Slow Cooker Beef Roast (Printable)

Hearty beef chuck roast braised slowly with root vegetables and fresh herbs for rich, tender results.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 (3–4 lb) beef chuck roast

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
03 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
04 - 2 stalks celery, sliced
05 - 1 large onion, chopped

→ Aromatics & Herbs

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
08 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
09 - 2 bay leaves

→ Liquids

10 - 2 cups beef broth
11 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

→ Seasonings

12 - 1 ½ tsp salt
13 - 1 tsp black pepper
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season all sides generously with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned, about 3–4 minutes per side.
03 - Place carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
04 - Position the seared beef on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
05 - Scatter minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves over the roast and vegetables.
06 - Pour beef broth and Worcestershire sauce evenly over the contents.
07 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily shredded with a fork.
08 - Discard bay leaves and herb stems. Slice or shred the beef and serve alongside the vegetables and cooking juices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender without any fussing after the initial sear.
  • Everything cooks in one pot, which means minimal cleanup on a busy night.
  • The vegetables absorb all that rich, savory flavor and practically melt on your tongue.
  • You get a restaurant-quality braised meal that tastes like it took all day to prepare.
02 -
  • Skipping the sear step seems like a shortcut, but you'll regret it; those browned bits are pure flavor that the slow cooker can't replicate.
  • If your beef is still tough after 8 hours, it might have been a leaner cut; chuck roast is really the best choice here.
  • Save that cooking liquid; it's liquid gold for making gravy or for dipping bread into at the end of the meal.
03 -
  • A 6-8 quart slow cooker is ideal; anything smaller and the roast won't cook evenly, and anything larger wastes energy.
  • If you're cooking on HIGH instead of LOW, cut the time down to 4-5 hours, though LOW really does produce more tender, evenly cooked meat.

Go Back