Season, Sear, Pour, and Go! Time for slow cooker magic! This Slow Cooker Fall Apart Pot Roast recipe transforms an economical piece of meat into a succulent and hearty roast that is bathed in a simple gravy. No extra steps or dishes! Now that’s what I call a win-win.
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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. This isn’t exclusive to teenagers though. Just what I have the most experience with lately. But if you are, hurry to your grocery list and add these simple ingredients: chuck roast, steak seasoning, thyme, beef broth, and cornstarch. Or go online and add them to your cart.
By the way, how do you do your grocery list? Paper and pen? Menu planning app? Directly into your shopping cart online? Sooo many ways to accomplish groceries nowadays. For me, it depends on the day and how much walking I want to do. 😉 Either way, old-fashioned or new-fangled, will get you everything you need to make a soul satisfying main course with minimal effort.
Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, I should inform you that while this 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. The recipe at the bottom of this post includes optional steps if desired.
🥩 Ingredients
Chuck roast: This is my go-to cut of beef for a pot roast. When choosing your roast look for one that has good marbling but not too much fat around the outside. If it does have extra fat, trim up any excess fat around the edge.
Seasoning: We use this Pot Roast Seasoning recipe, which uses steak seasoning (I use McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning) and dried thyme. You may substitute fresh, but you will need to use 3x the amount.
Beef broth: I use canned broth or 1 cup of beef bouillon.
Cornstarch: Thickens the juices at the end for a simple gravy.
🔪 Instructions
Season, sear, pour, and go! Honestly, it’s that simple.
- Season the roast with pantry staples.
- Sear the meat in a skillet, and then place in a slow cooker.
- Pour beef broth, which has been simmered in the skillet for a minute, over the roast.
- Turn on the slow cooker and go about your day.
About an hour before the roast is done it's time to make the gravy. Dissolve the cornstarch in water, and add it directly to the liquid in the slow cooker. Do NOT pour it directly over the meat. I just use a spoon to stir it all together until it is thoroughly combined. Replace the lid and continue to cook for another hour on low. It's a great time to take care of a couple tasks and finish up the side dishes.
Serving tips
Before serving I like to separate the meat from the fatty sections. While cooking, the fat in the meat keeps the roast tender and flavorful, but at the end it is unappetizing. The simple solution is to carefully remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Gently separate the sections of meat from the fat. It should come apart very easily. Throw out the fat and place the meat on a platter or back in the slow cooker.
🥗 Pot roast sides
What do you serve with pot roast? Well, my favorite way to serve this is with mashed potatoes, particularly these Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes (no peeling or scrubbing necessary). I also like to serve green beans (or Green Beans Almondine) and a simple green salad. Round out the meal with your 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!
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
Pot Roast is an ideal crowd pleaser, especially for chilly fall or winter weekends. 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.
🙋 Questions & Answers
I do not freeze pot roast after it has been cooked since it tends to come out of the freezer dry and tough. However, you can season the meat, wrap it in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze it before cooking. Thaw the roast in the fridge for at least 24 hours before cooking.
If you want to have some of the work out of the way before serving day, try freezing it seasoned (see instructions above) or season it the night before and refrigerate overnight. Either option will allow extra flavor to infuse into the meat before you sear it.
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.
In my opinion a boneless chuck roast is the best option for pot roast. It is affordable for this type of meat and has great marbling throughout, which makes the meat tender and flavorful.
📖 More slow cooker recipes
- Perfectly Seasoned Black Beans (with dried beans) - Economical, easy, and super flavorful black beans that can be served in burritos, Mexican bowls, or alongside your favorite Mexican main dish.
- White Chicken Chili - The ultimate comfort food that can be made in the slow cooker in no time.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Trim up meat before seasoning if it has too much fat around the outer edge.
- In order to get a good sear make sure your pan is very hot.
- Once you place the meat in the slow cooker, pour the beef broth into the skillet. Allow it to simmer for a couple seconds before scraping up the bits off the bottom. Pour all this liquid into the slow cooker.
- In order to avoid lumps dissolve all the cornstarch in the water before adding to the hot liquid.
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📋 Recipe
Slow Cooker Fall Apart Pot Roast
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cook on low for approximately 7 hours or high for 3.5-4 hours. I prefer low whenever possible.
- Around hour 7 (or 3.5-4 if your slow cooker is on high) begin checking for tenderness. 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 one more hour. Gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it isn't leave the slow cooker on high during the next step with the lid off. 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 up meat before seasoning if it has too much fat around the outer edge.
- In order to get a good sear make sure your pan is very hot.
- Once you place the meat in the slow cooker, pour the beef broth into the skillet. Allow it to simmer for a couple seconds before scraping up the bits off the bottom. Pour all this liquid into the slow cooker.
- In order to avoid lumps dissolve all the cornstarch in the water before adding to the hot liquid.
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.
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!