Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast (Slow Cooker Pot Roast) + VIDEO
A roast dinner feels especially welcoming when there's plenty of gravy to pass around. This beef can take its time while you get on with the rest of the day. Come back to the table for tender roast, softened onions and those savory drippings you've been smelling all afternoon.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 360 min
- Total
- 370 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Roasting · Baked & roasted · Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Give the roast a dry start
Pat the beef dry before it goes into the cooker. A few paper towels will take care of the moisture left by the packaging.
2. Make a bed of onions
Keep the onion slices thick and lay them across the bottom. The roast sits on top, with the broth poured around its sides.
3. Leave room for the rest
The roast needs its resting time after cooking. Use that pause to skim the drippings and get the gravy started.
Get to know the ingredients
The beef roast
Check the weight when choosing the beef. Use a roast in the two-to-three-pound range, rather than individual steaks or cubes.
Thick onion slices
The onion goes under the beef at the start. Slice it into substantial pieces so you can arrange a layer across the bottom of the cooker.
Beef broth
Pour the broth around the beef after adding the seasonings. Keep those cooking juices for the gravy once the roast is out.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast (Slow Cooker Pot Roast) + VIDEO
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Pass the gravy
Let the roast rest, then move it to a serving platter. Spoon over some drippings or gravy before bringing it to the table.
A little more help as you go
Skim before reducing
Lift the fat from the drippings before they go into the pan. Then reduce the liquid by a third over medium-low heat.
Thicken only if needed
Reduction may be enough for your gravy. If it still needs thickening, whisk in the flour-and-cold-water slurry and bring it to a simmer.
A few questions you might have
Does the onion go over or under the beef?
Underneath. Arrange the thick onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker, then put the roast on top.
Should I pour the broth over the seasonings?
Pour it around the sides of the roast after seasoning the beef. That's the order used here.
Can I use either slow-cooker setting?
Yes. The recipe gives six hours on high or eight hours on low. Keep the lid on while it cooks.
Do I have to add flour to the gravy?
Only if it needs thickening after you've skimmed and reduced the drippings. The slurry is an optional finishing step.
When should I taste the gravy?
Taste after reducing and thickening it, then adjust the salt and pepper before serving it with the rested roast.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: asouthernsoul.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.