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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- The meat is unbelievably tender and juicy with just the right amount of seasonings.
- There's usually enough leftovers to make another meal.
- The broth is an amazing base for beef noodle soup!
It's the kind of comfort food that we grew up on - a budget friendly dinner that you can stretch with extra potatoes and carrots and no one will ever know.
A little red wine, a spoonful of herbs, and about eight hours in your crockpot turns a hunk of beef into a meal that will have you salivating as soon as you walk in the door.
Pot roast has to be one of those comfort foods that everyone loves. It isn't exactly luxurious or gourmet but it is very, very good...if it is done right.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
The ingredients for this pot roast recipe are really quite simple! First, choose high quality ingredients.
Make sure your beef has good marbling of fat without being overly fatty. I like to use purple, red, orange, and white carrots just because they're fun but baby carrots or regular carrots work find.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Season
Seasoning the pot roast and allowing it to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes helps the meat to absorb more flavor AND, since it comes close to room temperature for a short time, the meat cooks more evenly.
Dice the Vegetables
Next you'll want to dice the carrots, onions, and celery. This is called a mirepoix.
Saute the Vegetables
Sauteeing the vegetables and putting a nice, caramelized sear on the meat gives the dish a rich meaty flavor that's hard to get if you skip this important step. Then just put it all in the
🥫 Storage
Let the pot roast cool down and then add it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This dish does not freeze well.
To reheat: microwave in single serving size portions or heat on top of the stove in a pot.
📖 Variations
- If you prefer not to use red wine use extra beef broth in its place or try this simple crockpot roast with potatoes and carrots.
- Add other root vegetables like quartered turnips, parsnips, or sweet potatoes.
- Pearl onions are a nice addition to this
slow cooker pot roast recipe.
Beef stew is another family favorite.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use baby carrots and small thin skinned potatoes so that you don't have to spend time peeling.
- Use onions from the store that are already diced to save time.
- Choose a red wine that is hearty and fruity like shiraz or zinfandel.
- Rub it on all sides with olive oil then pat your salt, pepper, and herb mixture over it all.
- Allow it to stand at room temperature for half an hour - this helps it cook more evenly and the flavors of the seasonings will be absorbed by the meat.
- Always sear the roast on all sides in a super hot pan before adding to the
slow cooker . It makes a HUGE difference. - Don't put too much liquid in the
slow cooker . - Give it a good 8 to 10 hours on low for the best results.
👩🍳 FAQs
You can plan on about two very generous servings per pound of meat, or three servings per pound if you are feeding two adults and a child or two.
Saying that, if you have unexpected company or a scanty grocery budget you can easily add more potatoes and carrots to make the meal go much further - just like grandma did.
A typical pot roast averages 2.5 to 3 pounds.
You can either serve the pot roast in the thin juices that are created from cooking or you can thicken those rich juices to make a delicious gravy. Learn how to make homemade gravy here.
Any of the following roasts work well in this recipe.
Chuck Roast
Shoulder Steak
Boneless Chuck Roast
Chuck Seven Bone Roast
Beef Chuck Arm
Brisket
Rump Roast
Round Roast
Not a good idea. Slow cooking melts the tough connective tissue and fat and gives you a butter tender piece of meat. Cooking on high for a shorter period of time will result in a tougher piece of beef.
🍲 What to do with leftover pot roast
There are so many things that you can make with the leftovers you may want to make extra pot roast to have enough on hand for later in the week. Here are a few ways I love leftover pot roast.
- Shepherd's Pie
- Diner style open faced beef sandwiches with leftover roast and gravy
- Au Jus sandwiches on onion rolls
- Make a ragu sauce for pasta
- Serve over cheese grits
- Serve over rice
- Serve over noodles
- Chop up into hash
- Use in an omelet
- Make into enchiladas
📚 Related recipes
- Slow Cooker Meatballs - these are great because you don't need to cook them first!
- Beef and Noodles - comfort food from my childhood for sure! Tender beef in gravy over egg noodles. Simple and delicious.
- Italian Beef Sandwiches - Tangy beef is slow cooked and shredded before piling on hoagie rolls.
- Texas Steak Sandwiches - I love these! Juicy cheesesteaks done the Texas way.
🍽️ Serve with...
You don't need much in the way of sides for this meal since it's all done in one pot.
- A crispy broccoli and cauliflower salad adds a nice crunch to the meal.
- I love this cheesy southern eggplant casserole as a side during the winter.
- A warm slice of homemade bread is hard to turn down.
- Classic chocolate cake is the best way to end ANY meal as far as I'm concerned.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
The herbes de Provence are a big part of the amazing flavor of this roast! Without them it's just an ordinary, run of the mill roast -you've got to try them! They're great on chicken, vegetables... SO many things!
You'll also need a slow cooker.
📞 The last word
Ahhhh... the perfect pot roast recipe. It's
This is an old fashioned dinner that will whisk you back to grandma's kitchen. Next time be sure to try my other favorite, Mississippi pot roast.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Perfect Pot Roast
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 pounds beef , boneless beef chuck roast was used here but see other suggestions in post
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, less if using table salt
- 2 tablespoons herbes de provence
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, coarsely ground
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 ½ cups onions, diced
- 2 cups red wine, a hearty fruity red like Shiraz or Zinfandel
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 pounds potatoes, Yukon Gold or other thin skinned variety
Instructions
- Wash and quarter the potatoes - no need to peel unless you use Russet potatoes.
- Mix the salt, herbs, and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Rub the meat on all sides with a little of the olive oil.
- Rub the salt mixture into the meat on all sides.
- Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet.
- Saute the celery, carrots, and onions until softened.
- Remove from pan and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add a little more oil if needed to the pan.
- Heat until it's starting to shimmer. Watch carefully!
- Sear the beef on all sides, getting a good, gold-brown crust. This will take a minute or two per side.
- Remove the beef from the pan and place on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Add the red wine and beef stock to the hot pan and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom with a flat spatula to get all of the brown bits and pieces of meat that might be left. Lots of flavor in those.
- Simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Pour the liquid in the pan over the meat in the slow cooker.
- Add the garlic cloves, bay leaf, and fresh thyme.
- Add the potatoes to the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Spoon off any excess fat.
Notes
- Get the meat out of the fridge.
- Rub it on all sides with olive oil then pat your salt, pepper, and herb mixture over it all.
- Allow it to stand at room temperature for half an hour - this helps it cook more evenly and the flavors of the seasonings will be absorbed by the meat.
- Always sear the roast on all sides in a super hot pan before adding to the slow cooker. It makes a HUGE difference.
- Don't put too much liquid in the slow cooker.
- Give it a good 8 to 10 hours on low for the best results.
- Chuck Roast
- Shoulder Steak
- Boneless Chuck Roast
- Chuck Seven Bone Roast
- Beef Chuck Arm
- Brisket
- Rump Roast
- Round Roast
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published February 16, 2010. Last updated January 18, 2023.
Daniela says
Wonderful flavor!
barbara says
This is a first for me because I have no idea what herbes de provence is...you would think i would know being 80 (81 New Years Day) I am happy to still be kickin! lol Thank you sweet Marye for all your great recipes, we enjoy them so much Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family Barbara aka Granny
Ramon says
Fantastic looking recipe. I’m making it at this moment.
Just curious, how much is too much liquid in the crockpot? My roast essentially goes to the edges of the crockpot and 4 cups of broth and wine basically submerges the entire roast but does cover the bottom of the potatoes on top.
I pulled enough liquid out so only half of the roast is covered, but the potatoes look lonely on top with no juice.
I’m reserving the liquid I pulled out and I’m reducing it on the stove a bit. I may add it back in later. I don’t want to drown the roast, but I don’t want it to be dry either.
So far everything is tasting amazing!
Marye says
Im not sure. I have a 6 quart crockpot and the liquid comes about halfway up the roast.
Shelly says
This sounds so delicious and easy! Glad you posted this, will be on our menu this week.
Marye Audet says
🙂 thanks Shelly! It's one of our favorites!