Basic Crock Pot Beef Roast With Vegetables

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Diana Rattray
Updated 06/15/21
Crockpot beef roast recipe

​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic
Prep: 18 mins
Cook: 9 hrs
Total: 9 hrs 18 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
361 Calories
5g Fat
66g Carbs
5g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 361
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 313mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 66g 24%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Protein 5g
Calcium 127mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This pot roast is a simple preparation, yet it offers amazing flavor. With a variety of vegetables and straightforward seasonings, it's a complete meal in one pot. The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for a pot roast, and it doesn't heat up the kitchen the way the oven or stovetop does.

As with many slow cooker recipes, it's easy to adapt the dish to suit your tastes. If your family isn't fond of carrots, replace them with parsnips or chunks of rutabaga. Or add more potatoes to the pot. For extra color, add some frozen green beans or mixed vegetables about 30 to 45 minutes before the pot roast is ready.

Serve the pot roast and vegetables with hot baked biscuits or crusty bread for a tasty and satisfying family dinner.

Featured Video

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds beef chuck roast
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • Pinch black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions (sliced)
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (small round, peeled or left unpeeled, scrubbed)
  • 3 to 4 medium carrots (peeled and cut in 1/2-inch by 3-inch sticks)
  • 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 4 to 6 sprigs thyme (or about 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme)
  • 2 cups beef broth (preferably unsalted or no sodium)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water (cold)
  • 2 teaspoons butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for beef pot roast with vegetables
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  2. Sprinkle the pot roast lightly with salt and pepper.

    Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the pot roast on all sides.

    Heat olive oil
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  4. Add the onions and continue cooking until onions are just beginning to brown. 

    Add onions
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  5. Put the potatoes, carrots, and garlic in the slow cooker. Add the browned roast and the onions, along with the thyme sprigs or dried thyme.

    Carrots and potatoes and meat in slow cooker
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  6. Combine the beef broth with the Worcestershire sauce and pour over the roast and vegetables. 

    Combine the beef broth with the Worcestershire sauce
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  7. Cover and cook on low for 9 to 11 hours, or on high for about 4 to 5 1/2 hours. 

    Cover and cook
    ​The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  8. Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter and keep warm.

    Remove the roast
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  9. Strain the remaining broth and let stand for a few minutes. Skim off fat. Or, use a gravy separator to skim the fat.

    Strain off fat
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  10. Put the juices in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the broth has reduced to about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

    Sauce in pan
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  11. In small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water.

    Cornstarch and water
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  12. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened.

    Stir in cornstarch
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  13. Stir in the butter. Taste and adjust seasonings.

    Butter
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  14. Drizzle some of the sauce over the meat and vegetables, and serve the rest at the table.

    Pot roast with vegetables
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

How to Choose Your Meat

  • Tougher cuts of meat are ideal for long, slow cooking. They have lots of connective tissue, which breaks down and makes the meat tender and succulent. Choose a cut from the chuck, such as the chuck arm, 7-bone, blade, or chuck eye. Other excellent options include the beef brisket (not corned), rump roast, or bottom round.

Should You Turn Meat Over In Slow Cooker?

  • There is no reason to ever flip the meat over in your slow cooker. Just put it in with the other ingredients and let it cook as directed.