5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pot Roast: Forget complicated meals! 5 ingredients is all it takes to get one of most comforting, delicious Pot Roasts you have EVER had–one of the BEST dinners you have ever had!
Crock pot 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.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
As you would expect from a mid-western raised girl, Pot Roast is one of my favorite dinners.
My husband, who grew up raising cattle, also loves a good pot roast. However, we are both pretty picky when it comes to pot roasts. We have had our share of dried out meat and our share of ones with weird seasonings or one that is not seasoned at all. We like it simple, but full of flavor.
When we follow my Papa’s method for Crock-Pot Pot Roast, we are never disappointed.
5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pot Roast
That’s right JUST 5 ingredients!! Well, 8 ingredients if you count salt and pepper and oil for searing.
- Chuck Roast
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Beef Broth
- Prepared Horseradish
- Onions–optional!
Why 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 will still be scarfing this meal down!
How to Make Pot Roast in Slow Cooker
Step One: Sear your Chuck Roast (optional)
If you have the time, take the extra step to sear your pot roast. 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 skillet.
- Sear roast on each side until browned–about 2 minutes per side.
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
Pro Tip: Be sure the beef stock reaches to 3/4 of the way up the pot roast. Cooking in the liquid will keep this roast from drying out!
Step Three: Cook low and Slow
Step Four: Serve
- My family likes to slice up the pot roast and serve 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.
What meat is best for pot roast?
Because pot roast is cooked low and slow, this is a time to use a tougher cut of meat. When cooked slow, the fat and collagen break down, tenderizing the meat.
Best Cuts for Pot Roast
- Chuck Roast
- Round
- Brisket
I personally prefer a chuck roast or round roast.
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, 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.
Tips on cooking Crock Pot Pot Roast
- This recipe served my family 2 meals plus a few leftovers. We ate a small portion of beef and tons of vegetables–so good!
- We love to dip our veggies into sour cream–sounds crazy, but try it!
- Sometimes I will add 1/2 cup beer to this pot roast recipe which give it additional flavor. I like the added punch, but my family prefers it without the beer.
- Feel free to use a bag of baby carrots and small new potatoes in place of the quartered carrots and russets.
- I love adding quartered yellow onions for additional flavor.
- 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.
- Omit the potatoes and add more carrots for to make a Paleo Pot Roast.
More Slow Cooker Comfort Food Recipes
- Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Drumsticks
- Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker King Ranch Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice
Crock Pot Pot Roast Recipe
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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If I don’t have 10 hrs, can you do do 2 high and 7 on low? Also if yes , do high first or last? Thanks
Hi John! I would do high on 2 hours first, and then low for 6-7 hours. Hope you enjoy!
What is prepared horseradish? Directions please?
What is “baby of baby carrots”?
Hi Jamie! 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. And great catch–the notes were supposed to read Bag of baby carrots. Not baby of baby carrots–LOL! I had a hard time spotting that mistake.
I made the non-frozen version without the veggies last night and it was a huge hit! So delicious and fall-apart tender. I stumbled across this recipe yesterday and will definitely be trying others on this site. Thanks again for sharing this delightful dish!
You are so welcome. I hope you find many more recipes for your family to enjoy.
I made this recipe and I highly recommend it! I have never reviewed a recipe before but I had to review this recipe….that is how strongly i recommend it! I am a terrible cook and have ruined many a roast. This was so good i couldn’t stop eating it and I have never liked roast. I don’t know if it was the horseradish or maybe I never cooked roast long enough, honestly, there are probably more than 20 additional possible reasons for failure but I followed this to the letter (except I didn’t really pay any attention to how many veggies I put in and I added onions and it was fantastic! I’m making it again tomorrow. I hope I didn’t make a mistake by buying a better roast but I’m sure it will be fine.
Thank you Michelle for taking the time to review this recipe! I am SO SO glad you enjoyed this roast–and I bet it is the horseradish–it really makes a stand out dish. All the best!
Not sure if I overlooked it somehow, but what is your recipe for your prepared horseradish? Never heard of putting it on roast. Thanks
Hi Tina! Prepared Horseradish is something you buy in the refrigerated section. It is just ground fresh horseradish. I hope you give it a try.
I have a recipe for pot roast that is simple and easy to cook! My problem is when I tried it in the pressure cooker it ended up tough! Did I use the wrong meat? When I used my old crock pot, the meat would be falling apart, moist and tender. What type of roast would you use for this recipe?
1 roast
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Onion quartered
Carrots cut in pieces (I used pkg. baby carrots)
Potatoes quartered (or baby potatoes)
I put in the roast, add veggies along side roast. Sprinkle onion soup mix on roast and spoon mushroom soup by the spoonful over roast and veggies. NO WATER ADDED Cook in crock pot for 7-10 hours. The soups make a lovely flavorful “gravy”. Almost a stew instead of pot roast.
Any idea what kind of roast I should use? Would I cook it in I.P. for same length of time? Ideas?
Thanks!
Hi Jen!
There are several things you can do to make this work better for you.
First of all, you MUST have 1 cup liquid (I would use beef stock) you can not only use the cream of mushroom.
Secondly, make sure you let your instant pot NATURALLY release. If you do a quick release the meat will be tough.
You can use any roast you like, but for a 3 pound roast, I would cook at 40 minutes on high. Once released pressure add carrots and potatoes and cook an additional 10 minutes on high. Hope that helps.
Jen, I should also state that I don’t use cream of mushroom soup, but I do know that you put have that on top of the meat so it won’t burn in your instant pot. Hope that helps
Sorry for the typos…lol
I am known for my typos too, so no worries there 😉
Kristen…i want to try this but from the pics, out looks like the broth is somewhat to brothy and clear. Can i just thicken it up with shine cornstarch? I like a thicker consistency
Yes Jane–the broth is clearer and I sometimes you just want a thicker gravy. I made this earlier this week and once cooked, I took out the roast and veggies and left the broth in the slow cooker. I took 1/4 cup broth out of slow cooker and mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and then whisked back into the liquid remaining in crockpot and let cook on high for 30 minutes while the roast rested. It worked perfectly. Alternatively, you could do the same on the stove with the broth after it has cooked and it would be ready in no time. Just be sure to mix the cornstarch in a bit of liquid on it’s own before adding to the entire batch of broth to prevent lumps.
I am not sure I would add it to the cooking liqui to begin with. I have not tried that and it may dry out the liquid before it has time to soak into the meat. Enjoy!!
Thank you. ..I will definitely try that this weeknd.
YAY!
This sounds delicious…l’m definetly going to try it ! I’m all about easy when it comes to cooking ! Will be buying fresh potatoes and carrots at the Farmers Market this weekend to use in it !
Thanks Cindy! That horseradish makes all the difference in the world. Let me know how you like it 🙂
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe ! I made it for supper tonight and it was a big hit…definetly a keeper ! I had to cut back a bit on the carrots and potatoes as l didn’t have enough room in my slower cooker for the amount called for . That was the only adjustment l made . 😃
YAY!!! Cindy I am SO glad you loved this recipe.
In your notes following this recipe you said how you love dipping your veggies in sour cream . I didn’t with this recipe as l made gravy with the broth . I love sour cream with sliced oven roasted potatoes/dill . Tried it today with oven roasted carrots/dill…yummy ! Thanks for the tip ! 😃
YAY!! It is addictive that is for sure!
I met Lipton Soup Mix before cooking not cooling.
🙂
Oh good, I was wondering about adding it at the end? Mine is cooking now, and I’ll leave a “flavor feedback” tomorrow…
Thanks, MindFullMom!
I would think it would taste better if adding during cooking, but definitely let us know!
Great receipt, also add chunks of onion and I like to sprinkle Lipton Onion Soup mix over the top of the roast before cooling. Makes it real savory.
I love adding onions as well. And I have a recipe for DIY Onion Soup: https://amindfullmom.com/diy-dry-onion-soup-mix/ Just as good as Lipton without the nasty additives.
I have used a recipe similar to this for years. I see some Instant Pot recipes and I wonder if this can be adjusted UP style.
The horseradish makes a world of difference–so much flavor. For Instant Pot Directions, I would place roast and seasonings in instant pot and set to high pressure for 50 minutes. Do a quick release add potatoes and carrots and let cook another 30 minutes.
I made this roast tonight and it was so flavorful. Please post this as an Instant Pot recipe. The only way I found it was by going through the blogs. Everyone deserves a chance to see it. 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed Rochelle! I will have to make a specific instant pot recipe for this or at least have it show up under Instant Pot recipes. 🙂 <3
This looks great and I am going to try this one!
Enjoy it Gina 🙂
Oh! I love that this has horseradish and that you cook the veggies in there too. Definitely gonna happen here soon. Thanks for bringing this to #SaucySaturdays.
It is a great combination!
Looks delicious! I am all about comfort food in the winter too.
Comfort food is the best in these cold months!
Why do you people comment on how “good” this recipe “sounds”. Comment when you have actually made the meal and give others feedback on how it actually TASTES, not on how you THINK it is going to taste. Not very helpful information.
Judi, It is funny you say that–my mom was just complaining to me today that she is so tired of seeing that looks good on other blogs! I would love it if more people would comment on how it turned out so you would trust just how delicious this recipe is <3
I love pot roast. Love the minimal ingredients too!
Minimal totally makes this spectacular!
This sounds so warm and delicious. Perfect for a cold day!
Thanks Marye–it is guarenteed to warm you up!
I love the addition of the horseradish. I didn’t grow up eating pot roast, but this looks great to me too!
Thanks Katie 🙂
Horseradish!!!! That sounds perfect Kristen. I love this! We will definitely give this recipe a whirl. I sure do love slow cooker meals in winter!
Enjoy it Allie 🙂
This looks delicious. I have never gotten the pot roast in the crock pot right :(-this makes me want to try again. The beer addition sounds yummy too!
Thanks!
Tamieka–I hope you do try it again and this recipe is truly no-fail. And yes, the beer adds a lot of flavor 🙂
I love horseradish on my roast beef or prime rib. This sounds fantastic!
Horseradish and beef are the way to go!
No doubt about it, this is on my “to do” list. So easy and I’m sure absolutely delish. Can’t wait!!
Yea!!! Enjoy!
Wow this looks incredible! I absolutely love my slow cooker, and you can’t beat a dish with so few ingredients – so simple, I love it!
Thanks Michelle–you will be amazed at how tasty this is with so few ingredients!
I don’t know why I wouldn’t have thought to add horseradish to a pot roast as beef and horseradish clearly go well together. Some of the best ideas are the simplest!
Glad I could inspire you Caroline 🙂
I have not made pot roast yet this winter. What was I thinking? It is the perfect comfort food on a cold day. I love horseradish but have never used it in pot roast. Can’t wait to try it!
Get on it girl–you must not let a winter go by without at least one good pot roast 🙂
I’m Jonesing for a good pot roast. Now, I have to make this one because I’m seriously craving it after seeing this one.
I hope you do make this one Christie, and enjoy every bit of it!
I can’t wait to try this! I have never thought to put horseradish on my roast! I bet it is delicious
Angela–you will be amazed at all the flavor the horseradish adds 🙂