Simmered on low for 8 hours with hearty vegetables, this tender classic slow cooker pot roast melts in your mouth. 

Overhead shot of shredded pot roast in serving dish with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms.

This Slow Cooker Pot Roast Is Melt-In-Your-Mouth Goodness.

This pot roast recipe is lazy Sunday perfection! Chuck roast is slow cooked in a tantalizing gravy for 8 hours on low with buttery baby potatoes, carrots, button mushrooms, sweet onion, and fresh winter herbs like rosemary and thyme. It’s easy to prep, easy to clean up, and it fills your home with the comforting aroma of a true home-cooked meal with its tender beef, earthy vegetables, herbs, and red wine. This has easily become a favorite in this house. Served with fresh bread, you absolutely cannot go wrong.

The Super Aromatic Ingredient List.

Let me tell you, your house is going to smell GREAT when you have this beauty simmering away in your slow cooker. So get ready. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Olive oil
  • Boneless chuck roast 
  • Yellow onions 
  • Garlic cloves
  • Baby potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Mushrooms
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Brown sugar
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Beef bouillon paste (here’s my absolute hands-down favorite)
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Beef broth
  • Red wine
  • Flour
  • Fresh parsley

Overhead shot of uncooked pot roast, veggies, and herbs in a slow cooker.

Side shot close up of bowl of tender pot roast.

How to Cook a Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker.

A slow cooker pot roast is probably the easiest pot roast. Throw everything into a pot, hit a button, and walk away; enjoy the fabulous smells wafting throughout your home as it simmers away. Here’s the gist:

  1. Pop the potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic cloves into the slow cooker.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Rub the roast with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary or thyme, and bring the roast to the hot pan. You want to brown each side to create a nice crust on the outside. Then transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
  3. With the same skillet used to brown the roast, add red wine, beef broth, bouillon paste, brown sugar, mustard, and balsamic vinegar over medium-high heat. Bring it all to a simmer, whisking the ingredients together until well-mixed and the sugar and bouillon have completely dissolved. Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the flour.
  4. Carefully pour the gravy into the slow cooker over the beef and vegetables. This juice will thicken as it slow cooks, also taking in the natural juices from the beef.
  5. Cover and cook everything on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart and the vegetables are soft. For tender beef that can be shredded, you’re looking for an internal temperature of about 205º F.
  6. Taste test and add any extra balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, or pepper if needed.
  7. Shred the meat, drizzle with gravy, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Overhead close up of serving bowl full of pot roast and veggies.

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

  • For a tender and shreddable roast beef, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 205º F. Use a meat thermometer for best results.
  • When choosing a cut of beef for this recipe, I suggest chuck roast since it’s super tender and falls apart easily. Brisket is a fattier cut that also gets super tender and would work well. A bottom round or top round are leaner cuts, so they aren’t ideal for a shredded roast and would work better for a sliced roast.
  • If you don’t have a full 8+ hours to slow cook, you could slow cook it on high for 4-6 hours. Time will vary depending on your slow cooker model, so keep an eye on the internal temperature.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Other Beefy Dishes You’ll Love:

Side shot close up of bowl of tender pot roast.

Get the Recipe:

Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
8 hours 10 minutes
Simmered on low for 8 hours with hearty vegetables, this tender slow cooker pot roast melts in your mouth. 
5 from 46 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 lb boneless chuck roast
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp Fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 lb baby potatoes
  • 4 oz fresh button mushrooms, You could also get cremini mushrooms and slice them into quarters, since they're larger. Button mushrooms can be left whole.
  • 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 rib of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • A few fresh thyme sprigs
  • A few fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 TBSP stone ground mustard, Dijon mustard will also work.
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar
  • 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp beef bouillon paste, Better Than Bouillon works really well.
  • 1 TBSP all purpose flour
  • Fresh chopped parsley, to serve

Equipment

  • Slow cooker

Instructions 

  • Place the garlic, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and celery into the slow cooker. Create a bit of a dip in the middle to nestle the roast.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet or pan over high heat. Rub the roast with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary or thyme. Transfer the roast to the hot pan of oil and cook, for about 5-6 minutes each side, until browned. This will give the exterior a nice crust, but don't cook it anymore than that. When done, transfer the roast to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the stove.
  • To the skillet where you browned the beef, add the beef broth, red wine, mustard, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and bouillon paste over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking the ingredients together until well-mixed and the sugar and bouillon have dissolved. Scrape up any pan bits while you're at it—this will add to the flavor of your gravy!
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, whisk in the flour, and carefully pour the liquid into the slow cooker over the beef and vegetables. This juice will thicken as it slow cooks, also taking in the natural juices from the beef.
  • Nestle a few fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs around the beef and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 5-6 hours), until the meat is tender and falling apart and the vegetables are soft. For tender beef that can be shredded, you're looking for an internal temperature of 190-195º. Taste test and season it a little extra if necessary.
  • Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Shred it or slice, then place it into a serving dish with the vegetables. Drizzle with gravy and garnish with fresh parsley.
Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 257mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g
Author: Dana Sandonato
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food