5-Ingredient Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
You’ve got Sunday dinner in the bag with this extremely easy and oh so delicious crockpot pot roast!
There’s just something about this slow cooker pot roast recipe that feels like fall in a bowl. Juicy beef, tender potatoes, and carrots all simmer together in a rich broth that makes the whole house smell amazing. And my personal favorite? It only takes about 10 minutes to toss everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work.
This recipe is perfect for a laid-back Sunday dinner when you want comfort food with minimal effort. It’s a one-pot meal, so cleanup is easy, and the flavors are so good you’ll want seconds. Serve it up hot straight from the crockpot, and you’ve got the coziest dinner to end the weekend right.
What in 5-ingredient pot roast?
This recipe uses only simple ingredients you can find at the local grocery store!
- Roast: You can use any type of beef roast for this since the crock pot turns just about any cut into super tender meat. The best cut of meat is beef chuck roast or shoulder roast. I often find rump roast for a good price and use that!
- Potatoes: I used russet potatoes in this, but you can use most types of potatoes. If you want to avoid cutting, you can use baby potatoes or red potatoes and throw them in whole!
- Carrots: You’ll need about 1 lb of carrots for this. You can also use baby carrots in this recipe!
- Onion Soup Mix: Pick your favorite brand of dry onion soup mix for this recipe. You can also make your own homemade soup mix.
- Beef Broth: I like to use unsalted beef broth because I find the onion soup mix salt enough, but you can use any kind of beef broth or beef stock you’d like!
Making easy pot roast
Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes and carrots.
Spray your crockpot with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Place potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crockpot, then add the roast on top. Sprinkle the top of the roast with the onion soup mix, making sure to spread it out evenly. Finally, pour the beef broth in, place the lid on, and let the crockpot cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6.
Your roast is done when it can be pulled apart with a fork. I like to pull mine apart in the crockpot, then mix the shredded meat into the rich gravy that forms from the soup mix and beef broth!
What to serve with your pot roast
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s practically and entire dinner on its own. I do like to serve bread with it to soak up that delicious gravy, and these are my favorites:
- No Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Sweet Potato Rolls (super cozy for fall!)
- Oatmeal Bread
Variations and Additions
You can dress this classic recipe up with a few additions to create your own favorites!
- Mississippi Pot Roast: Use ranch dressing mix in place of the onion soup mix, au jus gravy in place of the beef broth, and add a jar of drained pepperoncini peppers to the roast for a souther take!
- Red Wine Gravy: Add 1/2 cup red wine (the alcohol cooks out) to the crockpot at the beginning. This adds to your flavorful roast!
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast: Instead of cooking your roast in a slow cooker, you can use a large dutch oven. Cook the roast for 1-2 hours at 300°.
- Instant Pot Pot Roast: Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot, then set your instant pot to pressure cook for 60 minutes for a quicker take on this one pot meal!
FAQs
Browning isn’t required, but it does add extra flavor and a deeper color to the dish. If you have the time, sear the roast in a hot skillet with a little oil before adding it to the crockpot.
Absolutely. If you prefer, you can leave them out or swap in other vegetables like parsnips, celery, or mushrooms. Just keep in mind that softer veggies should be added halfway through the cooking time so they don’t get mushy.
Leftover pot roast will keep in the fridge for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container. You can reheat leftover roast in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of broth to keep it moist. For longer storage, freeze portions for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb beef roast (chuck or shoulder roast recommended)
- 3-4 russet potatoes
- 1 lb carrots
- 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Peel and chop potatoes and carrots.
- Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place vegetables on the bottom, then add the pot roast.
- Sprinkle the pot roast with the dry onion soup mix. Pour in the beef broth.
- Place the lid on the crockpot and allow to cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Roast is done when it is fork-tender.
