Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast With Vegetables
By Beth Kaminski ·
This slow cooker beef pot roast cooks alongside potatoes, carrots, and onions for a hearty dinner with very little hands-on work. Browning the beef first adds depth to the cooking juices, which become a smooth gravy at the end. Choose a well-marbled chuck roast and give it enough time to become fork-tender.
What Makes This Pot Roast Work
Chuck roast is the right cut for long, slow cooking. Its connective tissue softens over several hours, giving you beef that separates easily with a fork. A leaner roast, such as eye of round, will not produce the same moist, pull-apart texture. Look for a boneless chuck roast with visible streaks of fat throughout the meat.
The vegetables sit underneath and around the roast, where they cook in the broth and beef juices. Large pieces hold their shape better than small dice. Yukon Gold potatoes have a creamy interior and generally stay intact during a long cooking time. There is no need to peel them; just scrub them well and remove any damaged spots.
Helpful Substitutions and Adjustments
- Potatoes: Red potatoes work well in place of Yukon Gold. Cut either variety into roughly 2-inch pieces.
- Herbs: Replace the fresh thyme with 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Dried herbs can go directly into the cooking liquid.
- Broth: Low-sodium beef broth gives you more control over the finished gravy. Taste the gravy before adding any extra salt.
- Vegetables: Replace some of the carrots with thick chunks of parsnip. Avoid adding delicate vegetables at the beginning, since they can become mushy.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
You can cut the carrots and onion a day ahead and refrigerate them in a covered container. Keep the raw beef separate from the prepared vegetables. Brown the beef just before starting the slow cooker rather than partially cooking it the night before.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of cooking. Store for up to 4 days, with some gravy covering the beef to help it stay moist. Freeze the beef and gravy for up to 3 months; the potatoes may become grainy after thawing. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat covered in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of broth, or microwave individual portions covered loosely. Heat leftovers to 165°F, stirring the gravy and turning the beef as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pot roast still tough?
It probably needs more time. A roast can be cooked through but still have firm connective tissue. Replace the lid and continue cooking in 30- to 60-minute increments until a fork twists easily in the thickest part.
Does the broth need to cover the beef?
No. The covered slow cooker traps moisture, and the beef releases additional juices. Submerging the roast would dilute the cooking liquid and leave you with much more broth than you need.
Can I start with a frozen roast?
Thaw the roast completely in the refrigerator first. Frozen meat heats too slowly in a slow cooker. A 3-pound roast may take 24 to 48 hours to thaw, depending on its thickness.
Can I skip browning the beef?
Yes, although the cooking liquid will have a lighter color and less roasted flavor. If skipping the skillet, omit the oil and whisk the garlic, tomato paste, broth, and Worcestershire sauce together before adding them to the slow cooker.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast With Vegetables
By Beth Kaminski · American
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 9 hr 20 min
- Total
- 9 hr 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, fully thawed
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths, thick ends halved lengthwise
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 4 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Method
- 1
Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, trim away any thick exterior fat, and season all over with the salt and pepper.
- 2
Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and onion in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- 3
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- 4
Brown the roast in the skillet on both broad sides and the thick edges, about 8 to 10 minutes total, then transfer it to the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.
- 5
Reduce the skillet heat to medium and stir the tomato paste and garlic into the drippings for 1 minute, until the paste darkens slightly without scorching.
- 6
Pour the broth and Worcestershire sauce into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute.
- 7
Pour the skillet liquid over the roast and tuck the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid.
- 8
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the vegetables are tender and a fork twists easily in the thickest part of the beef. Begin checking at the shorter time; if the beef resists, cover and continue cooking until tender.
- 9
Transfer the roast and vegetables to a rimmed serving platter, discard the thyme stems and bay leaves, and cover the platter loosely with foil.
- 10
Strain the cooking liquid into a heatproof measuring jug, skim off the surface fat, and pour 2 cups of the skimmed liquid into a small saucepan; reserve any extra for leftovers.
- 11
Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until completely smooth.
- 12
Bring the measured cooking liquid to a simmer over medium heat, whisk in the cornstarch mixture, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the gravy coats a spoon.
- 13
Separate the beef into thick pieces with two forks, spoon some gravy over the beef and vegetables, and scatter with parsley. Serve the remaining gravy alongside.
Serve the beef in thick pieces with the vegetables and plenty of gravy. Leftover roast also makes a good sandwich filling the next day.
