Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast Recipe

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This slow cooker Beef Pot Roast is fall-apart tender, juicy, a touch spicy and just packed with incredible flavor. It's the perfect easy-to-make hearty meal, like this slow cooker london broil too!

This post was originally posted in September 2017. It has been updated for photos and content. For a good laugh, scroll down below the recipe card and see what the old photos look like!

Beef pot roast has never excited me. Cubes of beef cooked with potatoes and carrot=BORING in my book.

Until now. With a healthy dose of New Mexico chili powder, some chili flakes, a touch of cream and my super secret ingredients (it's fish sauce guys...it's always fish sauce), this pot roast recipe is anything but boring.

And don't even be thinking about the fish sauce. It doesn't taste fishy. I promise. It adds just the perfect umami quality to the flavor of the beef. It's just perfection.

The beef is cooked low and slow for hours on end (well, 6-8 hours to be "exact") until it comes apart with a fork. And if you're thinking it must be dry...it's not. It's so juicy and tender and delicious, with just a hint of spice.

This is the beef pot roast you want to be eating guys. OR...this sous vide pot roast is pretty gosh darn delicious!

The Ingredients

You've got your traditional ingredients like potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots. Feel free to sub any of these (except onion and garlic - they add part of the wonderful flavor!).

The Best Meat for Pot Roast

We use chuck roast in this recipe for it's higher fat content. I never recommend using a lean cut of beef as I find it dries out, even when doing it low and slow (cooking that is). Brisket will also work well for pot roast.

And of course, I like to amp it up with some of these spices and ingredients for an extra boost of spice and flavor (the full list of ingredients is in the recipe card if you scroll down below):

• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• New Mexico chili powder
• Crushed red pepper
• Fish sauce
• Worcestershire sauce

New Mexico chilies are typically relatively mild, so the powder is not usually overly spicy.

Chipotle peppers are just jalapenos that have been dried and smoked. They have a wonderful deep, smoky flavor and are typically somewhat spicy, but not overly so.

Fish sauce, while it may seem strange, adds just the most wonderful flavor to the beef. Don't worry, it doesn't taste fishy. You can also substitute soy sauce for a similar umami quality.

Step by Step Instructions

Let the beef sit out on the counter for about 1-2 hours to let it come to room temperature. This will better help the crust to form when browning it.

Once the roast has come to room temperature, season it with the salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet over high heat and place your roast on the skillet and sear on all sides, making sure a good crust is forming on each side (about 2-4 minutes per side).

While the beef is searing, layer the onions, carrots, potatoes and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place the roast on top of the vegetables.

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix to make sure all the chunks of spices have been incorporated.

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. I used a 2.5 pound roast and cook for 7 hours. Turn the slow cooker off and serve (see below for some ideas).

Serving Options

Now, since this is already made with potatoes and carrots, you technically have a full meal. But come on, what fun it that?

• Start your meal with a refreshing salad like theses Instant Pot Beets or this simple Tomato Salad;
• For even more carby goodness, make these ultra Creamy Mashed Potatoes;
• This Roasted Parmesan Asparagus or this simple Sauteed Broccolini are great green vegetables accompaniments;
• Or maybe this Cheesy Cauliflower Bake....
• And no matter what you're doing, dessert should be had. Like this Peach Cobbler or get a little fancy with this Lemon Souffle.

Expert Tips

1. The key to adding great flavor to the pot roast is searing the beef first. While you can technically skip this step if you're in a hurry, I highly recommend taking the time to do it;
2. The beef can be seared the night before and stored in an airtight container. I prefer to do it this way so I can throw everything in the slow cooker in the AM and head out to work for the day;
3. Using a cast iron skillet to sear the beef typically has the best results;
4. The roast can be cooked on high for 3-4 hours to save time - but cooking it on low heat results in more tender, juicy beef. So if you have the time, low and slow is the way to go (yes we like to rhyme around here);
5. Add more crushed red pepper if you'd like additional spice. The New Mexico chili powder is not very spicy.
6. If you don't have cream, you can omit it;
7. This recipe works well with a wide range of roast sizes - anywhere from 2-5 pounds will typically be fine in the slow cooker (if your is big enough - this 6 quart Crock Pot is my go-to for all slow cooking - affiliate link). Obviously, the larger the roast, the longer it will take to cook. A five pound roast will likely need to cook for 9-10 hours on low.

The pot roast can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave.

Why is My Pot Roast Tough?

Both undercooked and overcooked pot roast can be tough. Using a slow cooker helps to eliminate these problems as it is cooked low and slow for many hours.

Using low heat to cook instead of high heat helps the meat to break down while cooking, which results in juicy, tender beef. If you cook the roast too fast, the connective tissue does not have time to break down, resulting in tough meat.

**If you take the lid off and your roast is still tough (and you've been cooking it on low per the instructions), put the lid back on and continue cooking until it is tender (another 1-2 hours). 

More Beef Recipes

• Instant Pot Corned Beef;
• Easy Beef Stroganoff;
• Beef Rendang Recipe (Malaysian Beef Curry);
• Mongolian Beef;
• Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef).

Did you make this Beef Pot Roast? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment below and let me know how it turned out 🙂

Oh man....check out this old photo!