This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This melt-in-your-mouth Crock Pot Roast needs just 5 minutes of prep before your slow cooker works its magic.
Best Sunday Dinner!
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, and one of our favorites is this crock pot pot roast recipe – a recipe my mom has made my whole life.
We love it so much that we use as the base meat for so many of our favorite recipes like: Beef Empanadas, tacos, Beef Enchiladas, Flautas, Green Chile Burritos, and more.
We love it because:
- 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 a few items are needed to make this juicy, tender roast.
- Versatile. We make this roast to eat on its own, but then we also use the meat for so many recipes.
INGREDIENTS
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
- 1 tablespoon brown gravy dry mix
- 1 tablespoon Hidden Valley dry ranch mix
- 1 tablespoon Italian dressing dry mix
- 1 (2-3 pound) beef chuck roast – look for a roast with a lot of marbling like Chuck roast, rump roast, and bottom round roast. As the roast cooks, the marbling will break down and help create a fall-apart tender roast.
- ⅓ cup water – or beef broth
Pro Tip!
Since we make this beef pot roast often, I like to make this seasoning in bulk (usually 1 cup of each dry mix), and then I scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture to sprinkle over the top.
How to Make Pot Roast
- SEASON ROAST. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon brown gravy mix, 1 tablespoon ranch mix, and 1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix.
- Place 1 (2-3 pound) chuck roast in the slow cooker and pour ⅓ cup water over the roast. Sprinkle 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.
- For more information check out Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots.
Sear or Brown a Roast
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.
- Place the roast into the crock pot.
Complete the Meal
- Side dishes: Best Mashed Potatoes, Pot Roast Gravy, Dinner Rolls Recipe, Glazed Carrots
- Desserts: Peach Dump Cake, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Sticky Toffee Pudding
- More crock pot meals: Slow Cooker Barbacoa, Crock Pot Ribs, Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
More collections: Easy Slow Cooker Recipes, Crockpot Dinner Ideas, Easy Dinner Ideas
Crock Pot Pot Roast
This crock pot pot roast recipe is tender and flavorful. It takes only 3 minutes of prep time and then the slow cooker does the rest!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown gravy dry mix
- 1 tablespoon Hidden Valley 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 brown gravy mix, ranch mix, and Italian dressing mix.
- Place chuck roast in the slow cooker and pour water over the roast. Sprinkle dry mix all over the top.
- Cook on low for 7–8 hours, or until meat is tender and easy to shred.
Video
Notes
Make ahead of time. Pot roast can be made ahead of time. Once cooked, put the entire pot containing the roast and the juices, in the refrigerator.
STORE any leftover pot roast with some of the juices in a covered dish in the refrigerator. 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.
FREEZE. Place the roast and some cooking juices in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
In a Hurry? You can cook this roast on high for 4 hours, but I prefer cooking it on low because the meat comes out more tender.
Want to add vegetables? Add any vegetables you would like, such as diced or baby carrots or diced potatoes, to the slow cooker along with the roast.
Use Up Leftovers. Leftover roast makes a great filling for burritos, Tacos, Flautas, Cheese Enchiladas, Chimichangas, or Empanadas. POT ROAST GRAVY
After the pot roast has finished cooking, transfer ⅓–½ cup of the drippings from the slow cooker to a small pot on the stove over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of milk. Cook, stirring and adding a little more milk or flour as needed, until it’s the consistency you like, 4–5 minutes. Top off with salt and pepper.
Want to add vegetables? Add any vegetables you would like, such as diced or baby carrots or diced potatoes, to the slow cooker along with the roast.
Use Up Leftovers. Leftover roast makes a great filling for burritos, Tacos, Flautas, Cheese Enchiladas, Chimichangas, or Empanadas. POT ROAST GRAVY
After the pot roast has finished cooking, transfer ⅓–½ cup of the drippings from the slow cooker to a small pot on the stove over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of milk. Cook, stirring and adding a little more milk or flour as needed, until it’s the consistency you like, 4–5 minutes. Top off with salt and pepper.
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
How long should I cook a crock pot pot roast?
- Slow cooking longer creates more melt-in-your-mouth fork-tender meat. However, do not let it overcook causing the exterior portions to dry out.
What size crock pot do I need?
- Use the correct size crock pot and don’t overfill. The ingredients should take up between ½ to ⅔ of the crock pot.
Can I cook a frozen roast in a crock pot?
- 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 season pot roast?
- For extra spice add garlic powder or black pepper. Garnish to taste with herbs like fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, or other favorites.
How much pot roast should I make?
- When serving meat as a main dish plan 8 ounces per person. For big appetites or leftovers, plan 12 ounces of meat per person.
Make Gravy?
- Use the dripping to make Post Roast Gravy.
Can I make a pot roast ahead of time?
- Once cooked, put the entire pot containing the roast and the juices, in the refrigerator.
How to store leftover pot roast?
- Include juices in the storage container and store in the refrigerator.
- 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 sandwich, patty melt, stir fry, roast beef sandwich, or Shepherd’s Pie.
How to Freeze?
- Place the roast and some cooking juices in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
THis Recipe Was amazing!! I made a couple changes but pretty much followed the RECIPE, first I made my own Dressing MIXEs and brown gravy mix, used a little over a tablespoon of each and also, I used a grassfed Arm roast, seasoned with a little Montreal steak seasoning, dusted with flour and browned in my cast iron skillet before adding to the crockpot, then I deglazed my pan with some cooking sherry, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, poured that on top of the roast, next, added the 1/3 cup water called for in the recipe to the skillet to pick up the rest of the browned bits, then poured that on TOP of the roast, followed by the dressings and brown gravy mix, put the lid on and cooked for 8 hours on low, then made the gravy On the stove with flour and cream instead of milk, delicious!!!! This was my own personal approach to the recipe but I know the recipe as is is perfectly delicious, I just like to put a spin on making yummy meals like This FOR my family. THANk you for the amazing recipe kristyn! ❤
You are so welcome! Thank you for sharing what you did! It sounds perfect!
You missed the part about “super easy” I guess! 🙂
Good looking recip but its missing
A big how to:::::
Thank you for the chile burros recipe everything is clear up to a very crticAl point:::
1. How To assemble it into the Flour tortilla and
2. What size tortilla ?
3. Approximately what size diameter should We try to to End up with per Burro.
Ihad these years AgO or similar that used Shredded RoaSt Pork
In the 60s in Tucson . Ive been hoping to find them again… and Thanks for providing this info..
pw orlaNdo
I like to use burrito size tortillas, scoop some on one end, leaving about an inch at the bottom, roll up that one inch & roll once, then fold the sides in & continue to roll up. I hope that makes sense 🙂
Sounds great, but I suggest also searing the veggies first and set them aside before searing the meat for even better flavor. Hanifia
Thanks for sharing that!
Can you put potatoes, carrots, and onions in the crockpot with the roast and cook them all together? If so, would you put them in at the beginning, or would you add them part way through the cooking time? Do you ever do this? This is how my mother always did it, but she did it in a covered skillet on the stove top or in an electric skillet. I can’t recall if she put the vegetables in at the start or later on. Thank you.
I am sure you could. I haven’t added them together, though I do have a stew recipe that has stew meat, carrots, & potatoes that sounds like what you are referring to……https://lilluna.com/slow-cooker-beef-stew-2-2/. It’s one of my favorite stews!!
Never been a huge fan of pot roast. But THIS! THIS recipe has flavor and is so tender. I really like it! Its easy, and I like that the kids like it too.
I’ve used this recipe several times. I only use 1/3-1/2 of the seasoning mix per roast and then add salt to taste after it’s cooked. I also found that the left over roast makes really good beef sandwiches on garlic bread the next day.
Been making roast most of my married life. This recipe by far has been my favorite. It is easy to make and comes out tender and juicy all the time.
I love how easy this pot roast is! It was tasty & we used it for tacos the next day! Thank you!
Perfect!! Thank you so much for sharing that!
We’re just like you! This has become our go-to Sunday dinner recipe. Its so easy to prep and leave alone all day, then come back to a great meal. Thanks!
That’s why I love it too! Thank you for sharing that!
This is my favorite pot roast recipe. I love that you can use this meat for so many other recipes! It is easy to make & so tasty!
I am so glad you like this recipe! Thanks for trying it!