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A classic comfort food pot roast cooked in a slow cooker with aromatic spices, vegetables, and a homemade gravy made from the cooking liquid. The beef becomes tender and flavorful with minimal hands-on time, perfect for busy days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3–4 pound chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2” rings
  • 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 large
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, for gravy)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from the chuck roast and pat dry.
  2. Slice the yellow onion into 1/2″ rings; smash the garlic cloves; peel and cut carrots into 2–3″ pieces; halve large baby potatoes.
  3. Warm olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  4. Season the roast all over with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  5. Sear the roast in the hot pan, browning each side and edges about 4–5 minutes per side.
  6. Transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
  7. Reduce pan heat to medium, add sliced onion with a couple pinches of salt and pepper; cook about 4 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
  8. Add garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, additional salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.
  9. Pour in Worcestershire sauce and a few splashes of beef stock; scrape pan to deglaze and combine with onion mixture.
  10. Pour onion and garlic mixture over roast in slow cooker.
  11. Add carrots and potatoes to slow cooker.
  12. Pour remaining beef stock into slow cooker; season with generous pinches of salt and pepper.
  13. Tuck in thyme, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves.
  14. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours or low for 8–10 hours, until roast is tender enough to shred with forks.
  15. If vegetables become fork-tender before roast is shreddable, remove vegetables to keep warm; let roast finish cooking; then return vegetables to warm for 20–30 minutes.
  16. Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan.
  17. Whisk a slurry of 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water into the cooking liquid.
  18. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until gravy thickens; season to taste with salt and pepper.
  19. Garnish pot roast with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

For even cooking, cut carrots to similar size as potatoes., Use a wide sauté pan or cast iron skillet for best searing results., Searing enhances flavor and texture but can be skipped if desired., If slow cooker is smaller, cut roast into pieces and sear/cook separately., Leftovers keep well in fridge up to 1 week, and freeze up to 3 months when stored submerged in juices or gravy., Reheat leftover pot roast gently on stove with some cooking liquid or gravy to keep moist.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/slow-cooker-pot-roast/