Slow Cooker Pot Roast: The Easy Crockpot Sunday Dinner Recipe
Fall-apart tender crockpot pot roast with carrots, potatoes and rich gravy. A classic American Sunday dinner recipe with just 20 minutes of hands-on time.
In this article
Nothing says Sunday dinner like a pot roast. This slow cooker version does nearly all the work for you: brown the roast, load the crockpot, and come home to fall-apart tender beef, soft vegetables and a rich gravy. It's one of the easiest classic American recipes there is.
The best cut for pot roast
Chuck roast is the classic choice. It's well marbled with fat and connective tissue that melts during long, slow cooking, which makes the meat incredibly tender. Leaner cuts like round roast tend to dry out.
Don't skip the sear
Browning the meat before slow cooking creates deep, savory flavor through the Maillard reaction. Deglazing the pan with broth captures all those browned bits for your gravy.
Slow cooker tips
- Thaw meat completely first. USDA advises against putting frozen meat in a slow cooker, because it may spend too long in the temperature "danger zone."
- Vegetables go on the bottom, where they cook evenly in the liquid.
- Resist lifting the lid. Each peek lets out heat and adds cooking time.
- Low and slow is best for the most tender result.
What to serve with pot roast
- Dinner rolls or biscuits to soak up the gravy
- A simple green salad
- Green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts
- Egg noodles or mashed potatoes, if you skip the potatoes in the pot
Leftovers
Refrigerate within two hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Leftover pot roast makes excellent sandwiches, beef hash or a quick soup. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Looking for more comfort food? Try our old-fashioned meatloaf and homemade chicken noodle soup.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast: The Easy Crockpot Sunday Dinner Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat the roast dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply browned. This step builds big flavor.
- Place the onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, and set the roast on top.
- Whisk the broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and thyme in the hot skillet, scraping up the browned bits, then pour over the roast. Add the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and shreds easily.
- Transfer the meat and vegetables to a platter. Discard the bay leaves. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan, bring to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened.
- Slice or shred the roast and serve with the vegetables and gravy.
