The "So Easy" Pot Roast I'll Be Making All Winter (It's Unbelievably Tender)
Like many Americans, I grew up with savory pot roast as a staple of our family dinners. The dish was well-loved by everyone in our family (and it was an easy slow cooker meal). My mom enjoyed the ease of tucking browned chuck roast, onions, carrots, potatoes, and an envelope of onion soup mix into our avocado-green Crock-Pot before running off to work. When we got home, we were greeted with the delicious aroma of meltingly tender beef and vegetables.
Over the years I’ve updated my mom’s stalwart recipe to make the dish even easier and, dare I say, tastier. Mom browned the beef before putting it in the slow cooker, but I have discovered that it’s not strictly necessary, as the un-submerged part of the meat browns in the slow cooker all on its own. I also skip the onions, as I don’t love sautéing onions first thing in the morning. And as it turns out I don’t miss them in the final meal. Lastly, I trade the dry onion soup mix for the more nuanced flavor of demi glace concentrate. The rich mixture of concentrated beef broth, aromatics, tomato, and wine in demi glace makes the best braising liquid, and is hands-down the best pot roast gravy I’ve ever had.
Why You’ll Love It
Quicker prep. There’s no meat searing or onions that need sautéing in this recipe — the slow cooker does all the work for you. No more beef and onion smells on your clothes first thing in the morning!
Delicious gravy. Demi glace concentrate creates a delicious braising liquid that makes a rich, beefy gravy.
Key Ingredients in Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Beef chuck roast: The chuck primal has lots of connective tissue and fat marbled throughout, so it’s meltingly tender. Beef chuck cuts can go by many names: blade roast, arm pot roast, chuck steak, chuck blade roast, chuck-eye roast. All are suitable for pot roast, as they have lots of fat and connective tissue that will dissolve in the slow moist heat of the slow cooker. I like chuck-eye roast because it comes in two neat muscle bundles that are easy to slice across the grain, but any piece of meat from the chuck primal will work. Do not use cuts from the round primal (hind leg, such as rump roast, bottom round, or top round), as they are leaner and won’t become as tender in this recipe.
Demi Glace Concentrate: A packet of this very rich blend of beef stock, tomato, wine, and aromatics makes a delicious braising liquid that turns into even better gravy!
Vegetables: Large carrots cut into big pieces, and smaller (unpeeled) potatoes like fingerling or butterball potatoes will cook to tender perfection in the same time as the beef.
Flour and butter: Simmering the defatted braising liquid with a mixture of flour and butter makes a perfect gravy consistency to blanket the beef and vegetables.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Combine the ingredients. Season the meat and place it in the slow cooker with the vegetables. Mix the demi glace concentrate with water and pour over the meat.
Slow cook on low. Cook on low heat in the slow cooker until a fork twists easily in the meat, 8 to 9 hours.
Defat liquid. Pour braising liquid into a measuring cup or fat separator and discard liquid fat on top. If you leave the fat in, you’ll get greasy gravy.
Make gravy. Make a roux with equal parts butter and flour and whisk in the braising liquid.
Carve. Break the roast into large muscle groups along the fatty seams for easier carving. Slice each large chunk against the grain with a sharp carving knife.
Helpful Swaps
If you can’t find Savory Choice Demi Glace Concentrate, substitute another brand such as Williams Sonoma, Knorr, or Minor’s demi glace concentrate. Start by mixing 1 tablespoon into the hot water and increase if needed to make a strongly flavored liquid. Alternatively, mix 2 teaspoons of jarred beef bouillon paste and 1 teaspoon tomato paste with the hot water to create a rich, flavorful braising liquid.
Use fresh chopped chives or basil instead of parsley for garnish.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Like any braised beef dish, this pot roast would be wonderful made a day ahead. Store the meat and gravy separate from the vegetables and let them cool completely in the refrigerator before covering them. Reheat in the microwave, covered, until piping hot. Top with more parsley before serving.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
With just 6 ingredients, this unbelievably tender pot roast and vegetables has a gravy that's next level.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 8 hours to 9 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 (3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 pound large carrots (about 5), peeled and cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
1 pound fingerling or small yellow potatoes
3/4 cup hot water
1 (37.5-gram) packet Savory Choice demi glace concentrate (see Recipe Notes for substitutes)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives (optional)
Instructions
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Season 1 (3-pound) beef roast all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Scatter 1 pound peeled and cut large carrots and 1 pound small potatoes (leave whole and unpeeled) around the roast.
Stir 3/4 cup warm water and 1 packet demi glace concentrate together, then pour over the roast. Cover and cook on the LOW setting until a fork twists easily when inserted into the center of the roast, 8 to 9 hours.
Transfer the roast to a clean cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Cover to keep warm.
Pour the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and spoon off the fat that floats to the top. (Alternatively, pour the cooking liquid into a fat separator (in batches if necessary) and pour the liquid into a measuring cup, stopping when you get to the clear liquid fat at the top.) Discard the fat.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the cooking liquid and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Keep warm over low heat.
Gently break the roast apart into the naturally occurring muscle groups that are separated by seams of fat. Carve each piece of meat with a sharp knife across the grain into thick slices. Discard any large blobs of fat, but leave some on the meat; it adds flavor and will be very tender. The slices may break apart a bit and look a little rustic, but try not to tear the meat into long stringy lengths.
Arrange the meat on a serving platter and place the vegetables around the meat. Pour the gravy over the meat and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
Demi-glace substitute: If you can’t find Savory Choice demi glace concentrate, substitute another brand such as Williams Sonoma, Knorr, or Minor’s demi glace concentrate. Start by mixing 1 tablespoon into the hot water and increase if needed to make a strongly flavored liquid. Alternatively, mix 2 teaspoons jarred beef bouillon paste and 1 teaspoon tomato paste with the hot water to make the braising liquid.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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