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This Crockpot Pot Roast recipe may just be the easiest way to turn five simple ingredients into a cozy, flavorful family dinner. The prep is minimal, the flavor is rich, and the end result is a tender, fall-apart roast with perfectly cooked potatoes and carrots.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots is one of those recipes that instantly brings me back to Sunday dinners at my grandparents' house. My Papa was famous for several recipes, his old fashioned chicken pot pie, old-fashioned baked beans, and this pot roast. It's simple, unfussy, and exactly the kind of meal that makes everyone linger at the table a little longer.
Kristen's Key for Perfect Crockpot Pot Roast
While my Papa's Crockpot Roast is simple, there are a few key things he taught me that will help ensure the your pot roast turns out perfect.
- Choose the right cut of beef. When it comes to pot roast, a chuck roast is the way to go. It is well-marbled which results in fork-tender, fall-apart tender beef.
- Horseradish was my Papa's secret. Prepared horseradish is the one ingredient that makes all the difference. It helps to tenderize the beef and add subtle depth to the flavor.
- Low and slow is key. For slow cooker pot roast, low heat is superior to high. It creates the irresistible melt-in-your-mouth texture we all long for in a good roast.
Notes on Key Ingredient
The Type of Horseradish Matters
- Be sure to use prepared horseradish made with just horseradish, vinegar, and salt. Not horseradish sauce, which contains dairy and preservatives. You can find prepared horseradish in the refrigerated section often by bagged sauerkraut or deli meat.
- Don't like horseradish? You really don't taste it. It simply works to enhance flavor and tenderize the beef. It does not overwhelm the pot roast in any way.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Think of this step-by-step section as me (or my Papa) guiding you through the recipe so you can achieve perfect results. But I promise, it is an easy recipe with big payoff!
Step One: Sear Pot Roast
While you can skip the sear, browning the roast before it goes into the slow cooker locks in juices and builds a deeper flavor. It's a few minutes of time well spent.
- Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, heavily season each side of the chuck roast with salt and pepper. We want to build those layers of flavor.
- Once the oil has heated, add the roast and let it cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
Step Two: Layer Ingredients
The order in which the beef stock, potatoes, carrots, chuck roast, and horseradish are layered into the slow cooker is key to developing the best flavor.
- Pour the beef stock into the slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the pot roast on top of the mixture, so that is it is partially submerged into the liquid.
- Spread a thin layer or the horseradish over the exposed surface of the roast
- Place your potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker. The beef goes right on top, so all those flavorful juices drip down into the vegetables. Pour in the beef broth, then smear the top of the roast with prepared horseradish.
Step Three: Slow Cook
Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours, or until the roast easily falls apart with a fork.
In a time Crunch?
You can slow cook the chuck roast and veggies on high for 5-6 hours in a pinch, but low gives the roast the best texture.
Step Four: Shred and Serve
After slow cooking the roast, dinner is pretty much done!
- Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it into a large bowl or shallow platter and let rest briefly.
- Remove the potatoes and carrots from the slow cooker.
- Shred the roast--it should fall apart easily with two forks.
- Serve the shredded roast with the tender potatoes and carrots and the cooking liquid.
Gravy Anyone?
How to Make Gravy for Crockpot Roast
Honestly, this slow cooker roast dinner is so flavorful it doesn't even need gravy. I like to just drizzle the cooking liquid over the meat and veggies. That said, you can opt to create a gravy using the following instructions:
- Strain 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water in small bowl.
- Whisk cornstarch slurry into the simmering liquid, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. It will only take a couple minutes.
Notes on Yield and Storage
As the size of your chuck roast can vary, so will the serving sizes. I typically plan for 4 ounces of beef per serving, give or take how large the appetites are of your guests--and how much they love pot roast! Regardless, leftover roast (and potatoes and carrots) is never a bad thing.
- Store: Store leftover meat and veggies in an airtight container with a bit of the cooking liquid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in heat-safe dish in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
- Freeze: The leftover shredded roast freezes and reheats beautifully. Place beef and cooking liquid into a freezer-safe container, leaving space for expansion. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
- Ideas for Leftover Pot Roast: Only have a little bit of meat left? Use it to make sliders, a quick version of French Dip Sandwiches (with leftover cooking liquid on the side), stir into vegetable soup, use in place of ground beef in one pot beef stroganoff (skip the browning!), or add to quesadillas.
Instant Pot Option
Short on time? Try my Instant Pot Pot Roast for the same tender results in a fraction of the time.
More Family-Favorite Crockpot Recipes
Crockpot Pot Roast
Video
Ingredients
- 2-4 pound chuck roast
- kosher salt and pepper , to taste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or canola oil, for searing meat
- 4 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2 pounds baby new potatoes, see note on other options
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, optional
- ½ cup prepared horseradish, (not horseradish sauce!!)
For Gravy (OPTIONAL)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Crock Pot Pot Roast
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, generously season the chuck roast with kosher salt pepper on each side. Add the seasoned roast to the heated oil and sear on each side until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side, or once the meat easily pulls away from the pan.
- Pour beef stock into slow cooker, add potatoes, carrots, garlic and onion powder if using. Lay the roast on top of the potatoes and vegetables. Spread the roast with a thin layer of the horseradish to coat.
- Cover and slow cook on low heat for 10-12 hours or on high heat for 5-6 hours.
- After slow cooking, place the roast into a shallow serving dish or large bowl and let rest briefly. Remove the potatoes and carrots from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon, placing them onto a platter or serving dish. Shred the roast with two forks and serve with the potatoes, carrots, and reserved cooking liquid as desired.
Pot Roast Gravy (optional)
- Strain 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water in small bowl. Whisk cornstarch slurry into the simmering liquid, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. It will only take a couple minutes. Alternatively, you can whisk cornstarch into slow cooker and cook on high, stirring often for 30 minutes.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2025.
Delicious! Love coming home to a meal all cooked and ready to go! And pot roast is one of my favorite meals. The potatoes...the carrots.. all cooked together in a mix of savory seasonings and drippings and juice from the meat...I could eat this just about any day. Great recipe. Perfect weeknight dinner!
It is pretty awesome coming home to dinner! Thanks for sharing your review, Betsy!
This pot roast was so hearty and delicious, the perfect family dinner for fall, I will definitely be making it again!
I love hearing that you plan to enjoy again! Thanks for sharing Lily!
So happy I found this recipe! It is my go-to pot roast and there are never leftovers!
I LOVE hearing that Rusty! Thanks for sharing!
This looks delicious. I don't know how soon you will get this, but is it possible to use dried ground horseradish? We have it ground, but I'm not finding it fresh in our local store.
Hi Jana! I have not used dried horseradish myself, but I would suspect you need less, as dried is much more pungent. If I were you, I would mix 2 teaspoons dried horseradish into the beef stock for cooking.
My compliments to the chef, you did great!
I am so glad you enjoyed Regs!
Can this be made with a roast straight out of the freezer? If not, what’s the best way to defrost a whole roast? Thank you!
Hi Kristi! You can make a frozen pot roast if using an Instant Pot, but if using a slow cooker, it needs to be defrosted. The best way is to place the frozen roast (sealed in a bag or packaging) in water in the fridge. It will take 12-24 hours to defrost. I hope that helps!
Hi, Kristen
I'm assuming this dish can be converted for the IP using your conversion chart? Would there be any changes to the recipe?
Hi Addie! I would just use my recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast--that way the veggies are not overcooked.