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This Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast is a great “set it and forget it” type of meal! With moist and tender meat, potatoes, carrots and flavorful gravy, it’ll be a hit with the whole family!
Is there a more classic comfort food than pot roast and potatoes?! I think not! And there’s something about a good hearty meat & taters meal that just warms the soul!
Let me highlight a couple of my favorite things about this recipe. First off, it’s a whole meal in one, so if you start the slow cooker in the morning, it’ll be ready when you get home from work. Second, it’s full of flavor without having to measure tons of ingredients, thanks to the flavor-packed onion soup mix and brown gravy mix. And lastly, my hubby and kiddos love it and when the whole family approves, this mama is sure to make it over and over again!
Ingredients for Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Pot Roast – A chuck roast would also work great as it’s also a well-marbled, tender piece of meat
- Carrots – I use baby carrots (because, hello, it’s EASY!) but you can certainly use whole carrots, peeled and cut into 3″ sticks.
- Baby Yellow Potatoes – I used Yukon Gold potatoes, but any small yellow potatoes will work.
- Beef Broth – Sometimes I use half beef broth and half dry red wine! (Yum!!!) You can use water instead, but I like the added flavor from the beef broth!
- Brown Gravy Mix – Using brown gravy mix will thicken the sauce and add a boost of flavor!
- Onion Soup Mix – Flavor, flavor, flavor!
Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast – Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start by seasoning the pot roast with salt and pepper, then searing it in a hot skillet with oil.
Flip the roast and sear the other side. While it’s searing, prepare the potatoes and carrots.
Add the potatoes to a slow cooker followed by the carrots.
Now you’ll add the beef to the slow cooker, setting it right on top of the carrots.
Add the broth to the skillet – whisk to get the small, flavorful bits from the meat off the bottom of the skillet. Add the onion soup mix and brown gravy mix and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture over the meat then turn the slow cooker to low or high (details below).
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Brown Gravy Mix – Timing
Cook on Low: It’ll take 8-9 hours if you’re cooking it on low. If you’re going to be gone all day (ie. if you are at work from 8 to 5), cooking it on low is your best option for sure!
Cook on High: Cooking on high, it’ll take about 5-6 hours, depending on the size of the roast. You’ll know when it’s ready by how tender the meat is. If you can easily shred with a fork, it’s ready! If not, give it more time to cook. Note that the carrots and potatoes will be very soft if cooked on high.
Cook it in the Oven: Place the vegetables and meat in a roaster pan. Top with the sauce, cover with a lid (or aluminum foil) and bake at 275F for 4 hours or until the meat is tender.
Cook in the Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure (just the meat and sauce mixture) for 75 minutes, then add the veggies to the top of the pot and cook an additional 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
No, you certainly do not need to. I personally love the flavor of the caramelized bits of meat on the outside, but it’s not a requirement. And it definitely saves a little time by skipping this step!
If you choose not to brown/sear the roast before adding it to the crockpot, you’ll still season it first. Then, just mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl before adding to the crockpot. The rest of the instructions will remain the same!
Other Easy Meal Ideas!
Sheet Pan Pork Loin – If you like recipes that cook the meat and veggies all in one, this is for you! Very little prep and just 25 minutes in the oven!
Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot – We love this pulled pork for its minimal ingredients, wonderful flavor and endless options for leftovers!
One Dish Ground Beef Casserole – With few ingredients and very few dishes, it’s a win-win for everyone. Even the pickiest eaters seem to love this one!
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Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3-pound pot roast
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 2 pound baby yellow potatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 packet brown gravy mix
- 1 packet onion soup mix
Instructions
- Season both sides of the pot roast with salt and pepper.
- Place a large skillet over high heat; add the oil to the pan.
- Once the skillet is hot, sear the pot roast for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- While the roast is searing, add the carrots and potatoes into the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Place the roast over the vegetables.
- Add the broth to the skillet and scrape the bottom of the skillet to get all the flavorful bits! Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Whisk in the gravy mix and onion soup mix.
- Pour into the slow cooker over the pot roast.
- Cook on LOW heat for 8 hours or on HIGH heat for 5-6 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- When ready to serve, remove the meat, potatoes and carrots onto a serving platter.
- If the sauce in the bottom is thick enough for your liking, serve as is. If you'd like it a bit thicker, see the notes below.
I have been trying to make a great pot roast that’s as easy as delicious. This is it! LOVE IT
Made it today, loved it, nice texture and the gravy was nice addition.
This is so good! The roast was so tender and flavorful. I’ll always use this recipe when I make a roast.