This is the best Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe. Learn how to cook a roast that comes out perfectly tender and delicious every time!
There is nothing better than a warm plate of pot roast and vegetables on a chilly day, especially when the meat is so incredibly tender! It’s the ultimate comfort food!
This recipe couldn’t be easier since the slow cooker does most of the work. It also only takes 10 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry!
This is a great high protein meal made in the crock pot with simple whole ingredients.
In just over 6 hours, you will have a delicious dinner that your whole family will love!
Why we love this Easy Pot Roast Recipe
Here’s why this is the best crock pot roast recipe
- Easy to make – Like most slow cooker recipes, this recipe is so easy because other than searing the roast, you just place everything in the pot and let the slow cooker do the rest.
- Fall apart tender – Because the meat cooks low and slow, it gets so incredibly tender and delicious!
- Hearty and filling – This recipe is packed with protein (46g) and flavorful veggies!
Ingredients
To make this slow cooker roast you will need:
- chuck roast – you can also use bottom round roast or top round roast.
- carrots, potatoes, onion – these will cook with all the juices from the meat and get tender.
- beef broth – we like to use homemade beef broth but store bought works fine!
- extra virgin olive oil – our favorites are Bono and Garcia De La Cruz.
- garlic, dried thyme, or rosemary – simple flavors from spices make this dish so flavorful.
- sea salt and black pepper – we will use this to season our roast before searing it.
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil with avocado oil or butter.
Chuck Roast: You can substitute chuck roast for bottom round roast or top round roast. You can use other cuts of meat in the crockpot too! Try our Slow Cooker Corned Beef, Turkey Breast in Crockpot and Slow Cooker Whole Chicken.
Vegetables: Feel free to add more carrots or potatoes if you like. We love Yukon Gold potatoes.
Broth: You can use any broth in this recipe. Beef broth is our favorite.
Keto/Low Carb: The roast in itself is keto/low carb friendly.
What are the best vegetables to cook with the Crockpot Pot Roast?
We love the way carrots and potatoes cook with the roast. They become super tender and pair nicely with the roast!
What is the best cut and size of meat to use?
The Best Cuts of Meat for Easy Slow Cooker Roasts are:
- chuck roast (we like chuck roast the best as it has a nice fat content and great flavor)
- bottom round roast (also known as a rump roast)
- top round roast
A 4-5 pound roast will work best in the crock pot.
Cooking Instructions
- Sear seasoned roast on the stove for 5-6 minutes on each side. In the last 2-3 minutes add onion and garlic to the pan to sauté. Place the seared roast, onions, and garlic in the crock pot on top of the carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle with dried thyme.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat, potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. You can also cook on high for 4-6 hours (low is better and allows the fat to render nice and slowly). The pot roast should fall apart easily with a fork or tongs.
- Enjoy this as a full and hearty meal!
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
You don’t have to brown the roast before putting it in the slow cooker, but we highly recommend it. Browning meat helps to add some great depth of flavor as it slowly cooks together.
We also recommend browning your onions/garlic if you are going to brown the meat. This is such a simple step but it adds SO much flavor.
How much liquid should be included with the pot roast in the slow cooker?
This recipe calls for 1 cup of beef broth.
How much water do I put in a crock pot for a roast? You can put 1 cup of water or broth in your slow cooker when cooking a roast. The roast will give off its own juices.
Should pot roast be covered with liquid in slow cooker? No, the roast does not need to be covered completely with liquid in slow cooker. As long as the roast has a little bit of water (1 cup) it has enough!
Is it better to cook a roast on high or low in a crock pot?
It’s better to cook a roast on low in the crockpot. Cooking a roast on low in the crockpot will give you a roast that is fall apart tender. If you cook a roast on high it can get tough.
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How to thicken gravy
You can easily make the gravy for a roast. Here’s how:
- Take 1 cup of broth from the base of the slow cooker and add it to a small sauce pot.
- Bring to a boil, whisking in 2 tablespoons of flour and whatever spices you like.
- Reduce heat and simmer. It should thicken almost immediately.
Serving Options
This slow cooker roast is a meal in itself. Here are some other sides you can make with it:
Storing and Reheating
Storing: You can store this roast in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Freezing: This roast freezes really well. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 6 months. These are our favorite containers for freezing !
Reheating: You can reheat this roast in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.
Pot Roast Crock Pot FAQ
It will take a roast about 6 hours on low to get tender in the crockpot. 8 hours is best for a tender roast.
We used a standard 6-quart crock pot to make this slow cooker roast. I’m sure you could cook this in a smaller crockpot, but it might be a little bit crowded.
I don’t think it would all fit in a 3-quart crockpot, but without trying I can’t be sure.
We don’t recommend it. We find the roast becomes the most tender by cooking low and slow in the crock pot.
If you do want to try cooking the roast in the oven, this recipe looks delicious.
Other healthy one pot recipes:
One pot recipes are so great because they are easy and cut down on cleaning. Here are some of our favorites:
Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4-5 lb chuck roast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 3 cups carrots cut in 4-5 inch chunks (about 4 large carrots)
- 3 cups potatoes quartered
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or rosemary
- 1 cup beef broth low or no salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan on the stove over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Season roast with salt and pepper. Sear the roast for 5-6 minutes on each side until browned. The roast shouldn’t be cooked through but should have a nice crust.
- In the last 2-3 minutes you can add your onion and garlic to the pan to saute with the roast or just add them into the crockpot raw.
- While the roast is browning, add carrots, potatoes and broth to the crockpot.
- Add the seared roast, onions and garlic on top of the carrots/potatoes.
- Sprinkle with dried thyme (or fresh thyme)
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the roast, potatoes and carrots are fork tender. (Or high for 4-6 hours. Low is recommended)
- The pot roast should fall apart easily with a fork or tongs. Serve a plate with meat, carrots, and potatoes and enjoy!
Lauren says
Does the meat need to be covered by the broth? With the meat on top of the vegetables, there’s no liquid touching it.
Liz Marino says
No it doesn’t need to be covered!
Shari Bolton says
I’ve made this recipe several times since discovering it! It’s so simple and easy to control the sodium content. I used a three pound roast (leaves room for more veggies!) no salt, low sodium broth and lots of fresh ground pepper. Delicious!
Olivia S. says
I NEVER comment on recipes and rarely save one to return to, but this is truly amazing! I am currently writing this with a mouthful of tender, delicious, perfectly seasoned roast in my mouth. This is a recipe I look forward to sharing with others that I feel confident everyone will love. Thank you!!!
Terri says
Absolutely delicious. My family loves this dish and feels it is “special”, because it is so tasty! Also, very easy to make. Thank you for a great recipe. You are now one of my go to sites when looking for a recipe.
Yi says
Hi, I was only able to find a 2.8lb of top round roast. Which of the recipe I would need to adjust since my cut of meat is about half the size? I would appreciate it if you can provide some suggestions. Thanks so much!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi! I’m not sure how this will affect cook time. It might take less time to cook because it’s smaller. maybe check it right at 6 hours? Sorry, but without testing it I really don’t know!
Shaula says
Really easy to make. Ingredients are straight forward. Everything came out tender and yummy. Family really liked it.
Jennifer says
Another winner! Thank you so much for such easy to follow and delicious recipes. Every time I make one of your recipes, my husband says that he could eat this every day. Lol
Shelby Albertson says
So easy and delicious! Was a hit with my whole fam!
PATRICIA JOHNSON says
excellent receips please send them me
Katie says
This was my first time making pot roast and it turned out wonderfully! It was surprisingly easy to make and the meat ended up perfectly tender and juicy.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it, Katie! Thanks!
Cheryl says
I was so nervous to make this thinking I would mess it up
Somehow, but it was truly so easy!
I followed
The steps and the ingredients to the T and wow! The roast was so juicy, and tender. The flavors blend in so well together. I cooked it on low for six hours and it was perfect! Don’t be afraid of a chuck roast go pick one up and make this amazing recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Cheryl! So glad you liked it!
Lindsay says
Loved everything about this recipe!! I love alllll of these recipes actually!! But this pot roast was delicious, healthy and so customizable. Do yourself a favor and get this cooking.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Lindsay!
Lou Ann says
I just recently made this Pot Roast Recipe. My family tends to be very picky but absolutely loved it! The house smelled so good while it was cooking and the meat was very tender and so were the veggies! I highly recommend trying out this recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
so happy you all enjoyed this! thank you so much!!
Brianne Kennedy says
Made this this week and man it is great!! The most flavorful roast I’ve ever had from a crockpot. On reheats, I add in a little Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard while it heats up- so good. Overall super easy to make and enjoyable to eat. Will make again. Thanks so much!
The Clean Eating Couple says
oooh that sounds so yummy! Glad you liked it!
Christine says
I have a frozen pot roast. Should I thaw or can I cook from frozen.
Thanks in advance.
The Clean Eating Couple says
You should never put frozen meat in a crockpot. It’s a food safety issue because it can’t cook all the way through. completely thaw it before cooking
Gabriela says
Made this for meal prep and it fed two of us lunches for the week! So easy and I couldn’t get enough, I’m going to be making it again this week! Thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy to hear that you liked it! Thank you!
Berni says
This was really easy to put together. Flavors were good. Wish I had better options at the grocery store though…all the roasts were small and the ones that were close to being the 4-5 lbs as the recipe called for, had a lot of fat. So pretty bummed that I don’t have leftovers for the week. Hubs asked if I had made this before and I said, nope, new recipe and he said it was really good and I could make this again.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Berni! I’ve had not so great luck either in stores.. I feel like I have to cut off so much fat!