Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Fall-Apart Tender Beef)

What Makes This Recipe Work

Chuck roast is full of connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin over long, gentle heat, which is exactly what a slow cooker provides. Adding the vegetables for only the last 2 to 3 hours keeps them tender rather than dissolving into the broth.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Fall

• 3 to 4 lb (1.6 to 1.8 kg) boneless chuck roast
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
• 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 bay leaves

How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Fall

1. Pat the chuck roast dry and season it all over with the salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast until deeply browned on both sides and the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side, then transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Whisk the tomato paste into the beef broth and pour it around the roast, then tuck in the onion quarters, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours, until a fork slides into the meat with almost no resistance.
5. Add the carrots and potatoes around the roast, nestling them into the liquid, and cook 2 to 3 hours more on low (or 1 to 1 1/2 hours on high) until the vegetables are tender when pierced.
6. Transfer the roast and vegetables to a platter, tent with foil, and skim the fat from the liquid.
7. For gravy, whisk 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water, stir it into the hot liquid in the slow cooker, and cook on high 10 to 15 minutes until thickened, or serve the broth as-is.
8. Slice the roast against the grain into thick slabs and spoon gravy over the meat and vegetables.

Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Fall

• Searing is optional but worth the extra 10 minutes; if you skip it, add 30 minutes to the low-cook time so the meat still develops flavor in the broth.
• Do not add the potatoes and carrots at the start. They will turn to mush over 8 hours, which is why they go in around the 5-hour mark on low.
• Chill the finished broth briefly and skim the hardened fat cap if you want a less greasy gravy.
• Slice against the grain, not with it; chuck roast shreds in long strands that can be tough when cut lengthwise.

Variations and Substitutions

• Mushroom version: stir 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms in with the carrots for the last 2 hours.
• Italian-style gravy: swap the thyme for rosemary and add 1 tbsp tomato paste extra, then serve over polenta instead of potatoes.
• Turn leftovers into the beef base for stuffed peppers by shredding the roast with a little gravy and mixing it with rice.
• For a tomato-forward beef dinner, see chicken parmesan-style comfort plates, or keep it classic and ladle the gravy over noodles in a chicken spaghetti-style bake for a mixed menu.

How to Store and Reheat

• Keep the roast, vegetables, and gravy in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven with a splash of broth, or in the microwave covered, until the meat reaches 165°F (74°C).

Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Fall FAQ