This easy Crockpot Pot Roast recipe has been passed down in my family for years. It has (formerly) secret ingredients that make a flavorful and extra tender pot roast right in the slow cooker!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Pot Roast Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Pot Roast in the Crockpot
- Watch This Crockpot Pot Roast Come Together
- Tips for Success
- Substitutions & Recipe Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Slow Cooker Pot Roast?
- More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Get the Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Pot Roast Recipe
Honestly, I wish I could give you a bite through the screen! This pot roast recipe is seriously to die for. Here are some of the reasons we love it:
- Flavorful and creamy gravy. This recipe includes the BEST pot roast gravy you will ever taste. Yes, I just made that claim. You will need red wine (I use a cabernet), coffee, soy sauce, garlic, cornstarch, black pepper, and four packets of low sodium brown gravy mix.
- Moist and tender meat. The meat literally falls apart when you take it out of the slow cooker. So good!
- Incredible leftovers. You know how some recipes just get more flavorful and tender as they marinate in the fridge? That’s this recipe. Set some extras aside and make an epic sandwich with the leftovers the next day.
Recipe Ingredients
This slow cooker pot roast has evolved over the years and includes a few unique ingredients you wouldn’t expect. We call them the “secret ingredients” because no one would ever guess what goes into our pot roast!
Don’t worry, though, there’s nothing fancy in this dish! You probably already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen. (If you’re looking for exact ingredient amounts, you’ll find them in the recipe card below!)
- McCormick Brown Gravy Mix – Make sure to use the low sodium kind.
- Cornstarch – To thicken up the gravy.
- Brewed Coffee – This adds an amazing depth of flavor to your pot roast!
- Red Wine – I always use cabernet, but feel free to pour in any dry red wine that you like.
- Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce – For rich umami flavor.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic offers the strongest flavor.
- Black Pepper – Similarly, freshly ground black pepper is best here.
- Oil – You’ll need olive oil (or canola oil, etc.) to sear the roast before placing it in the crockpot.
- Bottom Round Roast – Beef chuck roast can also be used if you like!
- Carrots – Baby carrots or full sized carrots, peeled and chopped.
- Yellow Onion – I like to use yellow Vidalian onions for their sweetness.
- Portobello Mushrooms – These are optional, but they taste FANTASTIC in the gravy.
What is a Bottom Round Roast?
A bottom round roast is a thick cut of beef taken from the rear leg muscle. Since the leg can weigh upwards of 30lbs, once that section of meat is removed it is cut into smaller pieces, called “roasts.” This is a lean cut of meat without much marbling, which makes it ideal for cooking in the crockpot. The low and slow cooking method tenderizes the meat while also preventing it from drying out.
How to Make Pot Roast in the Crockpot
Alright, let’s talk about how this slow cooker pot roast comes together. The steps are pretty simple, so you’ll have everything prepped in no time! For the full set of directions, check out the recipe card below.
- Make the gravy. Whisk together the gravy packets and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in coffee so that there are no lumps. Then whisk in wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper. Set everything aside for the time being.
- Sear the meat. In a large heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, add oil. Then, add the meat and quickly sear it on all sides.
- Add the meat and veggies to your crockpot. Transfer the meat to the crockpot. Top it with carrots, onion, and mushrooms.
- Add the gravy. Pour the gravy mix on top and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Slow cook the pot roast. Cook your pot roast on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Shred and stir. Remove the pot roast from the slow cooker and shred it into chunks with two forks. Stir the gravy and vegetables to combine.
- Serve! We love to eat this crockpot pot roast with mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash.
Watch This Crockpot Pot Roast Come Together
Tips for Success
There are a few simple go-to rules when making a slow cooker pot roast that I always abide by.
- Low and slow will give you the most tender and flavorful roast. I have tried speeding up my pot roast and setting my crockpot on high, but my roast just never gets tender enough and your gravy can burn!
- Sear the roast in a skillet over high heat. While some people believe that searing meat holds in its juices, that myth has pretty much been proven false. However, it does caramelize the surface of the meat, which enhances the flavor and adds complexity to your pot roast that you wouldn’t normally get using only the crockpot.
- Cut the vegetables into relatively large pieces. If the chopped veggies are too small, they might become soft while the beef is still cooking.
Substitutions & Recipe Variations
When it comes to vegetables in this recipe, you’ve got options! The veggies enhance the flavor of the pot roast and the amazing beef gravy, and you can definitely mix them up if you want to:
- Add Potatoes – You don’t need to peel them, just chop them into bite-size pieces before adding them to the crockpot.
- More Mushrooms – This recipe already has portobello mushrooms, but you could also add dried porcini mushrooms. Just soften them in a bit of boiling water for about 5 minutes, then scoop them out and add them along with the other veggies.
- Add Parsnips – Treat these similar to the carrots. Peel and chop them, then add them to the crockpot.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade pot roast is pretty hearty, but there are a couple of classic side dishes that you can serve it with, if you like!
- Mashed Potatoes – Personally, I like to serve my pot roast over Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower. However, if you prefer a one-pot dish, you can add a few diced potatoes directly to the crockpot when you add the other vegetables.
- Rolls – Don’t forget to grab some Soft Dinner Rolls to soak up all of that brown gravy! It’s my favorite part!
- More Veggies – Pot roast pairs perfectly with these Air Fryer Green Beans if you want to get some more veggies on the table.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you’ve got leftover pot roast, save it for later in the week. It makes a great lunch or quick dinner!
- To Store – Let your pot roast cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat – When you’re ready to eat your leftovers, simply spoon the desired amount into a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a plate, and heat for a few minutes. The cooking time will depend upon how much you are trying to heat up at once. I recommend doing single servings and then pausing halfway to give everything a good stir and make sure your pot roast is heated through.
Can I Freeze Slow Cooker Pot Roast?
Yes! You can also freeze extras in a freezer-safe container. Be sure to leave enough head room for your food to expand in the freezer.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
There are so many easy dinners that you can make in the slow cooker! Here are a few more of my favorites:
- Crockpot Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Crockpot Pulled Pork Recipe
- Crockpot Ham
Crockpot Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 1 oz packets McCormick Brown Gravy Mix (low sodium)
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 8 oz red wine, cabernet
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 8 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 lb bottom round roast
- 1 lb bag carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together gravy packets and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in coffee so there are no lumps. Then whisk in wine, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, add oil. Add meat and quickly sear on all sides. Transfer meat to crockpot.
- Top meat with carrots, onion and mushrooms. Pour gravy mix on top and place lid on slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until meat is tender.
- Remove pot roast from slow cooker and shred into chunks with two forks. Stir gravy and vegetables to combine.
- Serve pot roast topped with gravy and vegetables over mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash.
Video
Notes
- This recipe originally had instructions to also be made in the instant pot, however so many people were having burn issues that I removed those instructions. If you would still like to try it that way, try at your own risk! When I make it in the instant pot, I cook it on manual, High Pressure for 135 minutes and do a natural pressure release.
- To Store – Let your pot roast cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze – You can also freeze extras in a freezer-safe container. Be sure to leave enough head room for your food to expand in the freezer.
- To Reheat – When you're ready to eat your leftovers, simply spoon the desired amount into a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a plate, and heat for a few minutes. The cooking time will depend upon how much you are trying to heat up at once. I recommend doing single servings and then pausing halfway to give everything a good stir and make sure your pot roast is heated through.
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