Slow Cooked Pot Roast (Printable)

Tender beef braised slowly with carrots, potatoes, and savory herbs for a hearty main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 large carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
03 - 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
04 - 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
05 - 1.5 lbs baby potatoes, halved

→ Flavorings

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 2 cups beef broth, gluten-free if needed
09 - 1 cup dry red wine (optional; substitute with additional broth)
10 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, gluten-free if needed
11 - 2 tsp salt
12 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 2 tsp dried thyme
14 - 2 tsp dried rosemary
15 - 2 bay leaves

→ For Searing

16 - 2 tbsp olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Pat the beef chuck roast dry and season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
03 - In the same skillet, add onion and garlic; sauté until slightly softened, approximately 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
04 - Pour in red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Place carrots, celery, and potatoes around the beef in the slow cooker. Pour the sautéed onion and wine mixture over the top.
06 - Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves to the slow cooker.
07 - Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and vegetables are soft.
08 - Remove bay leaves, shred the beef into large pieces, and serve alongside vegetables and cooking juices.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The beef practically falls apart with just a fork, and the vegetables soak up all that savory richness without any fuss.
  • You can start it in the morning and forget about it until dinner, which means no last-minute panic or hovering over the stove.
  • It fills the house with the kind of smell that makes everyone ask whats for dinner hours before its ready.
  • Leftovers actually get better the next day, and the sauce is perfect for spooning over rice or crusty bread.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step, even though it feels like extra work, because that browned crust is where half the flavor in the final sauce comes from.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the roast after 6 hours to avoid overcooking, since some models cook faster than others.
  • Let the roast rest in the sauce for 10 minutes after cooking before shredding it, so the meat reabsorbs some of the liquid and stays juicy.
03 -
  • Choose a roast with visible marbling and a good layer of fat on one side, it'll render down and keep everything moist.
  • If you have time, sear the roast the night before and refrigerate it with the vegetables and liquid in the slow cooker insert, then just pop it in and turn it on in the morning.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and add a pinch of salt or a splash of Worcestershire if it needs more depth, slow cooking can mellow flavors more than you expect.

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