Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

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!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 10

Servings servings

Calories 235kcal

Author Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

2-4 pound beef chuck roast
1 teaspoon sea salt (to season the beef)
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (to season the beef)
2 onions chopped
2 Russet potatoes cut in 1-2" pieces
4 (whole) carrots cut in 2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
¼ cup red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce (substitute soy sauce)
¼ cup heavy cream
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (crushed)
1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

Let the roast come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before cooking it.
Season the roast with the salt and pepper.
Heat your cast iron skillet over high heat until it is barely smoking.
Sear the roast on all sides (about 3-5 minutes per side), ensuring a good crust is formed.
Layer the onions, potatoes, chopped garlic and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the roast on top of the vegetables and add the remaining ingredients.
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Notes

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;
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;
Using a cast iron skillet to sear the beef typically has the best results;
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);
Add more crushed red pepper if you'd like additional spice. The New Mexico chili powder is not very spicy.
If you don't have cream, you can omit it;
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.

Nutrition