This easy tender slow cooker pot roast will melt in your mouth! Pot Roast is one of the best things to make in your slow cooker since it is made to be cooked low and slow. This classic comfort food is a one pot wonder that has tender meat, potatoes and veggies for a great family meal. Make this gluten free slow cooker pot roast tonight for a delectable dinner!
If you have ever made my Mississippi Pot Roast you know how delicious and easy pot roast is in the crock pot. This recipe is a more classic version using simple and wholesome ingredients. All you need to do is a few minutes of prep in the morning and you will have a homemade and hearty meal on the table for dinnertime.
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What is Pot Roast?
Pot Roast is a tough cut of meat that is cooked low and slowly breaking down all the tough parts into fall apart meat. Tough meat usually have a lot of connective tissue which break down as it cooks releasing gelatin which adds flavor to everything it is cooking in.
Po Roast is usually any cut of beef roast, such as chuck roast, chuck shoulder, round roast, rump roast or a brisket. I don’t know why I always have the hardest time finding roast meat in my grocery store and I think it’s because there are so many names for a roast. Hopefully I covered them all!
The crucial step not matter what type of meat you use is to sear it or brown it, see below for instructions.
Add the veggies, I brown mine in the same pan but you can skip that step if you are short on time. Once you do that you cover it in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce to braise the meat your slow cooker. Hours later you will have dinner ready. It’s really that simple.
How to Brown Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast
One of the most important parts of tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast is browning the meat before it goes in the Crock Pot. This crucial step adds so much flavor. You need to generously salt and pepper the meat. It will seem like a lot of salt but it will be adding the salt to the entire dish so keep that in mind.
The most important thing is to let the meat brown. This means adding it to hot pan and not flipping it. Let it brown for 4-5 minutes on each side. When I started browning meat I would always flip it every 30 seconds which defeated the purpose and took even longer. Give the meat a nice char by leaving it alone for the 4-5 minutes.
What Vegetables to Use for Slow Cooker Pot Roast?
Root Vegetables work best for Pot Roast since they stand up best to cooking for hours.
Classic Mix
Potatoes- Peeled Yukon Gold or Russets cut into halves or quarters or Red Potatoes. I used both because I had both leftover! I always love red potatoes because I don’t have to peel them.
Carrots- Peeled and Cut into thick chunks so they stay together while cooking. Any color work but I usually just go with orange.
Onions- White or Sweet are best to compliment the flavors of pot roast.
More Ideas-
You can use Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, or Parsnips! As long as the vegatable is hearty and thick it will be taste great after cooking in this delicious sauce all day.
How to Make Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast-
Step 1. Add oil to pan and heat. Salt and Pepper meat and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side. Add to slow cooker.
(Optional Step) Step 2. Add onions to pan and add 2 Tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar to deglaze pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Pour juices and onions on top of meat.
Step 3. Add Potatoes and carrot chunks on top of and around the meat.
Step 4. Add Beef Broth and Worcestershire Sauce over meat to almost cover meat and vegetables.
Step 5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or low 5-6 hours.
Step 6. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Gravy-
Make a flavorful gravy to go with this your pot roast just follow these easy steps.
- Separate fat from liquid. I use this handy measuring cup that is made for this. Or you can just use a large spoon to remove it off the top.
- Make a cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon of cold water and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and mix together.
- Pour liquid from pot roast into sauce pan and heat until boiling. Add cornstarch slurry and turn to simmer. Allow to combine for 2-3 minutes or until gravy thickens.
Looking for more Hearty Crockpot recipes?
Need a Slow Cooker? My favorite is this Crock Pot 6 quart Programmable Slow Cooker. I love being able to set the timer in case I’m not home when the food is finished cooking and it just switches to warm. Plus you can lock the lid and just carry it to a party. You never lose another Tupperware or serving dish again at a potluck party!
Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds beef roast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
- 2 white or sweet onions quartered
- 5 carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 pound potatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Add oil to pan and heat. Salt and Pepper meat and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side. Add to slow cooker.
- Add onions to pan and add 2 Tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar to deglaze pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Pour juices and onions on top of meat. (Optional)
- Place Potatoes and carrot chunks on top of and around the meat.
- Pour Beef Broth and Worcestershire Sauce over meat to almost cover meat and vegetables.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or low 5-6 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. See above for gravy recipe.
