Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy
A classic meal with a few updates, this Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy is easy to make and cooks with the gravy right in the pot for the perfect one-pot meal!
For Instant Pot Pot Roast click here
There may be some people that turn their noses up at the though of pot roast, but I think it’s just because they haven’t had a really delicious, perfectly cooked pot roast. If every roast you’ve ever had was dried up and tough, then it’s time to try my Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy. It turns out fork-tender with tons of rich flavor and perfectly cooked carrots and potatoes for an all in one pot meal that the whole family will love. Serve it up with some biscuits and some salad for a Sunday quality family meal any night of the week.
Which roast is best for the slow cooker?
Which roast is best for the slow cooker?I love to use chuck roast. It a tougher cut of meat with more muscle but more flavor. It’s great for slow cooking all day because it has just the right amount of fat but even more meat and will break down to become totally tender after a long day in the slow cooker.
In fact, this recipe is a great one for cooking all day, up to 10 hours. It’s not done until it’s fall apart tender.
Do you put water in a slow cooker to cook a roast?
Do you put water in a slow cooker to cook a roast?It depends on your final goal for the recipe, but in this case, yes. We are submerging this roast in a broth and wine mixture which not only will help with making the meat super tender, but with the addition of just the right ingredients, will also thicken the broth to a gravy.
For this recipe, I used both cornstarch and tapioca pearls. I like the smoothness of a gravy thickened with tapioca but I also love the additional thickness of the cornstarch. Using both was the perfect combination for me, but feel free to use one or the other.
How do I keep the veggies from getting overcooked?
How do I keep the veggies from getting overcooked?When leaving this for 8-10 hours to cook, one option would be the add the veggies later. But, since the idea of slow cooking is so that you can put it all in to cook and not worry until dinner time, I like another option instead.
I make sure I put large carrots and potatoes into the slow cooker, because they will take longer to cook. The bonus is that if you are using baby carrots and baby potatoes, you can throw them in whole with no extra chopping work!
Now, of course, the big question is always whether you should brown the meat first. I did this time, but I don’t think it’s critical. If this topic interests you, you can check out my experiment here. If you like to brown your meat but don’t like washing an extra pan, I highly recommend this multi-cooker which let’s you do everything all in one pot.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion cut into 1/2" pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 oz baby carrots
- 16 oz gold potatoes halved or quartered if large
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup tapioca pearls
Instructions
- Season roast with herb and garlic seasoning
- Heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat in skillet or multi cooker
- Brown roast on both sides and transfer to slow cooker along with onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes
- Make a slurry of cornstarch by whisking until smooth with 1/4 cup water
- Whisk cornstarch slurry with all remaining ingredients and pour into slow cooker
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until fork tender
Notes
Nutrition
Made this today!! So flavorful and the meat was so tender!! Loved it!! It was a hit and will be made again!!
I don’t drink normally so we do not have wine in the house. Can I use red cooking wine?
You can just swap out for some extra beef broth instead!
I’ve taken to substituting with an equal amount of broth then adding a splash of red wine vinegar (for beef recipes) or white wine vinegar (for pork and chicken). You still get the acidity and depth of flavor that wine adds, but without the alcohol.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is super helpful!!
Do you place the pot roast directly on the bottom of the slow cooker, or do you set a layer of vegetables down first? Also, should the roast be completely submerged in the gravy from the start?
You can place it right in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the veggies surrounding it. If you can mostly cover the meat in liquid by cooking, it will turn out that much better 🙂
Do you add the Pearls as is or do you soften them?
I added them as is and they mostly dissolved. If having a few left will be bothersome, feel free to soften first.
Are they crucial? Or will the flour thicken it?
You could add additional flour or cornstarch (mixed with a bit of water first to form a slurry) instead if you prefer.
Will it work without tapioca pearls?
Yes, you could use cornstarch or flour to thicken instead by making a paste then whisking until smooth. Although I think the results are much better using the tapioca pearls.
Recommendations for a red wine?
Whatever you love to drink most will taste the best to you in this recipe. That being said, my personal favorite is Planet Oregon Pinot Noir 🙂
When do we place the sweet yellow onion? It’s listed in the ingredients but not in the cooking directions.
Sorry about that! It should go with the carrots and potatoes.
Can you substitute the wine with something else.
Yes, you can sub with additional broth.
I would never turn up my nose at pot roast, especially when it looks this juicy and delicious! Thank you for sharing, Jennifer! 🙂
Thanks Nicole!
Your recipe says to cook on “low” but your notes say not to cook on low. Which is it?
thanks for the catch!! I do recommend low, not high.