Sunday dinners are our FAVORITE! It’s the one night each week that we are guaranteed a nice dinner with the entire family.

Because we attend church, we often make crock pot meals on Sundays, and one of our favorites is this crock pot pot roast. It’s a recipe my mom always made when we were growing up.

We cook it low and slow throughout the day so it is tender and juicy! Using seasoning packets makes this recipe a cinch, but adds TONS of flavor. Plus it’s really just a dump-it-and-go kinda dinner that makes the day extra easy. We love to add our homemade gravy and pair it with potatoes, just like mom.

We love it so much that we also use it as the base meat for many of our favorite recipes like Beef Empanadas, Green Chile Burritos, Beef Enchiladas, Flautas and more.

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • Dump and go! Since it’s made in the slow cooker, you can prep the meal in minutes and let the crockpot do the work.
  • Few ingredients. Just 5 ingredients to make this juicy, tender roast. That’s one easy dinner!
  • Versatile. We make this roast to eat on its own, but then we also use the meat as the base for many of our favorite recipes like our Green Chile Burritos!

Crock Pot Pot Roast Ingredients

  • Brown gravy dry mix (1 tablespoon) – Brown gravy adds savory depth, salt, and a touch of thickener so the juices taste like rich gravy.
  • Hidden Valley dry ranch mix (1 tablespoon) – Ranch mix brings tangy herbs and a gentle zippy flavor that brightens the beef.
  • Italian dressing dry mix (1 tablespoon) – This mix layers in garlic, onion, and Italian herbs for a well-rounded, aromatic roast.
  • Beef chuck roast (2-3 pound) – This is a marbled shoulder cut that breaks down into fall-apart, juicy shreds after low and slow cooking. Look for cuts of meat with a lot of marbling like Chuck roast, rump roast, and bottom round roast.
  • Water (⅓ cup) -Provides moisture to dissolve the seasonings and kickstart those flavorful drippings. You can also use beef broth.
  • extra spice – add garlic powder, black pepper or even Worcestershire sauce. Garnish to taste with herbs like fresh rosemary or fresh thyme.

How to Make Crock Pot Pot Roast

Seasoned pot roast in a lined crock pot.

SEASON ROAST. In a small bowl, combine the seasoning mixes.

  • Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker and pour the water over the roast. Sprinkle the dry mix all over the top.

COOK. Cover with the lid and cook on the LOW setting for 7–8 hours, or until meat is tender and easy to shred. Top with fresh herbs if desired.

Crock pot pot roast served with gravy and potatoes.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

  • We like to make this seasoning in bulk (usually 2-3 packets of each dry mix), and then scoop out 3 tablespoons of the mixture to sprinkle over the top of the roast.
  • Add hearty veggies like diced red potatoes, baby carrots, celery and onion wedges and cook along with this crock pot roast recipe.
  • Use the correct size crock pot and don’t overfill. The ingredients should take up between ½ to ⅔ of the crock pot.
  • While it’s not necessary to brown the roast before cooking it, the caramelized meat adds an extra layer of flavor. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously salt all sides of the roast, sear each side for about 2-3 minutes, and put in the crock pot.
  • You can use the drippings from the crock pot to make Pot Roast Gravy.
4.99 from 121 votes

Crock Pot Pot Roast Recipe

By: Kristyn Merkley
This melt-in-your-mouth crock pot pot roast is tender and flavorful. It takes just 5 minutes of prep before your slow cooker works its magic.
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 7 hours
Total: 7 hours 5 minutes

Equipment

Video

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon brown gravy dry mix
  • 1 tablespoon dry ranch mix
  • 1 tablespoon Italian dressing dry mix
  • 1 (2-3 pound) beef chuck roast
  • ⅓ cup water

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix gravy and ranch and Italian dressing mixes.
  • Place chuck roast in the slow cooker and pour water over it. Sprinkle dry mix all over the top.
  • Cook on low for 7–8 hours, or until meat is tender and easy to shred.
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Notes

Recipe Tips.
  • We like to make this seasoning in bulk (usually 2-3 packets of each dry mix), and then scoop out 3 tablespoons of the mixture to sprinkle over the top of the roast.
  • Add hearty veggies like diced red potatoes, baby carrots, celery and onion wedges and cook along with this crock pot roast recipe.
  • Use the correct size crock pot and don’t overfill. The ingredients should take up between ½ to ⅔ of the crock pot.
  • While it’s not necessary to brown the roast before cooking it, the caramelized meat adds an extra layer of flavor. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously salt all sides of the roast, sear each side for about 2-3 minutes, and put in the crock pot.
  • You can use the drippings from the crock pot to make Pot Roast Gravy.
Make ahead of time. Allow the cooked roast to cool before storing the entire roast and the juices, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Store leftovers with some of the juices in a covered dish in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or freezer for up to 2-3 months. 
To reheat. Thaw if needed, place the desired amount of roast along with some of the juices in a baking pan and cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 325°F until the meat reaches the desired temperature. 
Leftover roast makes a great filling for burritos, flautas, enchiladas, chimichangas, or empanadas.
For more substitutions and tips, check out the full recipe post

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 10kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 0.03g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.002g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 0.1mg, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 1mg, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 0.02IU, Calcium: 0.4mg, Iron: 0.003mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Can I start with a frozen roast?

The US Department of Agriculture does not recommend cooking frozen meat in a slow cooker as it provides a greater opportunity for harmful bacteria to grow. You can, however, cook a frozen roast in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

How to make ahead of time?

Once cooked, place the entire pot (containing the roast and the juices) in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

How to store pot roast?

Include juices in the storage container and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 months.
To reheat, cover the pan with the meat and juices and bake in the oven at 325°F until the meat reaches the desired temperature, or reheat in the microwave if in a rush.
Use leftovers: create a new dish for dinner like Beef Empanadas, pocket sandwiches, patty melt, stir fry, roast beef sandwiches, or Shepherd’s Pie.

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This recipe was originally published May 2018.

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About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.99 from 121 votes (84 ratings without comment)

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115 Comments

  1. Lisa says:

    Would this work with a tri tip roast instead of a chuck roast?

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Yes, it works for any kind of roast. 😉

      Reply
  2. Cassie says:

    I tried this yesterday and it was really good! I opened all the flavor packets and mixed them together then just measured out 3 tbsp of the combined mix. I also seared the roast before I put it all in the crockpot.

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Great idea to sear it first. Glad you liked it!! I love having that seasonings mixed together and on hand all the time. 😉

      Reply
  3. marie says:

    As I live in Australia I am not familiar with some of the ingredients in your pot roast recipe. I would like to know what hidden valley dry mix is & Italian dressing dry mix. I would appreciate your reply so that I can find the Australian alternative.thank you Marie.

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Hi Marie! Here is a recipe for homemade Hidden Valley Mix – http://happymoneysaver.com/diy-copycat-homemade-hidden-valley-ranch-mix/ And here’s a recipe for homemade Italian Dressing Dry Mix: In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt. Store in a tightly sealed container. To prepare dressing, whisk together 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup canola oil, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix. Makes for a lot of ingredients, so hopefully you can find these at the store. 😉

      Reply
  4. Kerri says:

    Hi there what is hidden valley dry mix? I’m from the uk and was wondering what it was so I could find a similar thing here

    Reply
  5. Judith says:

    Happy cooking!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Judith says:

    Thank you Krystyn, for your speedy answer. A 4lb chuck roast, and on stove top not oven. Gotcha.Thanks again.
    Judith

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I just bought some more chuck roasts today from Sam’s and they were 3 pounds each – should be same cooking time, though. 😉

      Reply
  7. Trudy says:

    5 stars
    Where it says cup water, how much is it?

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      It’s 1/3 cup water. 😉

      Reply
      1. Trudy says:

        Thanks! Because all I see is a small white block and then it says “cup water” lol

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        Sorry about that. 🙁 It should be 1/3 cup. 😉

  8. Julia says:

    I tried this it was very salty

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I’m sorry you thought it was too salty, Julia. We actually end up adding a little salt at the end. I would maybe add less of the seasoning next time. 😉

      Reply
  9. Debbie says:

    Hi there! I am making your pot roast (crock pot) recipe today and when I try to pin it on Pinterest a message is displayed that the link may lead to spam and it’s blocked. Thought you may want to be aware of this issue. There was no way for me to add it or respond to the message. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Hi Debbie! Thanks for the comment… I’m aware of the message but it is fixed now. Pinterest had accidentally marked my site as Spam but has taken care of the issue now. 🙂

      Reply
    2. Lil' Luna says:

      PS – Hope you liked the Roast!!

      Reply
  10. Linda says:

    I just seen your recipe for pot roast and want to know what TB means ? Is it Table Spoon ?

    Reply
    1. Evelyn says:

      I would like to know what TB means and what size roast and what size crock pot thank you for your reply can’t wait to make this looks so yummy.

      Reply
      1. Lil' Luna says:

        TB is tablespoon. 😉 One roast is usually 2-3 pounds, and I have a medium size crock pot – hope this helps. 😉