Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the easiest, most delicious pot roast recipe ever! With only 5 ingredients and minimal prep work, this Easy Crock Pot Pot Roast is truly the best!
Just like in my recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast, there is one key ingredient that makes this pot roast stand out above the rest–Horseradish. Even if you think you don’t like horseradish, trust me on this addition. It not only adds subtle flavor to the pot roast but helps to tenderize the meat as well.
Crockpot Pot Roast is one of those meals that brings me back to my childhood.
I have memories of sitting around my grandparent’s table with my cousins and my Papa dishing out his signature dishes. Whether we were dining on his Chicken Pot Pie, Pork Roast, or this Simple Old Fashioned Pot Roast, those Sunday meals with my extended family are precious memories to me.
But I am pretty picky when it comes to pot roast recipes. I have had my share of dried out meats, one with weird seasonings, or one that is not seasoned at all.
My recipe for Pot Roast is just like my Papa’s. Simple, yet FULL of flavor.
Made with just 5 key ingredients, this Crock-Pot Pot Roast everything you want in a pot roast. It is flavorful, juicy, tender, and hearty.
5 Key Ingredients
- Chuck Roast: The best cut of meat for pot roast is a chuck roast or round roast. You want a piece of meat that is marbled with fat. That fat will break down as the pot roast cooks, rendering out the flavor, and becoming so tender it is able to fall apart with a fork.
- Potatoes: You can use russet, Yukon, or red potatoes for this recipe. Just be sure to scrub them well and cut into quarters or 3-inch chunks. You can even use whole baby potatoes–just be sure they are no larger than 3 inches.
- Carrots: Use peeled carrots quartered, cut into 2-3 inch chunks, or whole baby carrots.
- Beef Broth: I recommend low sodium, as you will generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper, so this prevents the Pot Roast from being overly salty.
- Prepared Horseradish: You may be thinking HORSERADISH??!! But this is the secret ingredient that will make your Crock Pot Pot Roast absolutely IRRESISTIBLE! The horseradish not only gives incredible flavor, but it works to tenderize the chuck roast. And don’t worry, it is NOT overpowering–so the kids won’t turn their noses up at this slow cooker pot roast! Just be sure to use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce.
How to Make Pot Roast in Slow Cooker
Step One: Sear Chuck Roast
You can skip searing your pot roast, but I highly recommend taking the extra few minutes to sear your meat. This step seals in the juices of the roast and will help deepen the flavor of the overall dish.
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven, over medium-high heat.
- Season meat with heavily with salt and pepper.
- Pour in 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet.
- Sear roast on each side until browned–about 2-3 minutes per side. You will know the meat is ready to flip when it comes away easily from the skillet. If the meat starts to tear, it needs another minute or two.
Step Two: Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker
- Layer quartered carrots and quartered potatoes into your slow-cooker.
- Place a chuck roast, or roast of your choice, on top of the veggies.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread prepared horseradish over the roast.
- Pour beef stock around the meat, adding more stock if needed to ensure the beef stock reaches 3/4 of the way up the pot roast.
Pro Tip: Be sure the beef stock reaches 3/4 of the way up the pot roast. Cooking in the liquid will keep this roast from drying out!
Step Three: Slow Cook
Pot Roast is one of those meals that is better the longer it cooks. I recommend cooking for at least 10 hours on low and 5 hours on high. If you need to speed the process up, use my Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe.
Step Four: Serve
My family likes to slice up the pot roast and serve with just the juices from the crockpot. Then we serve up the tender carrots and potatoes with sour cream. There is something so comforting about dipping those potatoes and carrots in sour cream!
This Pot Roast is also delicious made without the potatoes and carrots and served with homemade mashed potatoes.
Gravy for Pot Roast
The beauty of this recipe for pot roast is that it is so tender and juicy it does not need gravy.
However if you would like to make gravy, follow these steps.
- After the pot roast has cooked, remove from slow cooker and let rest on cutting board, tent with foil to keep warm.
- Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and cover with foil to keep warm as well.
- Strain the cooking liquid to use for gravy.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.
- Whisk in 2 tablespoon flour, and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in 1 to 2 cups of strained liquid, whisking well.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook until thickened.
Tips for the Best Crock Pot Pot Roast
- Sometimes I will add 1/2 cup beer or red wine to this pot roast recipe which gives it additional flavor. I like the added punch, but my family prefers it without.
- Garlic or onions can be added to this pot roast recipe as well for additional flavor if desired.
- Prepared horseradish is just pre-gated fresh horseradish you find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. The only ingredients should be horseradish, salt, and possibly vinegar.
- The horseradish is the secret to success and flavor for this pot roast recipe, so don’t SKIP on that. I know most people prefer dry onion soup mix, but I am telling you that horseradish will blow you away.
- Remember to check to ensure your beef broth is gluten-free if you need this to be Gluten-Free Pot Roast.
More Slow Cooker Comfort Food Recipes
- Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Drumsticks
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice
Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon oil for searing meat
- 2 to 4 teaspoons salt divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper divided
- 2-4 pound chuck roast
- 3 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes scrubbed and quartered
- 2 pounds carrots peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup prepared horseradish not horseradish sauce!!
- 4 to 5 cups beef stock
Instructions
Crock Pot Pot Roast
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Season meat evenly with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper, just enough to coat the meat.
- Once skillet is hot, add in oil into skillet. Sear roast on each side until browned--about 2-3 minutes per side, or once the meat easily pulls away from the pan.
- Layer potatoes and carrots in slow cooker. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Lay the roast in the middle of the vegetables, nestling into the vegetables. Spread the horseradish evenly over the roast. Pour 4 cups beef broth around the meat (not over it, as that would wash away the horseradish). Add in additional stock if needed to be sure the chuck roast is submerged 3/4th of the way with the broth.
- Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.
Pot Roast Gravy (optional)
- After the pot roast has cooked, remove from slow cooker and let rest on cutting board, tented with foil to keep warm. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and cover with foil to keep warm as well. Strain the cooking liquid to use for gravy.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan. Whisk in 2 tablespoon flour, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 to 2 cups of strained liquid, whisking well. Season with salt and pepper and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Notes
- Prepared horseradish is just pre-gated fresh horseradish you find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. The only ingredients should be horseradish, salt and possibly vinegar. DO NOT skip this ingredient, it is KEY to making the most flavorful, tender pot roast ever!
- The best cut of meat to use for pot roast is a chuck roast or round roast. The more marbling of fat, the more tender the meat will be.
- Searing the meat is optional, but this step is key to sealing in the juices in the pot roast.
- Be sure the beef stock reaches to 3/4 of the way up the pot roast. If needed, add in additional beef stock. You can even arrange the vegetables to sit on the sides of the pot roast if needed. Cooking in the liquid will keep this roast from drying out!
- Feel free to use 1/2 cup beer or dry red wine along with the beef stock in this recipe for additional flavor.
- Quartered onions or whole cloves of peeled garlic also make a nice addition to this Pot Roast Dinner.
My compliments to the chef, you did great!
I am so glad you enjoyed Regs!