, or thicken those juices using the optional slurry.

What You Need

Keep the vegetable cuts consistent so similar pieces finish cooking together. Quarter the baby potatoes and cut the carrots and celery as listed. Measure the broth and wine before filling the cooker. Set the optional thickener and water aside until the final stage.

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 ½ pounds beef chuck roast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes (white or Yukon gold), quartered
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder (optional)
• 3 tablespoons water (optional)

How to Make It

Give the roast its full searing time before transferring it. A crowded or insufficiently heated skillet can limit browning. Once slow cooking begins, keep the lid closed as much as possible.

1. Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the beef chuck roast with salt and black pepper, then sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until a dark brown crust forms. Transfer the seared roast to a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker.
2. Add the sliced garlic, onion chunks, carrots, celery, potatoes, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the slow cooker with the roast. Pour in the beef broth and red wine.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Transfer the roast to a board or platter and slice or shred the meat.
5. Optional: To thicken the cooking liquid into a gravy, whisk together the cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker until the liquid thickens.
6. Serve the shredded or sliced beef and vegetables on a platter with the cooking juices or thickened gravy.

How to Serve It

Divide the beef and vegetables into six portions before adding the cooking liquid. Spoon juices or gravy over the meat to keep each serving moist. The potatoes already provide a substantial side alongside the carrots and celery. Bread is optional if you want something to soak up extra gravy.

A simple green salad adds crunch beside the soft roast and vegetables. Dress it just before serving so the leaves stay crisp. Keep added sides separate when tracking the supplied nutrition values. Those values describe the recipe, not a meal with additional accompaniments.

Leftovers and Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days at 40°F or below. Divide them into shallow containers with some cooking juices. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Avoid leaving the entire roast in its crock to cool before refrigeration.

Place one portion in a microwave-safe dish with its saved juices. Cover loosely and heat for 2 minutes, then stir and turn the meat. Continue in 30-second intervals until everything reaches 165°F, checking several spots. Add a splash of water if the gravy becomes too thick.

Quick Notes

Mix the slurry until smooth before adding it to the cooking liquid. Dry starch added directly can form lumps. The liquid needs sufficient heat for thickening, so allow time after stirring.

• Remove the bay leaves and woody herb stems before serving.
• Avoid repeatedly lifting the lid; escaping heat can lengthen cooking.
• Compare chuck roast prices per pound and freeze unused sale portions promptly.
• Measure the broth and seasonings before searing to make assembly faster.
• Cut carrots and celery evenly instead of mixing tiny pieces with large chunks.
• Replace red wine with an equal amount of beef broth if preferred.

Easy Swaps

These optional changes are separate from the original ingredient list. Keep replacement quantities similar so the cooking liquid stays balanced. Substitutions can change the supplied nutrition values.

• Use 1 cup additional beef broth instead of the red wine.
• Replace baby potatoes with equal weight Yukon gold potatoes cut into similar pieces.
• Use a white onion instead of yellow, keeping the chunks similarly sized.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 685

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 ½ pounds beef chuck roast
• 2 teaspoons sal t
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion , cut into large chunks
• 4 carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes (white or Yukon gold), quartered
• 2 cups low -sodium beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leave s
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder (optional)
• 3 tablespoons water (optional)

Method

 

1. Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the beef chuck roast with salt and black pepper, then sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until a dark brown crust forms. Transfer the seared roast to a 6 to 7-quart slow cooker.
2. Add the sliced garlic, onion chunks, carrots, celery, potatoes, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the slow cooker with the roast. Pour in the beef broth and red wine.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Transfer the roast to a board or platter and slice or shred the meat.
5. Optional: To thicken the cooking liquid into a gravy, whisk together the cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker until the liquid thickens.
6. Serve the shredded or sliced beef and vegetables on a platter with the cooking juices or thickened gravy.

Common Questions

Why is my roast still tough?

Chuck roast can need more time before its connective tissue softens. Check tenderness with a fork rather than relying only on the clock. Continue cooking covered if the meat still resists pulling apart.

Can I use the high setting?

Yes, the supplied directions allow 5 to 6 hours on high. The listed total time reflects cooking on low. Check that the beef and vegetables are tender before serving.

Do I have to make gravy?

No, both the thickener and its mixing water are optional. Serve the beef with the unthickened cooking juices instead. Save extra juices with leftover portions for reheating.

Sear first, keep the lid closed, and check the beef for tenderness. Serve the vegetables with plenty of cooking juices. Pack leftovers in portions before refrigerating.

— Emily