This easy crock pot pot roast recipe has been passed down in my family for years! It uses a few unique ingredients to create a flavorful and extra tender pot roast in an irresistibly rich and savory beef gravy.
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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:
- Unique: This family recipe includes the BEST pot roast gravy you will ever taste made with a few surprising ingredients. Just trust me on this one!
- Tender: The flavorful beef is so tender it literally falls apart from slow cooking all day in the rich homemade gravy.
- Comfort Food: This is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dinner that will have the whole family going back for seconds! Don’t forget the mashed potatoes and soft rolls!
- Easy: Making pot roast in the crockpot is simple and hands off! Sear the beef and add everything to the crockpot in the morning and let the slow cooker do all the hard work!
Love easy beef crockpot dinners? Try my crockpot Birria, slow cooker chili or fall themed slow cooker beef stew with apple cider!
What You Will Need For This Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
This fall-apart-tender pot roast includes a few unique ingredients you wouldnโt expect. We call them the “secret ingredients” because no one would ever guess what goes into our pot roast! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Brown Gravy Mix: Make sure to grab the low sodium kind. If you don’t want to use gravy packets, check the variations section below for an alternative.
- Cornstarch: To thicken up the gravy.
- Coffee: Plain brewed coffee adds an amazing depth of flavor.
- Red Wine: I always use cabernet, but feel free to use any dry red wine. Replace with extra beef broth, if needed.
- Soy Sauce: Surprising I know, but I promise you won’t know it’s in there!
- Worcestershire Sauce: For rich umami flavor.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the best flavor.
- Black Pepper: Similarly, freshly ground black pepper is best here.
- Oil: You’ll need oil to sear the roast before placing it in the crockpot.
- Roast: Beef chuck roast, bottom round roast, or a similar cut of beef.
- Carrots: Baby carrots, or full sized carrots that are peeled and chopped.
- Onion: I like to use yellow onion for their sweetness, but a white will work as well.
- Mushrooms: I use sliced portobello mushrooms. These are optional, but taste FANTASTIC in the gravy!
How to Cook a Roast in a Crock Pot
Alright, let’s talk about how this crock pot pot roast comes together. The steps are simple, you will be on your way in no time! Scroll down to the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- 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.
- Sear: In a large heavy bottomed skillet, over medium high heat, add oil. Then, add the meat and sear it on all sides.
- Combine: Transfer the meat to the crockpot. Top it with carrots, onion, and mushrooms. Pour the gravy mix on top and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook: Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
- Shred: Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it into chunks with two forks. Stir the gravy and vegetables to combine.
- Serve: Add the beef back to the crockpot to combine, or serve it as is with the gravy on the side.
Tips for Success & Recipe Variations
There are a few simple go-to rules when making a slow cooker pot roast that I always abide by.
- Cooking Time: 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! If you want a meltingly tender roast, low and slow is best.
- Sear The Roast: While some people believe that searing meat holds in its juices, that myth has been proven false. However, it does caramelize the surface of the meat, which enhances the flavor and adds an extra depth of flavor to the roast!
- Large Chopped Vegetables: If the chopped veggies are too small, they might become too soft while the beef is still cooking. Using larger pieces will help keep them intact.
- Add Potatoes: If you use Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes, you don’t need to peel them. Just chop them into bite-size pieces before adding them to the crockpot.
- No Gravy Packets: If you prefer not to use gravy packets, add 1/2 cup additional cornstarch and 2 tablespoons granulated beef bouillon instead.
Serving Suggestions
There are a few classic side dishes that we love to serve alongside this crockpot pot roast:
- Mashed Potatoes: Personally, I like to serve my pot roast over garlic mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
- Rolls: Don’t forget some soft dinner rolls to soak up all the savory gravy. Itโs arguably the best part!
- More Veggies: Pot roast pairs perfectly with these sautรฉed green beans if you want to get some more veggies on the table. Parmesan roasted broccoli is another great option.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Crock Pot Pot Roast
If you’ve got leftover pot roast, save it for later in the week or freeze it. It makes a great lunch or quick dinner for another night!
- Fridge: Let your pot roast cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Spoon the desired amount into a microwave-safe dish, cover it, and heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave. I recommend stirring halfway through cooking to ensure everything is heated evenly. If your gravy has thickened, add a little broth to thin as needed.
- Freeze: Transfer cooled pot roast to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer to fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
Crockpot Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (1 oz) packets low-sodium brown gravy mix
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 8 oz red wine, like a cabernet
- ยฝ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 lb bottom round or chuck roast
- 1 lb baby carrots, or whole carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together gravy packets and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the coffee so there are no lumps. Then whisk in the wine, soy sauce,ย worcestershire sauce, garlic and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Add meat and quickly sear on all sides. Transfer meat to a 7+ quart 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 fork 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.
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YES!! This was delicious! Not too strong tasting OR bitter. My grocery store was out of low sodium soy sauce so I used less regular soy and mixed it with a bit of water. And I used jarlic. The gravy was a bit thick for my personal preference. But I can just adjust it for next time.
This recipe was fantastic! I followed it exactly as written and it turned out amazing. I will be making this again and already canโt wait! Iโve shared this with friends and family.
I cooked it on the 10-hour low setting but it was done in 8. We served over mashed potatoes.
You wonโt be disappointed in this recipe!!
Absolutely delicious!!!
Iโm normally really good about reading comments before I try a new recipeโฆ but Iโm so glad I didnโt this time! This recipe sounded so good to me that I threw it all in the crockpot during a polar freeze in Denver and after that I read the incredibly split 50/50 reviews. I have no idea how anyone could make this recipe and not like it! This is so flavorful and delicious! I didnโt have low sodium gravy mix, and I used full amount of recommended soy sauce and it wasnโt too salty and definitely didnโt taste bitter. We canโt wait for leftovers tomorrow. This recipe will become a permanent staple in our household. Thank you, delish!!!
It was really good.
Maybe a dumb question, but how big should the roast be?
Hi Brit! This recipe is for a 3 lb roast, anything close to that size wise will work!
Anyone ever made this recipe in a Dutch Oven before? I expect it would still have the same flavours, but what about temp and time…
I do not have low sodium gravy packets, how much will that effect flavor?
Hi Karen! You can use a little less soy sauce and it will work just fine!
This was so good! Altered it a tiny bit , only used 2 gravy packets and updated the amounts but this recipe is amazing !
This was absolutely delicious! Huge hit in our household. Not sure how the person below said theirs tasted like chemicalsโฆ.
This was the most DISGUSTING thing I have ever made! To much chemical taste, too acidic! Just awful! Would never use this recipe again!!
Agreed! What a waste of roast. I did not like this gravy at all.
This may sound dumb.
But am I making the gravy according to package, then adding the cornstarch and stuff….or just the packets themselves, and adding the rest?
Hi Kyla! NO! Don’t make the gravy, just add the gravy packet (dry) with the rest of the ingredients!
Is there a substitute for the wine? I see broth recommended but I don’t have that on hand.
My family prefers sliced meat instead of shredded if let it sit. Can I slice it ?
I’m not sure as we always serve ours shredded. It’s pretty tender, so it might be difficult to get pretty slices. If anything, you can stop cooking it a couple hours earlier (make sure to check with a thermometer that the roast is cooked through) to see if it’s a better slicing texture.
Hi Amberly, if you don’t have broth, you could also use water. You will likely need to adjust the seasonings at the end, so taste to be sure before serving!
Hi, can I replace the meat with a sirloin tip roast or a top round roast? Which would probably be better?
Thanks!
Hi Brie! Both a sirloin tip roast or a top round roast should work! The Sirloin tip roast is a leaner cut of meat, so it won’t be as tender/juicy as the top round roast will be. Hope this helps!
7 hours into cooking and realized I only used 1 packet of gravy. Do you think it will still turn out ok? Any suggestions?
Yes! It will be thinner (the gravy), but you can add more gravy packets at the end – or just whisk in some corn starch! No matter which one you choose, make a slurry with it (mixing the gravy packet or cornstarch with water or liquid from the crockpot in a small bowl first then pour it into the crockpot). This will make sure it doesn’t get lumpy!
Can I cook this on high instead of low? If so, how long?
If you cook it on high, it should be done in about 4 to 5 hours. However, be warned, cooking it on high can sometimes make the meat a tougher. The slower longer heat helps to break down the meat and make it more tender.
Can you use an angus shoulder roast with this recipe?
Yes, it should work just fine!
Hi! Do I have to use coffee? I read how it wonโt effect the flavour but Iโd like to know if I can substitute it for anything. Thanks!
Hi Jenna! You can skip the coffee and just use a little extra beef broth instead. The coffee does help deepen the overall flavor of the roast/gravy, but it can be skipped!
Hello. You said you removed the instant pot version because of burn notice. For people to avoid that they need to turn the pot off and deglaze the bottom to get off all the stuck pieces. Hope this helps other people.
Would like to make this for my in laws but one of them has been sober for over a year. Iโd like to replace the wine with something else. Any suggestions?
You can use extra beef broth instead of the wine! ๐