Consistently rated the BEST slow cooker pot roast recipe EVER! The depth of flavor is simply phenomenal and is guaranteed to get rave reviews from around the whole dinner table!  Make it in your slow cooker or on the stove top – either way you’ll be sitting down to a truly memorable, mouthwateringly delicious meal!
I can’t think of anything better than coming home to the smell of a roast wafting through the house, beckoning “it’s dinner time.” Â And this one is exceptionally flavorful and delicious.
The smell of a cooking roast is nostalgic to me. Â It’s said that smell is more closely linked to memory than any of the other five senses. Â The smell of freshly baked bread might trigger memories of grandma’s kitchen; Â the scent of cologne or perfume, a romantic encounter; the odor of mothballs, a great aunt’s house; the stench of stale carpet, those penny-pinching college dorm days. Â Whatever the association might be, smell is a powerful thing. Â And not that this has anything to do with pot roast, but I thought it was interesting so I’ll throw it in here anyway. Â From Psychology Today:
The actual ability to smell is highly linked to memory. Research has shown that when areas of the brain connected to memory are damaged, the ability to identify smells is actually impaired. In order to identify a scent, you must remember when you have smelled it before and then connect it to visual information that occurred at the same time. According to some research, studying information in the presence of an odor actually increases the vividness and intensity of that remembered information when you smell that odor again.
I may have to rethink how I approach my children’s learning. Â Instead of Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven in the background while they’re studying, I may instead need to place some fragrant flowers, a jar of cinnamon – or a Pot Roast next to them! ;)
Okay, back to the Pot Roast. Â For eating purposes, that is.
For me, roasts are associated with Sunday.  Growing up at home (and still in my own home today) roasts were always ideal to serve on Sundays. A couple of hours at church, including travel, meant just the right amount of time to be able to place everything in a timed oven or a slow cooker before leaving, and then come home to a ready meal.  My mom would often already have the potatoes peeled in advance and covered with water in a stock pot, so when we got home – starving and ready to eat! – all she had to do was boil the potatoes, prepare another vegetable, and thicken the gravy.  And before long we were seated at the table as a family enjoying great food and family bonding time.
What to Serve With Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
I know your tummies are rumbling, so let’s get that roast a-cookin’!
But before we do, let me stress one thing I learned from my mom about cooking roasts: Â Probably THE single most important factor to the flavor of the finished roast is to fry it until it’s very browned on all sides before cooking it. Â That is the KEY to a deliciously flavorful roast so whatever you do, don’t skip that step! Â And don’t be afraid to get it good and browned. Â Not only will it greatly enhance the flavor of the roast itself, but all those burnt bits on the bottom of the pan is what will give the gravy that irresistibly wonderful flavor.
Okay, let’s get started!
First prepare the rub by combining all of the pot roast seasoning spices/herbs together.
Rub, rub, rub that roast down on all sides using every last bit of that spice rub.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven (I use and love Lodge) or heavy skillet and liberally brown the roast on all sides.
Remove the roast and place it in the slow cooker. I use and love my Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 7 Qt Slow Cooker. I’ve been using it regularly for the past 8 years and it’s still working as good as new.
Add the broth to the Dutch oven and bring it to a boil, scraping up the burnt bits on the bottom of the pan (that’s called “deglazing” for those of you who don’t know). Add the tomato paste, red wine (if using), and salt and return it to a boil for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine.
Place the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic around the sides and on top of the roast in the slow cooker.
Add the bay leavers and place the strips of bacon on top. Â I don’t usually add bacon, but I did this time. Â I thought, “why not?” As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, “There isn’t anything so good that bacon won’t make it even better.”
Pour the beef broth mixture over the pot roast.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.
If you have the time I highly recommend cooking it on low for 8-9 hours for an ultra flavorful, tender roast.
Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium stock pot, leaving the roast and vegetables in the warm slow cooker.Â
To make the gravy:
Bring the liquid from the slow cooker to a gentle boil.Â
Make the flour slurry to thicken the gravy by whisking the flour in the extra beef broth until it’s dissolved. Whisk flour slurry into the simmering gravy and continue whisking constantly until the gravy is thickened.Â
Add salt and pepper to taste. Â
Place the roast on a serving platter and spoon the vegetables around it. Â Discard the bay leaves and bacon. Â Pour a little of the gravy over the roast (it looks nicer that way) and serve the pot roast with the extra gravy, some potatoes, and veggies of your choice.
Enjoy!
For another delicious roast, check out our German Senfbraten (Pork Roast with Mustard Gravy)!
For more delicious beef dishes be sure to try our:
- Old Fashioned Beef Stew
- Guinness Stew
- Beef Bourgignon
- Sega Wat (Ethiopian Beef Stew)
- Beef and Pepper Stew
- Hachee (Dutch Beef and Onion Stew)
- Pörkölt (Hungarian Beef and Onion Stew)
- Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)
BEST Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4 pound beef round roast or chuck (depending on how lean you prefer it)
- 2 tablespoons oil (use one with a high smoke point - I use avocado oil)
- 2 carrots , roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery , roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 strips bacon , cut in half
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional but highly recommended; can substitute more beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- For the Dry Rub:
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 teaspoon parsley
- For the Gravy Slurry:
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed into a slurry with 1/2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the dry rub together in a bowl. Rub down the roast on all sides with the dry rub. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high heat and liberally brown the roast on all sides. Place the roast in the slow cooker.
- Add the broth to the pot, return to a boil, and whisk to loosen up the browned bits. Add the tomato paste, wine, and salt and whisk to combine.
- Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves in the slow cooker around and on top of the roast. Lay the strips of bacon alongside and on top of the roast. Pour the beef broth/tomato paste mixture over everything.Cook on low setting for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours (or until the beef is fork tender). If you have the time we recommend the low setting for the most flavorful and tender beef.
- Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium stock pot, leaving the roast and vegetables in the warm slow cooker. Bring to a boil and whisk in the gravy slurry and continue whisking until the gravy is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the pot roast on a serving platter and spoon the vegetables around it. Discard the bay leaves and bacon (or chop up the bacon and return it to the veggies) . Pour a little gravy over it and serve with gravy on the side along with potatoes and your choice of sides.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet Oct 24, 2013
Natalie Loftus says
HANDS DOWN THE BEST POT ROAST I HAVE EVER EATEN!!
Cynthia Allen says
Our favorite pot roast recipe ever! It was a total smash hit like last time, thank you! <3
Nelson says
Absolutely incredible, everyone LOVED it!!
Michelle says
I just recently made this. What a lovely recipe. I only changed one thing, I sautéed the veggies after I browned the meat. It just gives it one more level of flavor. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Michelle, thanks so much!
Bea says
Hi, it’s my first time cooking pot roast tomorrow and I have a 7 lb that I’m planning to cut in half (it’s for a Christmas party). I’ll double measurements for the rub and the broth to make sure the flavor’s there but maybe keep the veggies the same. Do you think that will affect the cooking time (or the dish) if I have almost double the meat inside the slow cooker?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bea, no that won’t affect cooking time, just double up on all of the ingredients. Happy cooking!
Racquel Gustafson says
OMG, I have never tried a pot roast before. I followed this recipe pretty closely, and NAILED IT!! I love that I can just put in whatever other veggies I want to use up from my fridge (I always have veggies on hand). I had grape-tomatoes on hand (that were on their last leg) I took a chance, and put them in whole. I added mushrooms (large chopped), and green onions (large cuts) during the last 30 minutes of low temp method). WOW, those were amazing as they did not change the flavor of the dish, but when you bit into one, it burst with delicious BRIGHT flavor. I used a strainer on the juices I poured out of the pot (to make a SMOOTH gravy). I have to agree with others who mentioned that the liquids directions were a bit unclear. I barely noticed that the flour/broth mixture was for the VERY END when making the final gravy from the juices in the crock pot.
I CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE THIS AGAIN, we devoured this with no leftovers.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Racquel, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! I actually just made it again myself yesterday for Sunday family dinner :)
Laura says
Can you please advise to how to cook in an Instant Pot? I love this recipe and use it in my slow cooker, but would love to know how to cook in less time!! thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried that so I’ll leave this to our readers to chime in!
Nathan Lombough says
Another slam dunk recipe, Kimberly. This is hands down the best pot roast I’ve ever had. Rave comments and praise from the guests.
Johanna says
Hi there! I’m making this for tomorrow’s dinner and had a question. I only found hot Hungarian paprika. Is it ok to use? I also have smoked and regular paprika. Should I use one of those instead? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Johanna, regular paprika is what you need and it sounds like you have it. Happy cooking!
Johanna says
Thank you!
Johanna says
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. My husband went bonkers for it. The gravy was delicious. Everything was great. He says I need to make it again very very soon.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Johanna, thank you!
Teryl says
This is the BEST pot roast EVER!! Not a drop of gravy or shred of beef was left. You made me a star in my kitchen! :)
Cynthia Jordan says
I got all the ingredients including Hungarian paprika! Now since I’m doing it in the oven do I need to baste the roast? And if so, how often. And since my bottom round is 3.75lb should j keep all the other ingredients the same amounts? Or should I try to reduce them by a quarter? But that’s too tricky. Hmm thanks so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Cynthia! No need to baste the roast, just let it sit in the oven and cook. No need to adjust the other ingredients either, just leave them as they are.
Anonymous says
Oh ok thank you for all that help so quickly!
Cynthia says
This looks delicious! It is my first time making a bottom round roast. I was thinking about marinating overnight but I dont have a made marinate and wasn’t sure of the ingredients and measurements to make my own and then found your recipe! The thing is that I don’t have any tomato paste, only crushed tomatoes, could I use that? Also I don’t have bacon or paprika, could I substitute chilli powder for the paprika and would it be an even substitution measurement-wise? Also my bottom round is 3.75 lbs and I want to cook it in my enameled cast iron Dutch oven, what temperature and how long should I cook it in this in the oven? Thank you so much for your help!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cynthia, tomato paste is more concentrated in flavor and of course is smooth not chunky, but you can use crushed tomatoes in a pinch. I would not however use chili powder – completely different flavor than paprika, not remotely the same thing. I would recommend holding off until you have the paprika and the bacon – both make a huge difference in the flavor. Cooking it in the oven I would aim for 3-4 hours (until fork tender) at 275 F.
Rita says
Standing in my kitchen and my mouth is watering because of the FABULOUS aroma from this roast. Can’t wait for dinner!
Wonderful ingredient combination.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Rita, happy eating! :)
AJ says
I am unsure about adding bacon, because wouldn’t it just essentially boil/steam? That seems unappealing. Or does it sort of dissolve & just add flavor?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi AJ, yes, the bacon contributes flavor and then you can just discard whatever’s left of the bacon strips at the end.