Slow Cooker Small Pot Roast Recipe

This Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the ultimate family dinner recipe, especially for the weekend when you have more time to linger over dinner. With just a few minutes of prep work, the slow cooker does the rest, filling your house with tasty aromas all day. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and paleo as well. It’s a classic combo that’s the perfect comfort food for a Sunday supper with friends and family gathering around the table.

A Sunday roast was on repeat in our house growing up. And you know what? I don’t remember anyone ever complaining about having roast again for dinner! My mom would rotate between beef and pork roast, but it was always served with potatoes and carrots from our garden.

Fast forward to now and I’m still making Sunday roasts, but with potatoes and carrots from a local farm. We don’t currently have garden space, but once you taste fresh veggies, you’ll go out of your way to find them.

Portobello Pot Roast (vegetarian!)

In fact, this recipe is even tastier if you can find locally-grown veggies in your area! But don’t worry there are still plenty of flavors to go around if you can’t.

And speaking of flavor, you’ll see I love to use fresh herbs here, but they’re not totally necessary. My mom often made roasts without any seasoning other than salt and pepper. And sometimes she’d use a bit of Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence. Either option is very affordable and super tasty.

You’ll also find my option to use red wine for a ‘fancy’ pot roast. But using broth in place of the wine will give you wonderful results with a ‘down home’ flavor. You can’t go wrong with either option, and we go back and forth between the 2 variations often!

Pot Roast For Two!

Step 1: Start by searing the roast to brown both sides. I find a cast iron skillet works really well for this!

Step 2: Add the roast to the slow cooker, then briefly sauté the onion and garlic before adding the wine/broth to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture over the top of the roast in the slow cooker.

Step 3: Next add the carrots and potatoes over the top of the roast and place the fresh herb sprigs on top. If you’re using the dried herbs, I like to add them in with the wine/broth mixture in step 2.

Classic Pot Roast

Step 4: Then set the slow cooker time for 8 hours on low, and enjoy your day as your dinner cooks! When the roast is tender, serve it from the slow cooker bowl, or arrange it on a serving platter.

No, you want to add some liquid, but there’s no need to have the roast submerged in a slow cooker. Follow the amount of liquid in the recipe and pour it over the top of the roast. This will give you plenty of liquid to tenderize the roast as it cooks, with enough leftovers to make gravy.

No, but it does add a lot of flavor to the meat and the rest of the ingredients. Taking a few minutes to sear the roast is worth it even if it means wiping up the stove afterward.

Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Low and slow is the best for a chuck roast because it will give you the most tender roast. I have cooked chuck roasts on high and they’re still good, but low is always best.

Put the roast in first with the vegetables on top, this allows the roast to become tender faster and the vegetables won’t be mushy this way.

I really hope you enjoy this Slow Cooker Pot Roast! For an Instant Pot option, try my Balsamic Pepperoncini Pot Roast, or this Slow Cooker Pork Roast recipe. And, you can head to my slow cooker recipes page for more ideas. If you do get a chance to make this recipe or have any questions, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

A Tasty Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe: Quick And Easy Prep

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The amount of sea salt needed will depend a lot on how salty your beef broth is. You can always add more at the end of the cooking time if needed.

For a quick gluten-free gravy, whisk together a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch or tapioca starch with water. Then slowly add it as needed to the strained cooking liquid and bring to a boil to thicken to your liking. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and serve it with the roast.

Savory Slow Cooker Pot Roast

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Calories: 682 kcal | Carbohydrates: 41 g | Protein: 49 g | Fat: 34 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18 g | Trans Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 156 mg | Sodium: 570 mg | Potassium: 1928 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 18988 IU | Vitamin C: 39 mg | Calcium: 109 mg | Iron: 7 mg

Hi everyone! My name is Kari. I'm enjoying country living here in the Flathead Valley, Montana. I love to create mostly healthy recipes, and occasionally a chocolatey indulgence. I hope you find something inspirational; let me know what you think. Read more...This classic, easy slow cooker pot roast is prepped in only 15 minutes, cooks everything in the slow cooker, and makes a hearty dinner to feed a crowd. The result is an impressive meal that takes very little time in the kitchen!

Easy Crock Pot Roast Beef Recipe

This recipe is an easy way to cook pot roast and your slow cooker does all the work! You’ll simply add everything to your crockpot and set-it-and-forget-it for dinner.

It’s a traditional pot roast with some added flavor from a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce and fresh (or dried) thyme. The combination of classic meat and vegetables plus tasty seasonings is what makes this roast mouthwateringly good

If this is your first time cooking a pot roast, using a slow cooker is a straightforward, fool-proof way to do it. This recipe is ideal for a busy weeknight dinner or special occasions: it’s easy and quick to prepare yet always tastes impressive.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast For One

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, sear the roast for 4 - 5 minutes on each side, until well-browned. Add the beef to the bottom of the slow cooker. (Recommended slow cooker size: 6 or 7 quart.)

Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your slow cooker you may want to add ½ - 1 cup more of broth (or water) so that the beef and vegetables are almost completely covered in liquid.

Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours or high for 5 - 6 hours. The roast and vegetables should be cooked through.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

Remove the beef from the slow cooker. Shred the beef and discard any fat. Discard the bay leaf and serve the vegetables alongside the beef. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Chuck roast is traditionally used for pot roasts. It’s a cut of meat that’s rich and can be fatty. Chuck roast is best enjoyed slow cooked (like in a pot roast) as it is also a tougher cut of beef. 

This recipe calls for a 3 - 5 pound cut of chuck roast. You can choose the size of your roast depending on how many servings you would like to make. A 3 pound roast will make about 6 servings while a 5 pound roast will make about 8 servings. 

Easy All Day Crock Pot Chuck Roast • The Crumby Kitchen

Pot roast takes about 8 - 9 hours on low or 4 - 5 hours on high to cook in the slow cooker. Once done, the roast and vegetables should be cooked through. 

The done temperature of a roast is 145°F for medium-rare (taken in the thickest part of the meat) and the vegetables should be tender all the way through when pierced with a fork.

Once your roast is cooked, remove the beef from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks (or a fork and a knife) to shred the beef into bite-sized pieces. Add to a serving platter or plates.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

Remove the vegetables from the slow cooker, discard the bay leaf, and add vegetables alongside the beef. Season the beef and vegetables with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Optionally, you can also spoon the broth from the slow cooker over the beef prior to serving or make a gravy (see below).

To make a gravy for your pot roast, measure 2 cups of liquid from your slow cooker and strain with a fine mesh strainer. Add the liquid to a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

Separately, mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the