Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the ultimate comfort meal, especially during the Fall and Winter months. The tender meat paired with the hearty vegetables will have your tastebuds dancing. It’s so good that even the pickiest of eaters will love it.
Best of all, this crockpot pot roast makes for an easy weeknight dinner recipe you can put together in just a few minutes. Whether you dump everything into the crockpot or sear the roast first to get those browned edges, I guarantee you’ll find yourself making this easy dinner on repeat.
It’s gluten free, grain free, and dairy free. I’ve also made some suggestions in the ingredients section below for paleo and low carb substitutions.
Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast (with gravy)
Slow cooker pot roast is a classic many of us have made for years, and everyone seems to have their own way of making it. The easiest way, of course, is to just dump all the ingredients into the crockpot and let it cook.
And, while that’s definitely an option, especially if you’re in a hurry, the absolute BEST way to cook a pot roast is to sear the roast first. This gives the roast those crispy, browned edges and helps to lock in all the moistures and flavor of the pot roast. This classic slow cooker pot roast can also be served at Thanksgiving dinner or even for Christmas parties. It’s always a hit!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast – VIDEO
Ingredients for the Perfect Pot Roast Recipe
The ingredients for this classic slow cooker pot roast are simple and can be found at most grocery stores. Here’s how I make it.
- Beef Chuck Roast: This is the best cut with the perfect amount of marbling to keep the meat juicy and tender. Depending on how large your crock pot is, I suggest using anywhere from 3-4 lbs of chuck roast. TIP: A chuck roast substitute for pot roast would be top or bottom round roast (sometimes call rump roast).
- Sea Salt and Pepper: For coating the chuck roast before searing to maximize flavor.
- Avocado Oil: For searing the roast and sauteing the onions. You can also use olive oil.
- Yellow Onion: I prefer to cut my onions into large chunks and saute them in the oil after searing the roast. But, you can also just toss them right into the crockpot.
- Garlic: Using fresh garlic is the key to yielding the best flavor.
- Beef Broth: Regular or low sodium beef broth works fine. If using low sodium, be sure to adjust the salt amount to your taste preference.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a bit of smoky flavor and depth to the roast. You can substitute it with coconut aminos to keep it strict paleo.
- Carrots and Celery: These hearty veggies help to balance out the heaviness of the roast. Don’t forget to peel the carrots first. Or, to speed things up, you can also use baby carrots.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Technically, any type of baby potatoes will work with this pot roast recipe, including red potatoes. I prefer the gold variety. Feel free to substitute with sweet potatoes or parsnips to keep it paleo or leave them out altogether to keep this pot roast low carb.
- Fresh Herbs: Thyme, Rosemary, and Bay Leaves help to round out the flavor or this dish.
How To Make The Perfect Pot Roast In A Crock Pot
The easiest way to make pot roast is in a crock pot. You can prep and add the ingredients first thing in the morning and you’ll have dinner ready that night.
- Season and Sear the Roast: Pat the roast dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Coat both sides of the roast with sea salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven pot or a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until it forms a nice brown color. Then, transfer the roast to the crock pot.
- Saute the Onions and Garlic: Adding a bit more oil, saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Then, add the beef broth and worcestershire sauce sauce. Allow that to heat through while scraping the seared bits from the bottom of the pot/pan (this picks up all the flavor from the roast). Pour mixture into the crock pot over the roast. **Sauteing is completely optional. If you don’t have time to do this step, just add the onions, garlic, broth, and worcestershire sauce directly to the crock pot.
- Layer the veggies and herbs. Add the chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, and fresh herbs to the crock pot. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
- It’s ready to serve: You’ll know it’s done when the meat is tender and just falls a part. You can now shred the roast with a fork and transfer everything to a platter or dinner plates. Enjoy!
How To Make A Gluten Free Gravy With the Pot Roast Juice
This is optional, but I like to whip up a quick gluten free gravy to pour over the pot roast. It takes the moisture and juiciness to the next level! Here’s how I make it.
- Make A Slurry: In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of Arrowroot Flour, Tapioca Starch, or Cornstarch along with 2 Tbsp of water. Mix with a fork until fully incorporated and dissolved.
- Make the Gravy: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 C. of the leftover pot roast juices and bring it to a light boil. Then, add the slurry you just made and whisk it into the gravy. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes to let it thicken. It won’t be as thick as real gravy but it’s the perfect consistency to pour over the shredded pot roast.
Ways To Serve This Slow Cooker Pot Roast
This pot roast is certainly enough to serve on its own. It has a good balance of proteins, fats, carbs, and vegetables. But, if you want to add some sides or get creative with how you eat it, here are a few ideas.
- Shredded Roast Sandwich: As a child, we’d always eat leftover pot roast on a sandwich. Toast up some bread (gluten free, in my case), add a bit of avocado mayonnaise and shredded lettuce. Top with shredded pot roast. And, you have yourself the most delicious sandwich! You can even eat it as an open faced sandwich with the leftover gravy poured over top.
- Serve Up Some Sides: If you want to add a side to this pot roast dish, I like to pair it with my grain free “corn” bread or a side salad.
- Add It To a Lunch Salad: Another leftover idea is to add the shredded pot roast to a lunch salad as your protein.
- Make Homemade Nachos: Make some homemade nachos and top it off with leftover pot roast (trust me, it’s delicious!!)
- Breakfast Omelette: Add to your morning omelette for an extra boost of protein.
How To Store Leftover Pot Roast
If this pot roast isn’t devoured in the first 2-3 days, don’t worry, you can freeze it! In fact, sometimes I’ll batch prep pot roast and freeze it in order to have a super quick dinner on hand for busy work weeks. Here’s how to store it.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. I like to go ahead and shred the pot roast before storing it. Then, I’ll add about 2-3 days worth into a single container so I can defrost each container as needed.
More Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes To Enjoy
If you’re on the search for more easy and healthy dinner ideas, here are a few of my favorites.
- Loaded Hamburger Vegetable Soup – grain free, dairy free, and so hearty!
- Anti-Inflammatory Creamy Golden Soup – made with warming spices that are soothing to the body.
- Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole – so good they won’t even know it’s made with spaghetti squash!
- Chimichurri Steak and Quinoa Balanced Bowl – filled with healthy fats, proteins, and carbs to keep you full and satiated.
- Pan Seared Salmon – with lemon butter cream sauce (dairy free options!)
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast:
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
- 2-3 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Avocado Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, cut into chunks
- 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 C. Beef Broth
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (or coconut aminos for paleo)
- 3-4 Celery Stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4-5 Carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into fourths (or any type of baby potatoes)
- 2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- 1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 tsp EACH of Garlic and Onion Powder, optional for more flavor
- Freshly Chopped Parsley, to garnish (optional)
For the Gluten Free Gravy:
- 1 C. Of the Juices from the Crockpot (after the roast is done cooking)
- 1 Tbsp Arrowroot Flour, Tapioca Flour, or Cornstarch (add an extra tsp if you want the gravy thicker)
- 2 Tbsp Water
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and let it heat through. While that's heating, pat the chuck roast dry with a paper towel then rub the salt and pepper onto both sides of the chuck roast. Add the roast to the pot and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes or until it forms a nice brown color. Transfer the roast to the crockpot.
- This step is optional to maximize flavor: In the same pot/pan, add 1 tsp more of the oil along with the onions. Saute them for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and saute another minute. Lastly, add the beef broth and worcestershire sauce and let it heat through. As it's heating through, use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (this adds more flavor). Pour this mixture into the crockpot over the roast. (You can skip this step and just add the onions, garlic, broth, and sauce straight to the crockpot if you're in a rush).
- Add all remaining ingredients to the crockpot (add the potatoes last, on top). Cover crockpot with a lid and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the roast is tender and falling a part. You can also cook on high for 5-6 hours but slow is best.
- Once it's done, transfer the roast to a cutting board and shred it with a fork then transfer it to a serving plate. Scoop out all the veggies from the crockpot (discard the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves) and add to a plate.
- For the gluten free gravy: Scoop out 1 cup of the leftover juices from the crockpot and transfer it to a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring it to a light boil. While that's heating, in a small bowl, add the arrowroot flour and water. Mix together until the flour is fully dissolved into the water. Once the juices are boiling, slowly pour in the slurry mixture while whisking and continue whisking until it's fully incorporated into the juices. Turn the heat to low-medium and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken, whisking every few seconds. Remove saucepan from heat and pour over the shredded pot roast when ready to serve.
