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.” And this one is exceptionally flavorful and delicious.
The smell of a cooking roast is nostalgic to me. It’s said that smell is more closely linked to memory than any of the other five senses. The smell of freshly baked bread might trigger memories of grandma’s kitchen; 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. Whatever the association might be, smell is a powerful thing. 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. 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. 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. 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: 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. That is the KEY to a deliciously flavorful roast so whatever you do, don’t skip that step! And don’t be afraid to get it good and browned. 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. I don’t usually add bacon, but I did this time. 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.
To make the gravy:
Bring the liquid from the slow cooker to a gentle boil.
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.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the roast on a serving platter and spoon the vegetables around it. Discard the bay leaves and bacon. 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
Cyndi says
I would like to cook it all in my Dutch oven. What oven temps and times would you recommend? The eye round is 2 1/2 lbs. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cyndi, I would cook it at 275 F and aim for about 3 hours or until the roast is fork tender.
Ashley Perras says
Can I use blade roast instead?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes you can, Ashley!
Lisa says
Can I use chicken broth instead of beef broth?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lisa, yes you can!
Lisa O'Brien says
I used a 2.5 bottom round roast. After 6 hours, the roast was only 1/2 tender on the bottom of roast only. I sliced the roast and finished slow cooking for 1 more hour. Most, not all, of the meat was fork tender. Was it the wrong cut of beef?
Amanda says
This recipe looks amazing!
I only have a 1lb pot roast though, I can cut the rest of the ingredients down by 1/4 but will cooking time remain the same? Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Amanda, yes you can try that. The cooking time will be less since the diameter of the roast is smaller – just keep an eye on it and us a fork to determine when it’s tender.
Kristine Warner says
I always look for new recipes when cooking roasts. I usually bake them but we don’t have a oven anymore so the crock pot is my go to. I had to make some ingredient changes because I didn’t have them even after making a special trip to the store for this recipe. It came out amazing. We did a side of mashed potatoes and garlic Parmesan air fried squash. My only complain is that it was a little too salty. So next time I will be leaving out a teaspoon or so. Otherwise this was great! Still earned a 5 star rating!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Kristine, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Kimber Lowers says
I made this today (Just finished up dessert,cream brulee & flan) to celebrate a dear friends birthday. Everyone loved it. Its surly a keeper. A+. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Kimber, I’m happy it was a hit!
Pam says
Has anyone added potato or sweet potato 1/2 way through?
PAM says
or is it better to cook them seperate?
Anonymous says
This was SOOO good! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out absolutely perfect. This will definitely be my go-to recipe for pot roast going forward.
Jen says
I got two 1 lb roasts in my grocery order instead of what I needed for meal prep and was searching for something to do with them. Found your recipe and it looks so good. Had to leave out celery because mine had gone to the dark side and I had a bunch of leeks I needed to use. So I put sliced leeks in and some fennel seeds. It smells amazing. Hope it turns out ok. But I have high hopes.
Lené deering says
This is the best pot roast recipe I’ve ever had! It’s easy and delicious! I doubled the carrots and celery because I like a lot more of them. Delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Lené, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Lori says
All I have is regular paprika or smoked paprika. What’s a good substitute for the sweet paprika or should I just cut it out completely?
Reply
Regular paprika is the same thing. The term “sweet” paprika is just what is used to differentiate it from “hot/spicy” paprika and if your paprika is hot it will clearly say “hot paprika” on the jar. Happy cooking!
Searched comments for answer to my question and found it! My first visit here and trying this recipe today. Wonderful site
CAK says
I’m working with a 2 lb roast so I would cut most of the ingredients in half, but how does that change the time needed in the slow cooker? Does that halve as well?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes, you can simply cut all of the other ingredients by half. Cooking time will remain about the same.
SexyChef says
Why did you did not include that you browned the roast on a pan or skillet before placing it in the slow cooker.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I did, it’s in step #2.
Cassidy says
Soooooo yummy. Husband said maybe the best roast he’s ever had. Thank you!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cassidy, thank you!
Shati says
Fun and easy meal to cook! Man it smells so good two hours in!! I added fresh diced portobello mushrooms too! Cant wait to dig in. My dog is sitting right in the kitchen….guess she is waiting for some too!! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Shati, thank you and happy eating! :)