Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast Recipe
Pot roast is a good dinner to come back to after a long day. This one has a tangy balsamic edge against the savory beef, with the cooking juices ready to become a glossy sauce. Sit down to a generous portion and enjoy the slow-cooked result.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 360 min
- Total
- 375 min
- Original yield
- Serves 10
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- 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. Brown before slow cooking
Season the roast and brown both sides in the hot pan before transferring the meat into the slow cooker.
2. Use the browning pan for onion
Cook the diced onion briefly in the same pan after the beef is removed, then add it over the roast.
3. Strain before reducing juices
For the optional glaze, strain the cooking liquid and spoon away the fat before reducing the remaining sauce.
Get to know the ingredients
Boneless chuck roast
The meat is a boneless chuck roast, browned whole before it goes into the cooker with its seasonings.
Optional beef base
If using beef base, whisk it into the balsamic vinegar in a small cup before pouring that mixture over the roast.
Carrot pieces
The carrots are cut into inch-sized pieces and added around the meat only if there is room in the cooker.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 10. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 15 steps completeMake room for Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast Recipe
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
Remove the bay leaf
Take out the bay leaf before serving. If making the glaze, reduce the strained, skimmed juices in the saucepan.
A little more help as you go
Potatoes depend on space
The small potatoes are an included option if there is room around the roast, alongside the carrots in the cooker.
A stronger balsamic finish
The directions allow another two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in the sauce before reducing it if you want a stronger flavor.
A few questions you might have
Does the red wine go into the browning pan?
It is poured over the beef in the slow cooker with the balsamic mixture and brown sugar after adding aromatics.
Which slow-cooker setting is given?
The directions cook the assembled roast on low for six to eight hours, then remove the bay leaf before serving.
Do I have to reduce the juices?
The directions describe reduction as the way to turn the finished cooking juices into a glaze, after straining and skimming.
When do garlic and thyme go in?
Top the beef in the cooker with the cooked onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf before adding the liquids and sugar.
Should I add the fat to the glaze pan?
Spoon the fat off the strained cooking liquid and discard it before the remaining sauce goes into the saucepan.
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: dinnerthendessert.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
