Get my Cookbooks! Crock Pot Roast (with Gravy!)
This Crock Pot Roast recipe is the ultimate comfort food! The beef is fall-apart tender and full of flavor, with perfectly cooked potatoes, carrots, and a rich, savory brown gravy. It’s an easy, hearty, home-cooked meal that the whole family will love!
Be sure to try my Slow Cooker Short Ribs and Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipes next!
Crock Pot Roast
If you’re looking for the best Crock Pot Roast recipe, complete with fall-apart tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and plenty of rich, flavorful brown gravy, you’ve come to the right place.
This Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the ultimate comfort food, and I love that it’s a complete meal made in one pot! You can even do the prep work a day ahead of time, then set it and forget it.
Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you! Everything is simple, and each ingredient adds incredible depth of flavor, especially in the gravy!
Best Cuts of Meat for Crock Pot Roast
Chuck roast is my number one choice for Crock Pot Roast! It has beautiful marbling and connective tissue that gradually breaks down during slow cooking, resulting in incredibly tender, flavorful beef.
Here are the best options:
- Chuck Roast: My top recommendation! The marbling helps keep the meat juicy and gives you that fall-apart, fork-tender texture.
- Rump Roast: A leaner alternative that works well for pot roast, although it may not shred as easily as chuck roast.
- Bottom Round Roast: Another lean option that can be used, but the finished roast may be firmer and better suited to slicing.
For the best results, look for a chuck roast with even marbling throughout.
How to Make it
See recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
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- Pat the roast dry and rub with seasoning and flour. Sear in a skillet for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Combine gravy ingredients and add them to the Crock Pot along with the roast, potatoes, and carrots.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6.
- Remove roast and vegetables and tent with foil. Bring gravy to a boil and add cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Reduce to a simmer and swirl in cold butter. Serve and enjoy!
Why Is My Crock Pot Roast Tough?
If your Crock Pot Roast is tough, it may simply need more cooking time! Chuck roast contains connective tissue that gradually breaks down during the long, slow cooking process.
- The meat is tough and won’t pull apart: It may need more time. Continue cooking on LOW and check periodically until fork-tender.
- The meat is dry: Leaner cuts of beef can become dry more easily, which is why I recommend well-marbled chuck roast.
- The roast is cooked but still firm: Cooking times vary depending on the size and thickness of the roast and your slow cooker.
Pro Tip: Don’t rely on cooking time alone. Your roast is ready when a fork slides into the meat easily and the beef separates with very little resistance.
Crock Pot Roast FAQs
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the Crock Pot?
No! Searing the roast isn’t required, but I highly recommend it. Browning the beef creates a flavorful crust and adds extra depth to the gravy. If you’re short on time, you can skip this step and still make a delicious pot roast.
Should a Crock Pot Roast be covered in liquid?
No, the roast doesn’t need to be completely submerged. The slow cooker traps moisture as the meat cooks, and the beef and vegetables release additional juices that add flavor to the gravy.
Is it better to cook pot roast on LOW or HIGH?
I recommend cooking chuck roast on LOW when time allows. The longer, gentler cooking process gives the connective tissue plenty of time to soften, resulting in tender beef. HIGH works too, but always check for fork-tenderness before serving.
Can you put a frozen roast in the Crock Pot?
It’s best to thaw your roast completely in the refrigerator before slow cooking. A frozen roast can take too long to reach a safe temperature in the slow cooker.
Make-Ahead Method
- Combine gravy ingredients ahead of time.
- Prepare carrots and wash/dry the potatoes, but don’t cut the potatoes until ready to cook.
- Sear the meat just before cooking or skip that step and place unseared meat in the crock pot with the gravy and carrots.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 day, then cook as outlined, but add 30 minutes to cooking time since you’re starting from a cold state.
Pro Tips
- Celery, sliced yellow onions, smashed garlic, and fresh rosemary/thyme make great additions to this dish.
- Searing the Roast isn’t completely necessary but it adds a nice color, texture, and element of flavor. Even when I’m in a rush, I go for the sear. It’s worth it!
- Don’t open the lid of the Crock Pot during cooking, you lose a lot of heat and about 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Be sure to try my Mississippi Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Slow Cooker Short Ribs, and Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipes next!
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 89!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Stovetop Safe Crock Pot– this allows you to sear the roast right in the crock pot for fewer dirty dishes! It also has a digital timer and a locking lid.
- Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Measuring Spoons– These magnetic ones stay nice and organizes in my utensil drawer!
- Fat Separator -This has a strainer on the top and a bottom release. Any fat in the gravy rises to the top and you can dispense just the gravy into the gravy boat and leave out the fat.
- Gravy Boat– I have/love this one. It has a candle on the bottom to keep it warm!
Try These Next
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- Sausage Tortellini Soup
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- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
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- Chicken Spaghetti
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- Meatball Pasta
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- Chicken Parmesan
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- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
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Tried This Recipe?
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Crock Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb. Chuck Roast, see notes for other cut options
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Meat Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Gravy:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 beef bouillon cube, or 1 tsp better than bouillon
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce, can sub Worcestershire
Sides:
- 2 ¼ lbs. baby potatoes, see notes
- 2 lbs. whole carrots, cut into halves or thirds.
For the End:
- 3 tablespoons corn starch + 3 tablespoons cold water
- 2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce, optional: gives it a darker color
- 1 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Instructions
- Pat roast completely dry. Combine seasoning ingredients and massage it onto all sides of the roast, followed by the flour.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shiny and heated, add the roast and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Decrease heat slightly if needed during cooking. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Whisk together the gravy ingredients and add some of it to the skillet that you used to sear the roast. Use a silicone spatula to "clean" the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will give the gravy more flavor. Transfer it to the slow cooker along with the remaining gravy mixture, followed by the pot roast and any juices from the plate.
- Cut the potatoes in half or thirds of equal size. (If 1-2 inch potatoes, you can leave them whole.)
- Peel the carrots and slice them into halves or thirds. Very thick carrots can also be sliced in half lengthwise.
- Arrange the potatoes around the roast and top with carrots. Place the lid securely on top and resist the temptation to open it during cooking as you’ll lose a lot of heat.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.
- Carefully remove the carrots, potatoes, and the roast and set on a serving platter. Tent with foil.
Prepare the Gravy
- Use oven mitts to lift the crock and transfer the juices to a saucepan, OR, if the crock is stovetop safe, you can place the crock right on the stovetop.
- Bring the juices to a boil. Whisk together the corn starch with cold water until completely combined. Gradually add it to the gravy and whisk continuously to incorporate.
- Decrease heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. It will continue to thicken. Add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce if a darker color is preferred. Swirl in 1 tbsp. cold butter prior to serving.
- Season carrots/potatoes with salt and pepper if desired and serve!
Notes
- Chuck Roast: My top recommendation! The marbling helps keep the meat juicy and gives you that fall-apart, fork-tender texture.
- Rump Roast: A leaner alternative that works well for pot roast, although it may not shred as easily as chuck roast.
- Bottom Round Roast: Another lean option that can be used, but the finished roast may be firmer and better suited to slicing.
Pro Tips:
- Potatoes: I used 3-4 inch round white potatoes, cut in half. Red potatoes or sliced Yukon Gold potatoes make great options as well.
- Celery, sliced yellow onions, smashed garlic, and fresh rosemary/thyme make great additions to this dish.
- Searing the Roast isn't completely necessary but it adds a nice color, texture, and element of flavor. Even when I'm in a rush, I go for the sear. It's worth it!
- Don't open the lid of the Crock Pot during cooking, you lose a lot of heat and about 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Be sure to try my Mississippi Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Slow Cooker Short Ribs, and Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipes next!
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 89!
I plan on making this recipe on Monday! I have a 4.5lb chuck roast I’m excited to use for this and plan to do the entire thing in my Ninja Multi-Cooker. I’m going to add onions and mushrooms as well! Two quick questions if you don’t mind:
1) having the vegetables in there the entire time won’t make them too mushy? I’ve seen some other recipes that don’t add the veggies until the last couple of hours. While I definitely want the meat to be fall apart tender, I’d like the carrots and potatoes to not be mushy.
2) I’ve also had some people I know suggest adding red wine and a packet of onion soup mix. You have a nice blend of seasonings in your recipe (and so many comments saying how delicious it is), so I feel like maybe the onion soup mix is not needed. But perhaps the wine could add another depth of flavor? I don’t know. I’ve never made this before so I’m nervous about screwing it up lol
I’d really like to know your thoughts on these things please if you have the time to indulge me! Either way, I WILL be making it on Monday and will definitely be back to let you know how it came out! ☺️
Hi Nicole!! I’m so excited for you to try this recipe on Monday! 😊 And don’t be nervous, I think you’re going to love how it turns out!
1. Vegetables: I’ve made this recipe many times, and I can assure you that the carrots and potatoes don’t turn out mushy! 😊 I specifically designed the recipe to have the vegetables cook alongside the roast from the beginning, and they turn out perfectly tender. The key is keeping them in larger pieces, as indicated in the instructions. You can absolutely add the onions at the beginning as well! I’d recommend adding the mushrooms during the last 1-2 hours so they don’t become too soft.
2. Red wine and onion soup mix: I personally wouldn’t add the onion soup mix! There’s already a really nice blend of seasonings in this recipe, along with beef broth and bouillon, so you won’t need the extra seasoning or sodium. Red wine, on the other hand, can add a wonderful depth of flavor! You could replace ½ cup of the beef broth with a dry red wine if you’d like. But for your first time making it, I think you’ll be very happy following the recipe as written!
One other thing to keep in mind is that Ninja Multi-Cookers can vary, so be sure you’re using the slow cooker setting rather than pressure cooking, and allow enough time for that 4.5 lb. roast to become fall-apart tender.
I can’t wait to hear how it turns out! Please come back and let me know! ❤️
This was perfection! Love the brown sugar on the crust to sear! I added rosemary from my backyard and also a sliced onion and it was the best of the best!
I’m so happy you loved it, Alicia!! I love that you added fresh rosemary from your backyard, along with sliced onion! That sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! ❤️