Crock Pot Chuck Roast
Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe – It’s easy to make the most melt-in-your-mouth, tender, delicious pot roast in the crock pot, without searing first! The beef chuck roast is surrounded by veggies and our *secret ingredient* all cooked slowly in a rich and savory broth. This is pure comfort food perfection!
Why We Love Crock Pot Chuck Roast
We have a glorious beef pot roast recipe on the site that can be made on the stovetop and finished in the oven. We’ve also added instructions for crockpot cooking to the original recipe. Here, we wanted to create a specific recipe for beef chuck roast in a slow cooker. It’s one that requires no pre-cooking at all but still tastes incredibly meaty and tender… And, I have to say, we totally nailed it!
It’s so effortless that all our slow cooker lovers can come straight to this recipe without second-guessing. The secret to the best pot roast, whether made on the stovetop or in a crockpot, is adding a little bacon for extra flavor, adding plenty of aromatic vegetables and herbs, and extra carrots. Never skimp on the carrots, the sweetness adds so much depth to this Sunday dinner.
This dump-and-go slow cooker dish is a nod to my mom’s classic pot roast recipe linked above. I grew up on this dish, having made and eaten it hundreds of times. So trust me when I tell you that you are going to give this recipe 5 stars and make it a regular on your comfort food menu, too!
Ingredients You Need
- Bacon – thick-cut and left whole
- Beef chuck roast – boneless
- Baby potatoes – scrubbed and left whole (red potatoes, yukon golds, or russets)
- Carrots – peeled and cut into large chunks
- Sweet onion – or yellow onions, peeled and sliced into large wedges
- Garlic cloves – peeled and smashed
- Fresh thyme and rosemary – for the most robust and herbaceous flavors
- Bay leaves – adds an earthy note to balance the savoriness
- Water – to make the gravy
- Worcestershire – this salty, savory, umami-licious sauce adds delicious depth to the gravy
- Beef base – concentrated beef broth to enhance the overall yummy beefy taste
- Salt and pepper – just a bit of each
How to Make Slow Cooker Chuck Roast
- Set out a large 6-8 quart electric slow cooker. Lay 4 strips of bacon across the bottom of the crock. Cut the beef roast into 3 to 4 large pieces and place them over the bacon.
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and cut the onion into large wedges. Peel the carrots and cut into 2-3 inch segments. Peel and smash the garlic cloves.
- Arrange the carrots, potatoes, onion wedges, and garlic cloves around the beef.
- Then nestle the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves around the beef chuck roast. Pack them in if needed.
- Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of salt over the top and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Add the beef base to the pot crock. Then pour in the water and Worcestershire sauce.
- Cover and set on high for 7 to 9 hours, or on low for 11 to 14 hours.
- The fact that the crock will be so full means this recipe will take a long time to cook. If you happen to be around at the 3 to 4-hour mark, gently turn the vegetables so that those on top have a chance to cook down in the juices.
- Once the beef is fork-tender and easy to shred, it’s ready to serve.
Get the Complete (Printable) Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Ladle servings of the slow cooker pot roast into bowls with the thin gravy, or onto plates to serve more “dry” style.
Either way, I suggest having plenty of warm crusty bread or breadsticks on the table for sopping up the au jus! I also like to have a fresh green salad on the table… Some crunchy veggies help to cut through the richness, without overpowering all of the yummy comfort food goodness you love!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this easy slow cooker recipe happens to be naturally gluten-free. Hooray!
Not when you make this fabulously easy recipe! The whole beef pot roast is placed in the slow cooker without searing in a large skillet first. So you can just let the crockpot handle all the heavy work!
No, there is no need to cover the beef with water in this easy recipe. Simply place the lid on the cooker, add 1 cup of water along with other ingredients, set, and forget! Extra moisture naturally builds in the crock as the ingredients cook, making the meat and veggies perfectly done.
There is a LOT of beef and veggies loaded into the slow cooker here. You want to give everything plenty of time to thoroughly cook, so expect the dish to take at least 7 hours minimum on high.
Crock pot chuck roast makes terrific leftovers! The flavors get more intense as the meat, veggie, and broth all sit together. Let everything cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Keep leftover pot roast in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Sure you can! Along with (or instead of) potatoes, carrots, and onions, add in celery, bell peppers, pepperoncini, or mushrooms.
Looking for More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Crock Pot Shepherd’s Pie
- Retro Crockpot Roast Beef (Shredded Beef)
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Potatoes and Onions
- Crock-Pot Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes
Get the Complete (Printable) Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Chuck Roast Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 4 pounds beef chuck roast boneless
- 2 pounds carrots
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
- 1 large sweet onion
- 5-6 cloves garlic smashed
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons beef base
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set out a large 6-8 quart electric slow cooker. Lay 4 strips of bacon across the bottom of the crock. Cut the beef roast into 3 to 4 large pieces and place them over the bacon.
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and slice the onion into large wedges. Peel the carrots and cut into 2-3 inch segments. Peel and smash the garlic cloves.
- Arrange the carrots, potatoes, onion wedges, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves around the beef chuck roast. Pack them in if needed.
- Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of salt over the top and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Add the beef base to the pot crock. Then pour in the water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and set on high for 7 to 9 hours, or on low for 11 to 14 hours.
- The fact that the crock will be so full means this recipe will take a long time to cook. If you happen to be around at the 3 to 4 hour mark, gently turn the vegetables so that those on top have a chance to cook down in the juices.
- Once the beef is fork-tender and easy to shred, it's ready to serve.
I love making a roast, but it also love that it is super easy to make in the crockpot! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!