Season, Sear, Pour, and Go! This Crock Pot Chuck Roast recipe is slow cooker magic! Start with an economical piece of meat and transform it into a succulent and hearty pot roast bathed in a simple gravy. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables for the easiest comfort food meal you can make.
If you love weeknight heros like this one, check out our whole collection of Chuck Roast Recipes for more!
Skip to:
Do you ever feel the need to feed your teenage sons a meal that will keep them full longer than an hour? Sometimes I’m desperate for it. You can't go wrong with a roast recipe, so I often turn to this Crock Pot Tri-Tip Roast or today's recipe, Crock Pot Chuck Roast.
While this easy recipe can be made with carrots, potatoes, and onions... I never do. My family likes their pot roast and gravy served over mashed potatoes. If your family prefers vegetables please feel free to add them.
🏅 Why this recipe is great
- Only 5 ingredients, and affordable ones at that!
- It's fast and easy to make. Just a few minutes of prep in the morning and it will be ready for you at dinner time.
- It's has that classic, homemade flavor. It's one of our favorite meals and great for Sunday supper!
- It's ultra tender and falls-apart perfectly.
- It can be frozen ahead. Next time chuck roast is on sale, grab an extra for the freezer.
🥩 What cut of meat is best for pot roast?
In my opinion a boneless chuck roast is the best option for pot roast. It is affordable and has great marbling throughout, which makes the meat tender, flavorful, and fall-apart tender. I don't find that rump roast comes out as a tender.
🌿 Ingredients
- Oil: You can use olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Chuck roast: This is my go-to cut of beef for pot roast. When choosing your beef chuck roast, look for one that has good marbling but not too much fat around the outside. If it does, simply trim up the excess.
- Seasoning: We use this Pot Roast Seasoning recipe, which combines steak seasoning - I use McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning [affiliate] - and dried thyme. You may substitute fresh, but you will need to use 3x the amount.
- Beef broth: You can use canned beef stock or beef bouillon.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the juices at the end for a simple gravy.
🔪 How to make Crock Pot chuck roast
Season, sear, pour, and go! Honestly, it’s that simple. You may be tempted to make this in your Instant Pot or dutch oven, but I find that nothing beats the tender roast from a slow cooker (affiliate).
For extra cooking tips, check out our Ultimate Guide: How to Cook Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker.
1. Coat the beef roast in oil, then season roast generously.
2. Sear the meat in a hot skillet to get a golden crust. Place in the Crock Pot.
3. Simmer the beef broth in the hot skillet for 1 minute, scraping up the bits from the bottom. Pour over the roast.
4. Cook on low heat for 7 hours or on high for 3.5-4 hours (low is preferred).
About an hour before the roast is done it is time to thicken the gravy. Dissolve the cornstarch in water to make a cornstarch slurry, then add it directly to the liquid in the slow cooker. Do NOT pour it directly over the meat.
Use a spoon to stir it all together until thoroughly combined. Replace the lid and continue to cook for another hour on low. The roast should be fork tender and come apart very easily when it's done.
👩🏻🍳 Serving tips
Before serving I like to separate the meat from the fatty sections. While cooking, the fat keeps the roast tender and flavorful, but at the end it is unappetizing. The simple solution is to place the roast on a cutting board and gently separate the sections of meat from the fat, discarding the fat. Then pour the rich gravy over the top of the roast and serve.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
This is the best Crock Pot roast recipe for a crowd, especially for chilly fall or winter weekend. It's important to not overcrowd the slow cooker. If you are doubling the recipe, try making it in two different crockpots to allow each to cook correctly without drying out.
🥗 What to serve with pot roast
This is the perfect pot roast to serve with mashed potatoes (our go-to are these Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes - no peeling or scrubbing necessary). I also like to serve green beans and a favorite bread, such as these Buttery Dinner Rolls or these Easiest Cream Biscuits.
For a full post with more roast beef sides, check out our 10 best pot roast sides!
🙋 Questions & Answers
You can season the roast and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate the night before or freeze for the future. If frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours before cooking. Do not freeze the roast after cooking since it will come out dry and tough.
You can cook your pot roast on high for 3.5-4 hours. However, I find that cooking it on low yields a more tender, moist pot roast.
Test the pot roast with a fork. If it is undercooked, it will still be tough and chewy. It is done when it is tender, starting to fall apart, and easily breaks apart with the fork.
If you prefer to make Crock Pot roast with vegetables you can add carrots, onions, and potatoes (red potatoes, Yukon Gold, or Russet work well). See the recipe card for instructions. Note that baby carrots cook quickly and may be best added part-way through the cook time.
Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Trim the meat before seasoning if it has too much fat around the outer edge.
- Make sure your pan is very hot in order to get a good sear.
- Simmer the beef broth for a couple seconds before scraping up the bits off the bottom. Adds tons of extra flavor!
- Dissolve all the cornstarch in the water before adding to the hot liquid. This will avoid clumpy gravy.
📖 More slow cooker recipes
- Have a tri-tip instead? This tender Crock Pot Tri-Tip Roast is a great main dish.
- 4 Ingredient Potato Soup and White Chicken Chili are ultra-simple Crock Pot recipes the entire family will enjoy.
- Smothered Burritos with Slow Cooker Shredded Beef - Make this flavorful shredded beef in the Crock Pot, then shred and turn into cheesy burritos covered in enchilada sauce. Yum!
- Learn How To Make Brown Butter In the Slow Cooker with this easy step-by-step guide!
Recipe
Crock Pot Chuck Roast (SO tender & easy!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- oil
- 3 lb chuck roast trimmed if needed
- 2 tablespoon steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Vegetables
- 2 lbs potatoes optional
- 1 lb carrots optional
- 1 yellow onion optional
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning optional
- 1½ teaspoon thyme optional
Instructions
- Coat each side of the roast with oil. Combine steak seasoning and thyme in a small bowl. Liberally season both sides of the roast.oil, 3 lb chuck roast, 2 tablespoon steak seasoning, 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Heat skillet over high heat. Once the skillet is hot, sear each side of the roast for 2-3 minutes. Place roast in slow cooker.
- Pour beef broth into skillet. Allow broth to simmer for one minute. Scrape the bits up off the bottom of the skillet. Pour all liquid from skillet into the slow cooker.1 cup beef broth
- *OPTIONAL: If using vegetables wash, peel, and cut them into large pieces. Add them to a large bowl, then drizzle with a little bit of oil. Sprinkle on seasonings and mix until evenly distributed. Top the roast with the vegetables.2 lbs potatoes, 1 lb carrots, 1 yellow onion, 1 tablespoon steak seasoning, 1½ teaspoon thyme
- Cook on low for approximately 7-8 hours or high for 3.5-4 hours. I prefer low whenever possible.
- Around hour 7-8 (or 3.5-4 if your slow cooker is on high) begin checking for tenderness with a fork. Once the roast just begins to fall apart around the edges, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and pour into the liquid left in the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cover and allow to cook for 1 more hour, or until the roast is super tender.⅓ cup water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- After an hour, the gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it isn't leave the slow cooker on high with the lid off while you prepare the meat in the next step. That will allow extra water to evaporate, thickening the juices.
- Before serving, carefully remove meat from slow cooker and place onto a cutting board. Gently separate the meat form the fatty sections. Discard the fat. Place the large chunks of meat on a platter or back in slow cooker to serve.
Notes
- Trim the meat before seasoning if it has too much fat around the outer edge.
- Make sure your pan is very hot in order to get a good sear.
- Simmer the beef broth for a couple seconds before scraping up the bits off the bottom. Adds tons of extra flavor!
- Dissolve all the cornstarch in a little water before adding to the hot liquid. This will avoid clumpy gravy.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
This recipe is a simplified and modified version of Joyously Domestic's recipe.
Connee McCallon says
Followed recipe.I have never seared meat before and it said very hot pan. I wound up setting off the smoke alarms and the bottom of my pan was burned so no tasty gravy. Maybe not a very hot pan next time.
Otherwise the rest of the recipe was good.
But otherwise
Danielle says
Connee,
Sorry to hear that you had trouble with the searing step! It is a little tricky to write instructions for that part because if your pan isn't hot enough the meat won't sear. Instead it will steam and you will not get the same flavor in the meat. Thank you for your comment though. I will look back over the recipe card and see if I can improve the instructions. If you have any other problems or questions, please let us know!
MJ says
So easy and so wonderful. Made several times, one of which I added 1tbls of liquid smoke...it was excellent. This is saved in my Favorites rotation.
Misty says
Hi MJ, we are so glad you love it that much! We really do too, it's always on repeat over here. Thanks for sharing!
Paula says
Bought an excellent cut of Wagu chuck roast and cooked for 7 hours on low, but the roast just seemed tough. Waiting for it to fall apart with a fork. Seasoning was very good, just wish the meat turned out more tender. Roast was 2.62 lbs. Any suggestions for a future dinner? Thanks
Misty says
Hi Paula! Every roast is a little different, but I promise it will get tender if you cook it long enough. It should cook a total of 8-10 hours. It starts with 7 hours, then you continue with the cornstarch step and continue cooking for at least one additional hour. If it isn't quite tender after 8 hours, give it a little longer. I promise it will get super tender if you give it enough time! Mine is almost always ready at hour 8 or 9 on the dot.
I hope this helps!
Liz says
would a double amount fit in same crockpot? about 6 lbs of bone-in roast?
Danielle says
Hello! If the roast itself will fit into the slow cooker, then it should cook just fine. However, because of the bone it might take longer to cook. I would estimate closer to 10 hours on low, but we haven't cooked a bone-in roast before like this so I cannot say for sure. These roasts will sit on "keep warm" for a long time, so I would start it as early as possible to ensure it is done on time. Just watch for the tenderness cues we give in the post and I think it will turn out just fine. Hope that helps! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
Jeff P says
Very simple, easy to make recipe. The flavor was fantastic. The Montreal Steak Seasoning tastes wonderful but be warned it is a bit on the peppery side. My only callout is that even with the cornstarch slurry, the broth really did not thicken much so it really wasn’t much of a gravy for potatoes but it was great poured over the roast. Will definitely make this one again!
Danielle says
We love this kind of feedback! If you want the gravy even thicker, feel free to dissolve a bit more cornstarch into the water. Glad you enjoyed it!
Helen says
Excellent ! I did add more broth. I had 3 1/2 pounds of pot roast. I also waited to add the potatoes and carrots and celery until the last two hours. They were perfect.
Misty says
Glad it turned out so well 🙂
Steph says
Enjoyed making this for St. Patrick's Day. Did my own spices but I can tell by the smell of the sear this is going to be good. Great instructions. Thanks!
Misty says
Sounds delicious! Enjoy!
Jeff says
You shouldn’t have rated recipe if you made up your own spices.The ratings are for the recipe as published.
Deb says
Followed recipe to a tee, and it was just ok. My husband and I did not like the spiceThyme in it. If I make it again, I will omit it.
Laura says
We loved it, can't wait to make it again.
Danielle says
So happy to hear! Thank you for sharing. It really makes our day!
Tanya says
By far, the easiest and most delicious roast I have EVER made in my almost 44 years of life. I will never use another recipe. The hardest part was getting the roast to fit in my pan to sear! I didn't bother thickening the gravy. We just spooned it over the meat and mashed potatoes. Soooo delicious! A million thanks.
Misty says
We are so glad you liked it!! Thanks for taking the time to share - made our day!
Shelly says
This was delicious and so tender! My gravy didn’t thicken after adding the cornstarch so. when it was done, I removed the gravy and thickened it in a pot. Yummy!
Danielle says
I'm glad it worked out! Thanks for taking the time to let us know! If you make it again and the gravy doesn't thicken, feel free to email me and we can try and problem solve that! I make this all the time and haven't run into that yet. We want to make sure our recipes work for everyone though.
Shelly says
Mine is in the slow cooker and it’s smells wonderful in my house. I love the idea of cooking the vegetables separately. We’re having Garlic green beans & mashed potatoes. I’ll be sure to let you know the results.
Danielle says
I just love that it smells up the house! Better than any candle! Haha!
Mackenzie May says
I just wanted to say I sincerely appreciate your recipe and instructions layout. I loved not having to scroll up and down to see the amounts after each step
Danielle says
Thank you so much for taking time to let us know! I am going to reach out to the developer of our recipe card and let him know!
Jamie says
Can i follow this same recipe but use chuck tender steaks?
Misty says
Hello Jamie! We haven't tried this, so I can't say for sure. However I think that it would work. Chuck tender steaks are smaller, so they may cook a little faster. I would use the same amount of meat in pounds (3 pounds), but check them a couple hours sooner and continue cooking until they are very tender. Let us know how it goes!
Jessica says
By happenstance the first time I made a roast by myself I stumbled onto this recipe and over a year later this is the only recipe I go to when making a roast!!! I always get asked for the recipe which I gladly give out! I've always appreciated a good roast but I've never loved one until this recipe found me!!! Thank you ladies!!!!
Danielle says
You're so welcome! Thank you for reaching out and letting us know how much you enjoy it. It's always fun to hear that people like our recipes.
Phyllis Miller says
Hi everyone
I cooked this today and tonight we enjoyed a great meal. Thanks for the help Danielle and Misty for another amazing family dinner.
Misty says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Debbie says
Wow, I’m surprised at how tasty this came out given how easy it is. I served it with rolls, salad, and easy mashed potatoes. The whole family loved it!
Misty says
So glad your family liked it!