This easy slow cooker pot roast recipe takes less than 10 minutes to load into your crockpot, and you’ll end up with a melt-in-your-mouth tender beef roast full of flavor. Perfect for a special family dinner or any time!
Does your family have a big Sunday dinner?
Maybe you all gather around the table, have a meat-and-potatoes kind of meal, and just enjoy each other’s company.
I love extra time with the family, but do you want to know a secret? I don’t always want to spend a ton of time cooking a big meal for the family on a Sunday evening.
That’s why I love this slow cooker pot roast recipe – it only looks and tastes like it took a lot of effort! But it’s actually super easy to make.
SLOW COOKER POT ROAST RECIPE
This is the BEST crock pot roast recipe, and it keeps showing up on our weekly meal plan. Here’s why:
- Hands-off. You dump everything in one pot and cook it.
- Cheap. Chuck roast, potatoes, and carrots are some of the cheapest real foods at the store.
- Great as leftovers. If you have any left, that is.
- 10 minutes of hands-on prep. Just dump everything in the pot!
- Really, really good. Like REALLY good.
- Tastes like Mom’s cooking. There’s nothing like a classic pot roast recipe!
- Comfort food made easy.
- Perfect for serving to company! This is one of those low-effort, high-reward recipes.
- Freezer-friendly: both for a future freezer meal or as leftovers.
INGREDIENTS FOR POT ROAST SLOW COOKER
- Beef. Boneless beef chuck roast works the best, but a round roast will work as well. (Brisket is a tougher cut and not ideal for this recipe.)
- Carrots. You can use baby carrots or make this with large carrots cut into 1” pieces.
- Potatoes. Use baby red potatoes or quartered russet potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are also good.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup. I highly recommend Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup, which takes LITERALLY 5 MINUTES and tastes a million times better than any canned soup ever will. If you’re pressed for time, make it the night before.
- Dry Onion Soup Mix. Again, I highly recommend making the Dry Onion Soup Mix yourself. It takes 2 minutes and it’s WAY healthier than the store-bought packets.
Notice that you DON’T need beef broth, black pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, or garlic cloves (or garlic powder) in this recipe for a pot roast in the crock pot. All of these ingredients are already in the dry onion soup mix and the mushroom soup!
Psst! Want to kick this pot roast recipe up a notch? Try finishing your roast with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!). Add a pinch before serving or incorporate it into your dry spice mix to bring out the drool-worthy savory flavor of your pot roast!
EASY SUBSTITUTIONS FOR RECIPE FOR A POT ROAST
- Don’t like carrots? Try different veggies like parsnips, turnips, daikon radish, rutabaga, yams, or sweet potatoes. Cut whichever veggies you choose into 1-inch pieces.
- Don’t like cream of mushroom soup? Make Cream of Celery Soup instead OR make Cream of Beef (substituting beef stock for chicken stock). If you’re going store-bought, you need one can.
- Don’t want to make dry onion soup mix? Store-bought is fine. You need one packet.
For a totally different but equally delicious flavor, try my Balsamic Slow Cooker Roast Beef Recipe.
THE BEST BEEF FOR POT ROAST RECIPES
Grass-fed beef is very important to my family, so we joined Butcher Box a few years ago and LOVE having quality meat shipped to our front door every month.
They offer subscriptions of grass-fed beef, organic chicken, heritage-breed pork, and wild-caught seafood, and you can choose what cuts you want AND how often you want your box delivered. Obviously, you’ll want to choose beef for slow cooker pot roast recipes!
If you’ve never heard of Butcher Box, read my honest review here and how to make Butcher Box worth the cost here! I love to get large cuts like pork roast and chuck roast to make the best pot roast recipe!
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HOW TO COOK POT ROAST IN THE CROCK POT
Step 1. Place half of the potatoes and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. (If you’re in the market for a slow cooker, this one is highly recommended.)
Step 2. Next, place the chuck roast on top of the vegetables. There is no need to sear the meat first!
Step 3. Place the remaining vegetables on top of and around the chuck roast.
Step 4. Pour the dry onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup over the top. You don’t need to add any water or additional liquid to the slow cooker.
Step 5. Cover with a lid and cook on low for at least 8 hours, preferably 10, until fall-apart tender.
Note: I strongly recommend NOT reducing the cooking time. In my testing, I made this recipe for a pot roast in the crock pot both ways – at a high temperature for fewer hours, and at a low temperature for more hours – and the longer cooking time was significantly more moist, tender, and flavorful.
Step 6. Shred the meat slightly with two forks and serve hot.
Store leftovers from this slow cooker pot roast recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You may want to put the vegetables in separate storage, as they may soften more when reheating.
RECIPE FOR A POT ROAST SLOW COOKER TIPS
- If you cut the pot roast slow cooker recipe in half, keep the SAME cooking time.
- If you want to use a larger 6-pound roast, make sure your slow cooker is large enough to handle that size roast (like this 8.5 qt slow cooker, or an 8 qt Instant Pot with a slow cooker function). Double everything else and cook for 10 hours!
- Don’t add any milk or water – it’s not needed.
- Make this crockpot pot roast into an Instant Pot pot roast using my slow cooker to Instant Pot conversion guide.
- If you don’t want to make cream of mushroom soup or dry onion soup mix, store-bought is fine. You need one can of soup and one packet of seasoning.
RECIPES – POT ROAST GRAVY
You can take the liquid in the slow cooker and turn it into a brown gravy on the stovetop:
- Pour the meat drippings into a saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat.
- Combine 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons of water in a mug and stir together.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan and whisk constantly.
- The sauce will thicken to a gravy to pour over your slow cooker pot roast.
- If you like, you can substitute red wine for some of the water for a richer gravy.
TO SERVE POT ROAST RECIPE
- This recipe for a pot roast in the slow cooker feeds my family of 4 and makes at least 2 lunches with the leftovers! We usually pair it with an Easy Dinner Salad.
- Try garnishing with herbs like fresh thyme or fresh rosemary. (If you have extra herbs after you garnish your crockpot chuck pot roast, freeze the herbs for another time – here’s how!)
- Use your Instant Pot for Steamed Broccoli on the side and dinner practically cooked itself! (I know you love your slow cooker, but curious if the Instant Pot is right for you? Read my review.)
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, Sautéed Green Beans would go great with this slow cooker pot roast recipe!
- Try my Easy Dinner Rolls or serve with a loaf of Simple Sourdough Bread. What a feast!
- If you happen to have two crockpots, I definitely recommend this Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler for dessert.
SLOW COOKER POT ROAST FAQS
Do you have to brown the roast before putting it in the crock pot?
No need to brown the roast before putting it in the crockpot. Some say it helps lock in the flavor, but I’ve made this slow cooker pot roast recipe many times and it’s always been delicious! There’s no need to dirty another pan or skillet!
How much water do you add for slow cooking a beef roast?
You do NOT need to add any water to this recipe for a pot roast!
Is it better to make recipes – pot roast in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot roast is YUMMY…but it turns out to be less tender when compared to the crock pot version. I like how a crockpot chuck pot roast turns out better.
Does slow cooker pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks?
Any large piece of meat that you use in the crock pot will get more tender the longer it is cooked. Cooking for 8-10 hours at a low temperature will give you melt-in-your-mouth tender roast beef!
MORE DELICIOUS SLOW COOKER RECIPES
- Crock Pot Mississippi Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- The Best Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Easy Slow Cooker Brisket
- Slow Cooker Cooked Chicken
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Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
This easy slow cooker pot roast recipe takes less than 10 minutes to load into your crockpot, and you’ll end up with a melt-in-your-mouth tender beef roast full of flavor. Perfect for a special family dinner or any time!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Main meals
- Method: Slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 chuck roast (3–4 lbs)
- 1 lb baby carrots (or carrots, cut into about 1″ pieces)
- 1 ½ lbs potatoes (any variety, cut into about 1″ pieces if necessary)
- 4 Tbsp of homemade dry onion soup mix
- 1 batch of homemade cream of mushroom soup
Instructions
- Place half the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Next, place the chuck roast on top of the vegetables.
- Place the remaining vegetables on top and around the chuck roast.
- Pour homemade dry onion soup mix and homemade cream of mushroom soup over the top.
- Cover with a lid and cook on low for at least 8 hours, preferably 10.
- Shred the meat slightly with two forks and serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t add any additional liquid – it’s not needed.
- A longer cooking time is best – aim for 10 hours on low.
- Chuck roast tastes best for this recipe, but a shoulder roast will work in a pinch.
- If you don’t have time to make dry onion soup mix or cream of mushroom soup, you need one packet of dry onion soup mix and one can of cream of mushroom soup.
Nutrition
- Calories: 1,137
Love this!!! I subbed golden mushroom soup for the cream of mushroom to make this recipe dairy free and it turned out so yummy!!! I also used lipton’s kosher French onion soup mix! My son has a dairy allergy so doing this allowed him to enjoy as well!
This is a very old recipe. I was making this back in the 70″s. It was always a hit.
What size of cream of mushroom do I need if I don’t use the homemade one?
Hi Jayna,
A standard sized 16 oz can is what you’d use. Hope this helps.
I don’t like mushrooms, can I use a different soup?
Yes! Chicken or celery would be good too!
What kind of chicken soup, like cream of chicken? Or just a chicken broth?
Hi JS!
You can use either. Let us know how it turns out! Thanks for posting. 🙂
This was the most tender roast EVER!!!! My neighbor said it was the best roast she’s ever had.
Hi Kristen, we’re so glad your neighbor loved it!
I don’t have that amount of time so I’m going to put it on high for a few hours and then switch to low and see what happens. Wish me luck! 😉 Smells delish!
Hi Sami!
Let us know how it goes! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve done this plenty of times Bc i couldn’t remember what i did previously 😂😂 still turns out amazing just did it now lol
Hi Kash,
Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Hi—did you pre-grease/use cooking spray in the crockpot prior to adding everything in it?
I made this for my family and they absolutely devoured it! The meat fell right apart and it was super moist and delicious. Thank you so much!!
You are so welcome, Nicole! We are glad your family loves it!
I’ve never been able to find chuck roasts where I live, so I’ve had to sub in sirloin oven roasts. They don’t get near as tender as I’m sure a chuck would, but the flavour is incredible!
The first time I made this, I used fresh cream of mushroom. Every time after that I’ve just used canned. Saves time, no one noticed a flavour difference 🙂
Today I had a roast, canned soup, but no onion soup mix. I looked up your homemade mix, and threw in some garlic powder, onion powder, beef OXO (powder bouillon) and celery seed. No measuring, just by eye.
I put a lb of carrots in with it to cook. It smells really good, and I’m very excited for dinner!
Hi Hannah,
That sounds so good! Thanks for sharing your kitchen shortcut. What a great idea! 🙂
I don’t have dry onion soup mix but I do have a can of french onion soup and a can cream of mushroom soup. Will this work?
Jennifer, I think it will be yummy but it will taste and look slightly different then this recipe.
Would a can of carrots work?
Yes it would, Alonna, however they wont be as crisp and you should add them later to the crock pot.
Hello! Just wondering if you have any recommendations for freezing the leftovers? It’s just my husband and I, and the smallest roast at the store was 2.5 pounds. I dont want any of this goodness to go to waste!
Hi Nicole!
Yes, this recipe freezes really easily. Of course, use freezer containers or freezer bags. Some people like to separate the vegetables from the meat (meat frozen with the juices) because the vegetables sometimes come out a little soft upon reheating everything together. If you thaw and heat gently, your vegetables shouldn’t come out too soft. Hope it helps. 🙂
How would you vary the cooking time if you only have 7 hours- Thanks
Hi Tami,
You really need 8 hours at the minimum for this recipe, preferably 10 hours. If I had limited daytime hours to cook it, I would do it overnight so that there would be more time to cook it. Depending on what time your day starts in the morning, I would back the timing up to the evening of the night before so that I had it in for 8-10 hours. You could always do it on a weekend, if you happen to have more time then. Hope this helps!
I use cream of celery and lipton onion soup mix, my favorite!
LG,
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hello! I am excited to make this recipe tomorrow! I am adding celery and onion (maybe parsnip). Do I need to add any extra liquids?
Lastly, are their any recommended sides (i.e. pasta or rice, etc.)? I am watching the amounts of carbs I eat (especially since there are already potatoes). Or do you simply eat the pot roast mix alone?
Thanks 😊
Hi Alexa!
Let us know how it came out! 🙂 Of course, if you’re watching carbs, it can be a complete meal without a side. Or a salad could go well on the side. 🙂
Hi Alexa! Nope, no need to add liquids. We’ve had this over rice and over pasta, but usually plain with more green veggies on the side!
Hello,
Is this recipe for pot roast cooked under pressure or vented?
When you say “low”, is this selected as well as “slow cook”, or is it “low” on some kind of “meat” setting?
Many Thanks
Hi Brian – this is for a slow cooker (aka Crock Pot), not a pressure cooker. Most slow cookers have a low and high setting, so you want to choose low.
Hello Tiffany,
Thank you very much for the reply.
I’ve never used the Instant Pot as a slow cooker before and didn’t realise slow-cook would work with the options of high or low, I thought those options were for pressure cooking, meaning high or low pressure. This confused me because I understood the recipe to be for slow-cooking, as you’ve confirmed. Hope that makes sense.
I’ll be cooking a beef joint using the Instant Pot tomorrow on slow cook.
Kind Regards
Brian
I’m making this tomorrow. Sounds awesome!
Anyone tried this just in the oven? I wonder the temp and cooking time as well as if any extra liquid is needed. Don’t have a crockpot just a cast iron roaster with lid.
My pot roast recipe is similar, and I oven-bake it all the time. Try 300 degrees F. for about 5 hours. This works for Costco chuck roasts, which are a good 3 to 4 inches thick. I do put about 1/2 cup of water or wine in the bottom of the roaster before putting it in the oven. I make the gravy from scratch after the meat and veggies are done, so I don’t know how well Cream-of-Whatever soup would work with this method.
Hi! I tried making this roast today, but it came out pretty fatty. Should the excess fat be cut out prior to cooking or after? Unfortunately, it made it difficult to eat, but I’d love to try again!
Hi Jessica! Every cut of meat is different and we all have our own opinions as to what “fatty” is. With that said, I’ve used a cut before that I didn’t think was fatty, but ended up making dinner pretty… not fun, lol. You are definitely welcome to cut the excess fat as you see fit. If the fat is within the roast itself, feel free to cut the roast up in order to get to the fat.
Hi! If I don’t have all the ingredients for the homemade onion soup mix and I don’t have a package of Lipton, what else should I add? I have a can of cream of mushroom soup, but should I add onion powder? Maybe some celery powder?
It depends on what you’re missing Sarah, but you really can’t go wrong with either option!
Hi!
When you add the cream of mushroom soup do you also add the recommended can of water too or just the soup?
Thanks!!
Hi Amy!
We prefer not to use canned soups, and make homemade cream of mushroom soup instead. Homemade tastes so much better and it’s healthy too. Here is the recipe from the blog in case you’re interested in trying it out. https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2017/03/homemade-cream-mushroom-soup/. You can always make it ahead if you’re pressed for time on the day of cooking. But if you plan to use canned, I would check the can to see if it’s condensed soup. If so, you’ll need to add water. Hope this helps! 🙂