The Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast with an easy, but delicious homemade gravy. Turn a chuck roast into a comforting, Sunday dinner. Taking the extra five minutes to make a homemade gravy takes this from an average pot roast to the best slow cooker pot roast.
Why I LOVE It
- Homemade Gravy - The homemade gravy is surprisingly easy to make but is so flavorful.
- Perfectly Tender - Cooking a chuck roast low and slow in the crockpot results in super tender, fall apart meat.
- Comforting - This is the ultimate cozy, comfort food.
How To Make a Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker
- Prep - First, chop up the vegetables and prep the other ingredients. Set aside.
- Brown Chuck Roast - Browning the chuck roast first adds so much flavor! Heat a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven on medium-high heat. Coat the chuck roast with salt, pepper, and flour then brown in the hot pan.
- Add to Slow Cooker - Add the browned chuck roast to a large slow cooker and top with the chopped vegetables.
- Make Gravy - In the same pan that you browned the meat, make the homemade gravy. Start by cooking the tomato paste in the residual fat and oil. Then stir in the red wine and flour. You can use a whisk to get rid of any big lumps. Finish by adding beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, and salt & pepper. Simmer and whisk until smooth and thickened.
- Slow Cook - Pour gravy into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Serve - By the end of cooking, the roast will be so tender and practically fall apart. AND your entire home will smell AMAZING!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to cook a roast on high or low in a crock pot?
Although you can cook a pot roast in the slow cooker on High, I prefer cooking on Low. Cooking on Low for a longer amount of time results in much more tender meat. The roast practically falls apart.
Does pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks?
Yes, the longer you cook a pot roast on low in the crockpot the more tender it gets. This is why I recommend cooking the chuck roast for a full 8 hours.
Can I use baby carrots in this recipe?
Instead of chopping whole carrots, you can swap in baby carrots. I recommend using the thickest baby carrots you can find so they don't get too soft from the long cook time.
How do you know when pot roast is done in slow cooker?
The best way to tell that the pot roast is done is by the texture. It should be very tender if you pierce it with a fork and easily shred apart. Pot roast that is undercooked will still be tough and chewy.
How to Serve Pot Roast
Pot roast is the ultimate comforting, Sunday dinner. Complete the meal with one of these sides:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cooked Egg Noodles
- Crispy Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Rolls or Crusty Bread
- Side Salad
This recipe is featured in a roundup of Best Slow Cooker Recipes. Check it out!
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PrintRecipe
Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast
The Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast with an easy, but delicious homemade gravy. Turn a chuck roast into a comforting, Sunday dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 480 minutes
- Total Time: 510 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Dish, Slow Cooker
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 5 medium carrots (peeled or scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 5 stalks celery (scrubbed, ends discarded and cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 large yellow or white onion (cut into ½ inch wedges)
- 3 cloves garlic (mashed)
Roast
- 4 lb beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (for coating roast)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Homemade Gravy
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
Vegetables
- Prep -Prepare and chop the vegetables. Add the veggies to the slow cooker.
Roast
- Season Roast - Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with 2-3 teaspoons of salt and 1-2 teaspoons of pepper. Coat roast on all sides in the flour and shake off the excess
- Brown Roast - Heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil and pan is hot, brown the roast on all sides. About 10 minutes total.
- Add to Slow Cooker - Transfer browned roast to slow cooker on top of the veggies.
Homemade Gravy
- Start Gravy - To the same skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the tomato paste, stirring and cooking until dark red. About 1 minute. Add the ⅓ cup of flour and red wine. Whisk until thick.
- Finish Gravy - Add beef broth, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer while whisking until it is smooth and thickens slightly. About 3-5 minutes.
Cook the Roast
- Add to Slow Cooker - Pour gravy into slow cooker over the roast and vegetables. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Vegetables - Remove the roast and let rest. Remove thyme and bay leaves, discard. Use a slotted spoon to separate the vegetables into a bowl. Toss the vegetables with the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Cut Roast - Slice the roast against the grain or use two forks to shred into big chunks. Serve on a platter with the bowl of vegetables and the gravy on the side.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 689.4 mg
- Fat: 17.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.3 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 47.8 g
- Cholesterol: 134 mg
Cheryl says
What can you use to replace the red wine?
Kathleen Hansen says
Extra beef broth or stock can be used instead of the red wine. Thanks!
Katie says
Loved this. The gravy was so good!