Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Recipe (With Video and Step by Step)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

6 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

8

Our slow-cooker pot roast recipe is a winner dinner and a prime example of the wonder of hands-off cooking. Perfectly juicy meat and tender vegetables are cooked to perfection together. It's a great way to feed your hungry family a hearty meal. Just set it and forget it.

We like to use a chuck roast for pot roast; it's an affordable and flavorful cut. The meat is partially covered in liquid and braised for hours until it becomes juicy and tender. The steam from the slow cooker creates additional moisture for the meat to braise in. The vegetables are coated in cornstarch before cooking to thicken the juices from the meat and create a sauce. Since the pot roast cooks low and slow, it has time to marinate in its own juices and absorb plenty of flavor. We add Worcestershire sauce to bring extra savory flavor.

What Is Pot Roast?

Pot roast is a catch-all term for tough cuts of beef that are cooked low and slow until they are tender enough to easily slice. Most traditionally, pot roast is made with cuts like chuck or round roasts.

The Difference Between Pot Roast and Brisket

While similar, the difference is in where the meat comes from on the animal. Chuck roast, which is most often used for pot roast, usually comes from the neck or shoulder. Brisket comes from the lower chest area.

Why Cook Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker?

The slow cooker is an insulated cooking environment, as opposed to an oven. Cooking pot roast in the oven exposes the meat to dry heat. Slow cookers create a lot of steam, which pretty much guarantees that your pot roast will come out nice and juicy. The steam also helps ensure that the meat is nearly impossible to overcook. The longer it stews away in the pot, the more tender the chuck roast will become.

There's No Need to Brown the Meat

Searing meat in a hot pan for stews is an initial step that builds flavor and helps seal in moisture within the meat. We skip this step to both save time and keep the recipe simple. Since the pot roast cooks for several hours, there is plenty of time for the flavors to concentrate without adding an extra step and dirtying another pan.

Directions

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Ingredients — Credit:
Jacob Fox

Coat vegetables in cornstarch mixture:

In slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Add carrots and onions; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Credit:
Jacob Fox
Season meat:

Sprinkle roast with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables, and drizzle with Worcestershire.

Credit:
Jacob Fox
Cook pot roast:

Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).

Credit:
Jacob Fox
Slice pot roast:

Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain.

Credit:
Jacob Fox
Transfer to serving dish:

Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices.

Credit:
Jacob Fox

Variations

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until roast is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Proceed with step 3.

Vary the vegetables: Swap the carrots for other starchy vegetables, like chopped russet potatoes, parsnips, or butternut squash.

Storage and Reheating

Pot roast will stay moist and juicy, unsliced, and stored in a baking dish with some of the brothy liquid. Sliced meat tends to dry out faster than larger hunks, so we recommend you only slice as much of the pot roast as you intend to use. Wrap the dish tightly with plastic and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To reheat, transfer the brisket and liquid to a baking dish just big enough to fit it snuggly, cover with foil, and warm in a 325-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

You don't have to reheat any leftovers. The meat is delicious served cold on sandwiches the next day with a smear of mustard and mayonnaise.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a pot roast take in a Crock-Pot?

How long a pot roast will take in a Crock-Pot depends on a couple of things. First, the size of your pot roast. Second, it all comes down to whether you set the Crock-Pot to the low or high setting; a 3-pound pot roast will take about six hours to cook on high heat or 10 hours on low.
What's the difference between a Crock-Pot and a slow cooker?

The difference between a Crock-Pot and a slow cooker is that Crock-Pot is a brand of slow cooker, while slow cooker is the name given to a type of appliance. It can be confusing because the terms are often used interchangeably. Whether you use a Crock-Pot or another brand, you are using a slow cooker, a small appliance that cooks food slowly and has settings to keep food warm after it has cooked.
Do you need to add water to a slow cooker pot roast?

Whether you need to add water to a slow cooker pot roast or not depends. We recommend you follow the directions in the recipe you are using; some recipes call for liquid, some do not. The main reason for this difference is the type of meat used. Cuts like chuck roast will release more fat and moisture than leaner cuts, so they don't need any water. In addition, the slow cooker itself creates some moisture, which helps keep the meat juicy.