Look no further, you have found it: the best crockpot pot roast recipe ever! With over 4 million views across my channels, thousands of saves and shares, I can confidently say that this is a MUST-TRY recipe!
I realize that I have another ‘Slow cooker’ pot roast recipe on the website, and that one is great as well. But after tweaking things and trying this one… I don’t think I will ever go back!
My favorite part of slow cooking anything is how great the house smells all day long. It doesn’t help my appetite much (since it makes me hungry all day), but it is way better than any candle I can think of—except maybe a natural burning fire in the fireplace!
Pot roast has always been a favorite of mine. I have gotten a lot of comments recently that the high cost of meat makes these unjustifiable. For me, getting a 3-5 lb chuck roast (while expensive) provides so many additional lunches and leftovers, it is well worth the cost. Now obviously, when spending the money, you want to make sure you cook this correctly.
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 and prevents 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!
As always, I will now walk through a few of the key ingredients, cooking tips, and steps to help you crush this meal and be the dinner time hero:
- The Meat – Choosing the right cut of meat for a pot roast is, in my opinion, the key. I prefer using fatty meat like chuck roasts because the marbling tenderizes all afternoon and keeps everything moist. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
- Prepping the meat – The first thing I will say is don’t be shy with the seasonings. The measurements below are an estimate. This is 3 lbs of beef, and seasoning pulls out all that delicious flavor. Second, don’t skip the step of searing the beef. Lock in those juices, and the searing, seasoning, and de-glazing add tremendous flavor.
- The de-glazing – As mentioned above, adding the beef broth and seasonings to the pan to deglaze ensures you capture all of those flavors. Quick note: it makes it look like you don’t have enough liquid; trust me, you do!
- The Veggies – I stick to traditional add-ins. So mini Yukon Golds and some peeled and cut carrots (leave them a little thicker so they don’t get mushy). I have many comments with concerns of the veggies overcooking if they are in there all day. Mine don’t get mushy over the 8 hours. If you want, add yours whenever you are ready.
- The leftovers – If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can use this meat and potatoes with some eggs at breakfast, make it into a delicious quesadilla for lunch, or just keep it traditional. Either way, this should feed a family of 4 for a few meals!
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
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 onion
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Potatoes
- Carrots
Instructions
- Season all sides of the roast with salt, pepper, and garlic. Don’t be shy!
- Heat the oil in a pan on high heat and sear the beef on each side for about 1-2 minutes (until a crust forms).
- Remove the beef, lower the heat to medium, and cook the onion for about 5 minutes (adding more oil or butter as needed).
- Remove the onions and then add the beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and Worcestershire.
- As it simmers, de-glaze the pan by scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- In the crockpot, add the beef. Top with the onions and add in the potatoes and carrots around the edges. Pour over the broth mixture.
- Cover and cook for 8-9 hours or until fork-tender.
- Enjoy!
