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Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow cooker pot roast delivers fall-apart beef chuck roast with tender potatoes and carrots simmered low and slow. Cook on LOW until fork-tender, then shred or slice and serve with rich pan juices for a cozy Sunday-style meal.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 9 hours
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Use boneless chuck roast for best shredding.
Potatoes
  • 4 potatoes Quarter the potatoes for even slow-cooker cooking.
Carrots
  • 4 carrots Cut into chunks so they stay tender but intact.
Onion
  • 1 onion Slice for sweet, mellow flavor in the broth.
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth Low-sodium is fine; adjust salt at the end if needed.
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Adds depth and savory complexity to the cooking liquid.
Thyme
  • 1 tsp thyme Use dried thyme for steady flavor during long cook time.
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste; season generously on the roast before cooking.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and layer
  1. Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper, making sure the surface is evenly coated.
  2. Place the potatoes, carrots, and onion in the bottom of the crockpot in an even layer.
  3. Set the seasoned roast on top of the vegetables so it sits above the base layer.
Slow cook until fork-tender
  1. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then sprinkle thyme over the top of the roast.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
Serve
  1. Shred or slice the beef and serve with the vegetables and pan juices, spooning the broth over the meat.

Notes

Pro tip: For deeper, caramelized flavor, sear the roast in a hot cast iron skillet for 2-3 minutes per side before slow cooking, then proceed with layering and pouring in the broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently with a splash of the pan juices. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. Dietary swap: use low-sodium beef broth (and taste for salt) to make this easier to fit a lower-sodium diet.