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Crock Pot Pot Roast

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4.9 from 14 reviews

This crock pot pot roast is the ultimate comfort food and it’s SUPER easy to throw together. The slow cooker does all the work and delivers a perfectly tender, juicy pot roast with tender-crisp veggies and an optional 5-minute stovetop gravy!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3–4 pound chuck roast, fat trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, cut into 1/2” slices
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 32 ounces beef stock
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3″ pieces
  • 2 pounds baby gold potatoes, halved if they’re large
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch, optional (for making gravy)
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Pat roast dry. Season liberally on all sides with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  3. Add roast to the large saute pan and sear on all sides (including the edges), cooking for about 4-5 minutes per side. Place in slow cooker.
  4. Without wiping out the pan, reduce heat to medium, add onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
  5. Add garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so.
  6. Add Worcestershire sauce to the pot along with a couple splashes of beef stock to deglaze the bottom and scrape the yummy bits off.
  7. Add the onion and garlic mixture, carrots, and potatoes to the large crock pot. Pour in remaining beef stock. Add a few liberal pinches of salt and pepper.
  8. Nestle fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and bay leaves into the veggies. 
  9. Put the lid on and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours or until the roast shreds easily.
  10. To make gravy, if desired, strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
  11. Dissolve 3 tablespoons cornstarch in 3 tablespoons cold water. Stir cornstarch slurry into the stock.
  12. Bring gravy to a simmer and simmer, stirring frequently for a few minutes or until the gravy thickens to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  13. Garnish roast with fresh chopped parsley and serve with gravy. 
  14. If you loved this pot roast recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

  • Cut the carrots uniformly, about the same size as the potatoes. This will ensure that all the veggies cook evenly and are done at the same time. I like to use baby potatoes that I don’t need to cut or that I just need to slice in half to save on prep time.
  • Sear the roast in a large saute pan or large cast iron skillet instead of a large pot. The saute pan will have more surface area which means that you can get a great sear on the entire roast. It will also be easier to move it from the pan to the slow cooker.
  • Don’t skip the sear or the saute! Searing the roast is going to add tons of flavor and make it even juicier. Sauteeing the aromatics is going to really deepen the flavors of the overall dish. It’s a little bit of extra work but it really makes all the difference!
  • Check the slow cooker after 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low and see how things are looking. If the veggies are fork-tender but the roast isn’t shreddable yet, remove the veggies and let the roast cook until it shreds easily with two forks. Then you can pop the veggies back in once the roast is done to warm through before serving. All crock pots are going to cook slightly differently so the cooking time will vary.
  • I find that a 6-7 quart crock pot works best for this recipe. Anything smaller and you likely won’t be able to fit it all in. If your crock pot is smaller and you can’t fit the roast in the crock pot as is, cut it in half and then just sear each half, and then cook them in the crock pot.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/crock-pot-pot-roast/