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    Home » Budget Recipes

    Favorite Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    Published: Nov 12, 2015 · Modified: Jul 30, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    A slow cooker pot roast is a welcome sight on a cold and busy evening. The slow braise allows the flavors to develop, making this one of my favorite recipes.

    Favorite Slow Cooker Pot Roast | Good Cheap Eats this …

    When I was a newlywed, slow cookers did not have a great reputation. They were as outdated as the avocado-colored refrigerators they were designed to match. I still went out and bought one. I was hip before hip was cool, ya know?

    Seriously, though, I knew that the slow cooker could do things that would make meal prep so much easier for me. Like make stew like Mom used to make.

    I’m on my second and third generation slow cookers now; they continue to serve me well for soups, sauces, chilis, and all kinds of braises, including my new favorite pot roast recipe.

    Slow cooker pot roast is one of my favorite dishes. It takes me about fifteen minutes to prep it for the crock and then I walk away. I can do school, run errands, watch a movie, read a book, all while knowing that dinner is cooking itself. Jane Jetson, the future is here!

    Beef prices haven’t been too favorable to allowing us slow cooker pot roast or otherwise these days, but recently I found chuck roasts for $3.77/pound. I had several $3/$15 meat purchase coupons from Ralphs, so you can guess that I STOCKED UP. ($3.57/pound is about as cheap a beef cut I can ask for.)

    I need to slow myself down from going through the stash too quickly, but we did enjoy a few rounds of it so I could run this slow cooker pot roast recipe through its paces.

    Favorite Slow Cooker Pot Roast | Good Cheap Eats

    One thing that I’ve done differently in this version is that I’ve made sure it would produce a gluten-free gravy at the end. I think gravy is one of the beautiful fringe benefits of a slow cooker pot roast. I wanted one that was 1. EASY and 2. good for folks eating gluten-free/Whole 30 and all that jazz.

    The secret thickener is tomato sauce. Yay! It works like a charm. Not only does the tomato sauce add a nice flavor to the jus, but it also thickens it just enough for it to serve as a decent gravy. The jus also makes a marvelous mix-in for soup when you have just a few bites of meat and sauce left. We’ve, ahem, enjoyed this a lot lately.

    Another new twist is a spice blend I’m working on. I wanted a really simple spice blend to use quickly in dishes. I’m currently calling it the oh-so-creative name of Basic Spice Blend, but it works. It’s basic, but it’s packed with flavor. I’ll write a full post on it when I have run it through its paces in other dishes. It is great in this slow cooker pot roast. So, be sure to jot down the ingredients once you print the recipe below.

    Basic Spice Blend

    Combine these five ingredients in a small jar. Mix well, cover, and store in an airtight container: 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried thyme.

    This slow cooker pot roast is perfect for these cooler days, nights when you need a little comfort food, and whenever you find a good deal on chuck roast! It’s perfect with mashed potatoes, but feel free to add your favorite vegetables. You could even just add carrots and potatoes to the pot and call it good.

    Tools I use for this recipe:

    • nonstick skillet – I love this pan! I bought it in March and it continues to be my favorite.
    • silicon whisk – great for whisking in a pan you don’t want to scratch
    • WeMo slow cooker – It is currently my go-to of my slow cooker collection. I have four. Ahem.
    • Ergo Chef cooking tongs – so handy for gripping chunks of meat!
    Whole 30 Fall Recipes (gluten free and dairy free) | Good Cheap Eats
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    5 from 2 votes

    Favorite Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    A slow cooker pot roast is a welcome sight on a cold and busy evening. The slow braise allows the flavors to develop, making this one of my favorite recipes.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time6 hrs
    Total Time6 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 252kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 4 teaspoon Basic Spice Blend
    • 2 to 3 lb boneless, beef chuck roast
    • 1 onion sliced
    • 8 oz tomato sauce
    • 1 cup water
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Meanwhile, rub 3 teaspoons Basic Spice Blend over all sides of the chuck roast. When the oil is hot, place the roast in the pan to brown each side quickly. Remove to the crock of a slow cooker.
    • Add the onion slices to the drippings in the pan and cook, stirring, until tender and clear, about 7 minutes. Move to the crock.
    • Whisk together the tomato sauce and the water in the skillet, scraping up any brown bits. Add the remaining teaspoon of Basic Spice Blend and mix well. Transfer this mixture to the crock.
    • Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours. The meat will be fall-apart tender. Serve the meat with the jus over mashed potatoes or your favorite vegetables.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on ⅛ of the recipe and using a 2 pound boneless beef chuck roast. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
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    Comments

    1. Adrienne

      October 23, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and so yummy!

      Reply
    2. ali

      December 16, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      please explain for people who dont usually cook how to prep the slow cooker for the meat. do you add broth? water? how much? think i might have messd up this easy recipe for the lack of steps thank youm

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 25, 2019 at 8:30 pm

        All the steps are included in the recipe, Ali. It lists specifically which liquids to add and when.

        Reply
    3. Jennifer

      June 24, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Would you add in the potatoes, careots, and green been at the very beginning or at some point later?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 24, 2017 at 4:00 pm

        You could add potatoes and carrots at the beginning. I’d add green beans later until you want them really, really soft.

        Reply
        • Jennifer

          June 24, 2017 at 4:39 pm

          Thanks!

    4. Jared Larson

      May 23, 2017 at 6:51 am

      Would this mix taste ok with chicken? I am not fond of pork or beef, I know weird!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 22, 2017 at 8:55 pm

        I have never made this with chicken, so I can’t really say. I wouldn’t make it in the slow cooker, but possibly roast it in the oven.

        Reply
    5. Julie

      April 22, 2016 at 8:49 am

      Have you added carrots and potatoes to the crock pot as well? I’d love to have all of dinner done but I’m not sure if that would change the liquid to solid ratio too much.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        April 22, 2016 at 10:09 am

        Yes, you absolutely can. I just have picky kids; some of whom don’t like the texture of crockpot carrots and potatoes. Plus, I like serving this on mashed potatoes. Don’t worry about changing the liquid. Just throw those in the pot!

        Reply
    6. Sally

      December 15, 2015 at 6:51 am

      I made this last week and it was delicious. I didn’t make it in the slow cooker, I made it in the oven. Since I’m a single I had some leftover. One day I just reheated the leftovers “as is.” I also made hash and used some of the meat to fill tacos. I may use what’s left in soup or stew.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 23, 2016 at 3:32 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    7. Cheri A

      November 17, 2015 at 11:46 am

      I made pot roast in the slow cooker yesterday with celery and carrots cooked in it! I’ve never thought to add tomato sauce. I may have to try it. I usually just add 3/4 cup of water to the cooker and then make a little slurry of cornstarch or tapioca starch at the end to thicken the gravy up. As an aside, my daughter also requested your easy garlic green beans on the side, which I happily made! <3

      Reply
      • Bonnie

        July 25, 2016 at 1:37 pm

        I was so happy to know someone else uses tapioca for the gravy. Tapioca seems to smooth flavors (whatever that means); somehow the celery, carrots and onions are much tastier when tapioca is added.
        I just think the veggies ruin the roast flavor, and the veggies themselves never taste very good – so I add the tapioca.
        I store the leftover box of tapioca in the fridge dehydrator – it lasts forever.

        Reply
        • Jessica Fisher

          September 23, 2016 at 3:32 pm

          I have never had tapioca. I suppose I should try it!

    8. Sally

      November 13, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      Oh my goodness that looks good!

      Reply

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