Not all pot roasts are created equal. This is my fool proof recipe for a tender and juicy slow cooker pot roast that can be easily made with common ingredients around the house! (Quick side note, is it just me or does everyone still say crock pot?)
I am sure most of you remember coming home from school or work and as soon as you open the door, being flooded by the amazing smell of a pot roast that has been cooking all day. You were either like me and got really excited, or if not, should probably skip to another recipe. Flash forward to today and I realize the other benefits of “crock pot” recipes. Slow cooked meals are not only delicious, they are also easy to prepare for those busy weeknights or lazy Sundays!
There are two keys to creating a fall-apart-tender pot roast consistently: The initial sear, and time. If you are missing either of those, I am not saying it won’t be tender, but your results may vary. Searing the meat helps trap in the juices helping to prevent dryness. When it comes to low and slow, think of your meat as a tight coil like a slinky. If you stretch the coil quickly and then let go, it will still remain tight. If you slowly stretch it out over time, when you let go, it doesn’t ever go back into a tight coil. It has been broken down. Same goes for meat. The Collagen breaks down over time turning into gelatin which is tender and juicy!
Now that our lesson on meat is over, sorry for my lame meat analogy, let’s get to some key ingredients and prep notes.
- Slow Cooker – the first key piece of the puzzle is usually about equipment. If your slow cooker doesn’t have the ability to sear, you will need to sear it in a pan and then transfer. The only downside is you can lose some of the seasoning and flavor when you do that. I recommend using a little broth to deglaze the pan and pour into the slow cooker if possible.
If yours does sear (like my Original Green Pan), you are in luck. After the meat is seasoned, give it a quick sear, turn onto low and let the roast cook for 8-10 hours.
- Chuck Roast – Picking out the right roast is important, but shouldn’t be too much of a chore. The most important thing to note is the weight. The larger the roast, the more time it will take to cook. Secondly, take a look at the amount of fat. You can always trim off the edges, but if you don’t like fatty pieces you won’t be able to trim it out of the middle. My preference is some marbling of fat throughout the cut, it always renders nicely and keeps the meat nice and juicy!
- Worcestershire Sauce – can anyone actually pronounce this correctly?
- Potatoes – I love to use baby red potatoes. If you are not a fan, there is nothing wrong with adding russet or yukon gold potatoes. Just make sure you cut them to roughly 1 ½ – 2” pieces so they cook through!
See below for full measurements and cooking instructions!
If you make this, please leave a comment or rate the recipe below! Also feel free to leave a comment with anything else you want me to make! I love putting my spin on classic recipes or creating new ones!
Equipment
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chuck Roast
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ C Beef Broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
- 2 lbs Baby Red Potatoes
- 3-4 Carrots
Instructions
- Trim the fat on the roast. I recommend leaving a few thin pieces around the edge, but this is completely up to you!
- Mix the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper together and then coat all sides of the meat with about ¾ of the spice mixture.
- If your slow cooker has searing functionality (like the Original Green Pan), heat the oil and sear both sides of the meat on high for about 2 minutes, until you have a nice brown crust!
- IF YOU CAN’T SEAR IN YOUR SLOW COOKER, add the oil to a pan and then sear the meat on both sides. Transfer the meat back to your slow cooker, and if needed, deglaze the pan with some broth to get all the seasoning off and pour over the meat.
- Add the brown sugar, Worcestershire and beef broth.
- Then slice your potatoes to the proper size, peel and cut your carrots.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours. (Flip halfway if you want).
- Remove the meat and let it rest for at least 5 minutes
- Time to eat, enjoy!
As a reminder, I make all of my meals Gluten Free! Any ingredient substitutions will always be listed in the blog post and substitutions sections. This one is easy because all of the ingredients are naturally Gluten Free. If you make this, please leave a comment or rate the recipe below! Also feel free to leave a comment with anything else you want me to make! I love putting my spin on classic recipes or creating new ones!
