This slow cooker pot roast recipe is quick and easy to make and will satisfy everyone in your family! It’s also easy to use the leftovers for other quick meals!
This slow cooker pot roast recipe is so delicious and easy that it is one of the most popular recipes in volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook! It is versatile and one slow cooked roast can be used to make several different meals to keep pleasing your family day after day!
This slow cooked pot roast is so delicious that everyone always raves about it! I cook it for my family any time I can get a good price on beef roast, but it’s also a great recipe to make when you want to impress guests! We have also made this slow cooked roast for holidays and special occasions.
This slow cooked roast recipe can be cooked in the oven or in a slow cooker. The secret to fall off the bone tender roast is in the slow cooking. I prefer to cook pot roast in the oven because I think it gives the roast a little bit better taste than the crockpot, but if you prefer a slow cooker, you will still end up with a tender and tasty roast.
I usually take a few minutes to prepare the beef roast the night before and let it cook slowly all night in the oven. By the next day, it is already starting to smell delicious, but I keep letting it slow cook until it’s time to serve for dinner.
Some people worry about leaving the oven on all night, but as long as there is nothing wrong with your oven, it should be fine, especially if it is an electric oven. I have cooked this slow cooker pot roast recipe in the oven for more than 25 years and have never had a problem.
For an easy one pan meal, I sometimes add some potatoes, carrots and onions about 2 hours before the roast is finished and let them all cook together with the roast. This makes a great meal by itself, but if you want, you can also serve with a salad, fruit salad or fruit or veggies.
If I don’t have carrots and potatoes on hand, I will make some rice and serve the roast with rice and an easy vegetable. My family likes the fresh frozen broccoli or mixed vegetables so if I’m looking for an easy veggie, I will often microwave one of these just before serving.
We dump the rice ingredients in our rice cooker so it’s ready when the other food is done, but if you don’t have a rice cooker, you can easily make rice in a pan on the stovetop.
In the fall when I have lots of zucchini and other squash, I will also occasionally fry some squash and onions in a frying pan with margarine or oil and serve with the slow cooker pot roast. You can fry the squash in butter, but you have to watch it carefully because butter burns easily.
This slow cooker pot roast is super versatile. You can plan to make this pot roast and reserve the excess to make up to 4 dinners with 1 roast.
There are many delicious ways to use leftover roast! The pot roast leftovers are perfect for sandwiches and wraps. You can make delicious Mexican-style wraps by placing some roast on a flour tortilla with cheese, onions, lettuce and salsa.
For lots of great leftover pot roast recipes, be sure to check out the links to the other posts at the bottom of this post!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
This delicious slow cooker pot roast recipe is easy to make with 5 minutes preparation time in an oven or a crockpot. I include the oven instructions first because I prefer to make it in the oven and crockpot instructions below!
Ingredients
1 beef roast, 3-5 lbs.
1 onion, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup (omit for GF and sprinkle with seasoned salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°.
- Place roast in pan.
- Pour cream of mushroom soup and onion on top.
- Cover tightly. Bake at 250° for 1 hour.
- Then turn it down to 225° and cook for 6-8 hours (about 6 hours for a smaller roast and 8 hours for a larger roast). When done, it should be so tender that the meat easily pulls off the roast with a fork. Serves 4 when you use a 3-5 lb. roast.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
If you prefer to cook this slow cooked roast in a crockpot or slow cooker, place the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours. For the most tender roast, it is best to cook longer on a lower temperature.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 145°.
Notes
- This slow cooked roast recipe can be cooked in the oven or a slow cooker. The secret is in the slow cooking. I prefer to cook it in the oven because I think it gives the roast a little bit better taste than the crockpot, but if you prefer a slow cooker, you will still end up with a tender and tasty roast.
- This slow cooker pot roast recipe is an excellent way to prepare inexpensive roasts. This slow cooked roast recipe makes them so tender they fall off the bone and are almost impossible to lift out of the pan.
- This recipe is an excellent way to make a delicious meal for Sunday after church or for guests, because it can cook for 2 or 3 hours longer than required without overcooking.
- Since it is so tender that no meat is left on the bone, you get more pot roast for your money.
This easy slow cooker pot roast recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook:
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From Tawra’s Inbox:
Hello ladies,
I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU for your slow cooked pot roast recipe! It has been a joke in my family how truly BAD my roasts taste. My loved ones dutifully eat it because they see how hard I’ve worked on dinner ( plus they are nearly starved to death by the time dinner is served ) and they see the strained smile on my face as I bring their plates to the table. But even I can barely swallow the roast.
I always followed my “Better Homes and Gardens” cookbook faithfully and would try different cuts of meat, all to no avail; it still turned out so dry and tough.
Enter your help. I have been enjoying flitting about your website and finding all sorts of nuggets of advice. Then I found your slow cooker pot roast recipe! This was the answer I’ve been searching for, lo these many years! I had been cooking it all wrong. I thought I was doomed to buying the pre-cooked roasts-in-a-bag at my local grocery store.
Now my family smiles when they smell the slow cooked roast cooking as they come home from school. And I feel great knowing I have mastered one of the basic requirements of motherhood… cooking the perfect roast.
Thank you for all your great tips!
Sincerely, Becky H.
“Your slow cooker pot roast recipe calls for pouring soup and onion over roast and to cover tightly. What do you mean by cover tightly? Wrap it in tin foil?”
Thanks, Dennis
Yes, wrap in foil. I just put one or two pieces on the top of the pan and then “seal” the edges with my fingers.
-Tawra
If you like this easy slow cooker pot roast recipe, check out these great recipe for using leftover roast beef:
Using Leftover Roast Beef – Recipes And Ideas For Using Pot Roast
4 Dinners, 1 Roast, $15! How To Plan Ahead Pot Roast
Cheap Family Meals Week 1 – Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast Meal Plan And More!
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I do something very similar.
The roast
onions chopped fine
white sauce full of Italian seasonings.
cook it the way you do then the onions (which are not popular in my family are fine enough that nobody complains.)
such an easy meal when you add potatoes and carrots into the pot. Just add buns or bread and a salad.
Hi There!
The slow cooked roast looks so delicious. That will easy to cook. I will have to try it like this weekend. :) Thanks Tawra for all of your good recipes.
Barb
Can you use a chuck roast with this??? Sounds Wonderful :)
Yes.
We bought 1/4 of a cow and I have a “rib roast.” I wish I could show a picture. It has a thick layer of fat and I don’t want to use a crockpot and have it soak in grease. I also don’t plan to put veggies in to have them soaked in grease. I’ve seen where you can cook in a roasting pan on a rack. Would I need to use a higher temp for this type of roast? I’m only familiar with other forms of roasts but never cooked a rib roast. Any suggestions welcome!
To be honest Janet I have never done a roast like that. Maybe one of our readers could tell you or you could try to google it too
Thanks for your reply. I believe some say it is prime rib. Youtubing it now. We won’t be buying a freezer full this year but watch for sales of lean meats plus eat less meat!
Also with slow cooking methods very inexpensive cut of meat turn out even better and are really good this way. This is part of the reason I started using this slow cooked roast recipe.
Just remember with any roast, LOW & SLOW and you will have a fall apart tender goodness.
True Sandy. As a matter of fact low and slow is better for any meat. That is why people love their crock pots which is fine but often they don’t realize they can get the exact same thing in a pan in the oven and even save because it is cheaper to have the oven on than the crock pot.
you can use this recipe with a few changes in the spices with pork chops.
the meat falls off the bones.
I do it in a slow cooker or the oven and add potatoes and baby carrots so the meal is a one pot wonder.
I make a lot of the gravy (sauce) and extra chops so there are leftovers for the next night when reheated I serve it over rice. Leftovers with an entirely new dish.
I like easy, quick, and little clean up.
I had never heard of this method of cooking a slow cooked roast until I read it here and I LOVE it!!!
My husband doesn’t like cream of mushroom soup so I did a few things different:
I soaked the roast in worcestershire sauce for some flavor. Then I put it in a foil lined roasting pan, seasoned with salt and pepper and covered in the sliced onions. I added about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan, covered in foil and then followed the directions for cooking listed in the recipe.
I work full-time so I started this before I left for work. When I came home, the house smelled wonderful! The roast turned out fabulous!!! SO tender, my husband and kids just raved about it. I served it with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and bread/butter.
It was a fantastic, quick meal! The roast was so much better this way than in the crockpot, in my opinion. As a working mom, I never dreamed we could have a yummy roast on a weeknight!
Thanks for the recipe!
You can add what ever seasonings you want to this roast. I use just salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Tawra uses the mushroom soup. I may have to try the worcestershire sauce like you did that sounds yummy too. If anyone likes spicy, I have cut slits in my roasts and just stuck a jalapeño pepper slice (just the kind that come in a jar) in the slits then use my usual seasonings. It makes the best flavored gravy you ever tasted.
Jill, my husband and I love jalapenos. I will definitely try that with our next roast! Thanks for the tip!
Grandma, thanks for the tips about the pork chops. I will try that too.
I agree: easy, quick and little clean-up is where it’s at! :)
I am still loving slow cooking my roasts this way!
I was wondering if anyone ever uses this recipe and adds potatoes, carrots and onions. I usually just slow cook the roast at 225 all day and then make mashed potatoes when I get home from work.
I’ve done roasts in the oven before at higher temperatures and added the potatoes, carrots and onions but I’m home at that time to keep an eye on everything and make sure the vegetables don’t burn or get too dry.
I would love to be able to put the roasts and vegetables in the oven before I go to work, cook on 225 all day and then come home to a fully cooked meal. I would love some advice on this.
Also, I’m in a beef rut so to speak. We bought 1/4 of a cow in April. We have used almost all of the steaks and hamburger and still have an entire freezer shelf full of roasts. Some of these cuts of roasts, I’ve never heard of (rib roast?). What do I do with all of the roasts? Besides just having roast beef with mashed pototoes or roasted veggies? I need some ideas and advice from all of you experienced ladies please! :)
Here is a different way to cook a roast, my families favorite. Bring roast to room temperature, season roast, place roast directly on the oven rack (no pans) and cook at 250 for 1/2 hour. Turn down to 225 for 10-12-14 hours. Put an oven safe pan under the roast to catch the drippings that you can make gravy with. The crusty outside of the roast is delicious and the insides are juicy and tender. We mostly use this roast for French Dip Sandwiches. Get good rolls/buns add a simply side dish and you are good to go. Don’t forget the aujus which can be made from the drippings.
YouTube is your friend for what to cook and how to cook it. Good luck!
Angle, (if you ever see this), a rib roast is prime rib. They’re a super premium cut mostly sold around major holidays, especially Christmas, and can cost up to $75 or even $100. You don’t want to cook these babies like any old roast. They call for high heat, and an open pan. They aren’t usually served with mashed potatoes and gravy, especially since they don’t generate droppings enough. Go to Martha Stewart or better yet a British cooking site; prime rib is the traditional Christmas fare there. We have one every year since our son doesn’t care for turkey. Good luck!
my recipes for prime rib roasts.
pre heat oven to 425. put roast in for 15 min.
turn oven to 375 for 20 a lb.
I use only salt and pepper for spices.
at the price of these roasts about 1 hour and 15 min. and they are done to a bit better than really rare.
add to the meal with a lettuce salad, baby potatoes and carrots garlic bread and lots of horse radish.
Angie, you can do pot roasts.on the stove or in the oven.
I don’t like using the slow cooker as the meat seems stringy.
put about 3″ of water in the pot.
add potatoes cut large enough not to turn to mush
the same with the carrots and what ever other vegetable you want. (my mother used turnip) a definite no no for my taste bud.
Cut a few med. size cooking onions into quarters and add these all at the same time as the meat and vegetables.
Add salt pepper a bit of celery salt.
if your family enjoys tomatoe based meals instead of water you can substitute a can of stewed tomatoes.
turn the stove on to min. and walk away.
to use the oven turn it to 250 and leave it all day covered pan of course. I use tinfoil as it seals better than a lid.
you can always cut a small roast into either stewing beef or stir fry strips. same meal just a different way to serve it.
Angie Tawra cooks her slow cooked roast on top of the stove all the time and I do mine a lot like grandma mentioned and I have never cooked a roast in a crock pot but always just dump it in a 9×13 pan with some onion and garlic powder cover it, seal it tight, cook it at 250 degrees for an hour then turn it down to 200 degrees and cook for the rest of the day. How love you cook it depends on the size of the roast of course.
Great using venison!
not only venison but bear and moose as well.
Angie when you put the spices into the pot try not to get them on the roast itself. Put them around the roast so they can be absorbed with the liquid.
Don’t know why this is but my roasts always seem to have a more even spread of spices this way.
awesome ideas/suggestions .. i have always cooked my roasts in the crockpot .. but hubby prefers in the oven, slow cooked all day long .. right now, still too hot for this but just wanted to share, walmart had roasting pans on sale a few weeks ago .. i never had one and well .. had to replace a few pots anyway (mine, i got used and they were super old 22 yrs ago and well never replaced them since; i thought it was about time to get a few new ones :D ) ..
so i told hubby as soon as the weather got cooler, i would make a small roast with the potatoes and vegi’s for him .. the roaster i bought was actually for a chicken that u can stand up (sorta like a rotisserie but it doesnt turn .. but the directions said the pan can be used too to make other types of meat .. no lid .. so i will just cover with foil …
thanks for sharing :D
Rose, don’t replace them. you will never find ones as good. Unless you spend mega bucks.
But when you do start replacing them. do it individually. Only buy pots that you use. the sets seem to have at least 3 parts that I don’t use.
I was at a yard sale and there was a deep frying pan with a lid very heavy duty but not too heavy for me to use it comfortably.
I got a $200. frying pan for $5.
The woman said she could never figure out what to do with it.
It is all metal or glass so it goes into the oven with no problem.
I had another one a bit bigger with no lid. It now is in a box ready to go to my son. He has arms on him that he could lift it if it was 3 times as heavy.
A few weeks ago the grocery store was selling open roasters with the rack that lifts the meat out. They are usually $30. but they were down to under $5. I bought one even though I don’t need it. It is still in the box and I figure I can give it as a gift along with roast and all the fixings for someone who is having trouble due to loss of job.
The gift would cost about $15. With Christmas coming it seemed like a good idea at the time.
It is hard to beat a package of onion soup mix scattered over roast dry before wrapping up in foil wrap. Lipton is good, but store brands are fine—your gravy will be delicious.
Don’t add other salt to roast. Tommie
The slow cooked roast does sound like it would be wonderful, but how much money will leaving the oven on for 15 hours cost? I have an electric oven.
Not that much because, for this slow cooked roast recipe, you are setting it at such a low temperature. As a matter of fact I can tell very little difference in my electric bill if any at all.
I have a question/problem. I made this roast. After 10 hours, the roast appeared “done” but wasn’t tender enough for me. I put it back in the oven (225 degrees) with the intention of leaving it in the oven all night (11:00pm-6:00am). When I woke up, the house had a wonderful aroma, but I looked over at the oven and it had turned off!!! I freaked out!! I took the pot out of the oven and took the temp of the roast. It was 125 degrees. The meat was falling apart (it looked wonderful). Unfortunately, I have no idea when the oven turned off, or how long the roast was at that temp. I immediately turned the oven to 350 and cooked the roast for an hour, hoping to make it okay. My question is: Is the roast okay to eat, or do I need to throw it out?? Please help.
This is a hard one to answer Dana. I personally think it would be ok especially with you reheating it it should have killed everything. I don’t worry about those things too much because I was raised in an era where I would take a roast beef sandwich to school where it would sit in my locker for 4-5 hours with no ice pack and would eat it without the reheating. But I do know some people are real fussy about these things so I guess it will have to be your call.
Dana…You should defiantly throw the roast out. In fact, I think I should come over, and pick up the roast from you, and dispose of it properly. And if this ever happens again, please contact me to help you out.
peterson
I always cook a roast in the crock pot. I put on the mushroom soup, and usually some potatoes and carrots. We like chuck roast. As for pots, I have a cast iron dutch oven and a cast iron frying pan. I think that they just cook and conduct heat so much better than other types of cookware. I know I will need a new stove in another couple of years,and I know that you are not supposed to put the cast iron on the flat top stoves, and I hate to give up cast iron. Also the cast iron is supposed to be better for people with FM, and other types of auto immune diseases.
We just purchased our 2nd flat top stove and my cast iron never destroys the top with scatches etc. We purchased and all in one double oven. So far no marks.
I have not have trouble either Kathy with cast iron on my stove. The only thing I have ever had problem with was I had a light weight popcorn popper I used on it and scratched it with that but part of that was my fault because without thinking I was pushing the pan back and forth a whole bunch while the popcorn was popping – sort of shaking it and rubbing on the burner- if I had just let it pop it wouldn’t have done any damage.
Hi,
We use cast iron pots and pans on our flat top stove all the time. Have the stove over 10 years now, no problems. Just don’t drag the pot or pan over the stove top to avoid scratches.
I do too Karen – as a matter of fact I have never used any special pans on my flat top stove. Like you said you just have to be a little careful dragging them across so they don’t scratch.
Hi Jill
Hope you are having a blessed day! I fixed this crock pot receipe today. it is one of my favorites and this freezes really well
Crockpot Chile beans Virginia style
2 lbs of ground beef
2 cans of light Kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 64oz jar of Picante Sauce
Brown hamburger and drain
Mix all ingredients and put into crock pot
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours
This is good with crackers or tortilla chips or cornbread
you can add a little shreeded cheese and sour cream after it is cooked if you want.
This is a quick and easy receipe
This is the only way I cook a roast minus the mushroom soup that is. I am 64 and my mother cooked her roasts this way as well. Throw taters and carrots and any other veggie, mom always put in parsnips then make gravy from the drippins. My sons favorite meal
Our favorite roast recipe is to use a slow cooker. Place roast in it, spread 1 can cream of mushroom soup over the roast, and sprinkle 1 packet of onion soup mix (dry). Cook on either low or high, depending on how quickly it needs to be ready.
Have also used variations of this recipe with chicken and other meats, and used Cream of Onion soup one time recently. My husband really doesn’t like mushrooms. Occasionally, I just sprinkle dried onion flakes over the meat and cook. Even my picky husband and son who don’t much like “real” meat (they say it’s chewy and dry) will eat meat slow-cooked. The bonus is that it doesn’t heat up the house (we live in Alabama), and doesn’t require as much “hands on” time. Love to walk into the house on Sunday afternoon after church and smell our lunch! Takes just a few minutes before church to throw together in crock pot. I cook rice in the microwave before church, and maybe steam a veggie. Reheat rice and veggie after church, and dinner is served!
This basic way of making a roast is how my grandmother, mother and I have made roasts for many, many years with one exception; Instead of using garlic powder, we cut slits in the roast and insert slivers of fresh garlic. Yum!
I make carne guisada (meat w/gravy) with cheap roasts. Put one roast in slow cooker pour one can rotel tomatoes (mild if you don’t like spicy)over roast, mix 1/2 cup water and one pkg brown gravy mix and pour over tomatoes. Cook on low for 8 hours. DO NOT ADD ANY MORE LIQUID Shred and stir to distribute juices to meat. Serve on tortillas with sour cream. I usually add Spanish rice and refried beans as sides or guacamole.
Carne guidasa to make gluten free leave out the pkg of gravy and add a crumbled GF beaf bullion cube to the water then pour over roast. Make a slurry of cornstarch and water and add to the pot after shredding the meat. Stir well and it should thicken up. Do not make the mistake of adding salt to the meat as the bullion is salty enough.
That sounds yummy…making it sometime this week. Thanks for sharing.
I put my roast either in the crock pot or in a roaster. I mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup with an envelope of onion soup mix. Then I spread it over the roast and sometimes put potatoes, carrots and maybe celery and onions on it and let it cook all day. The two soups make a delicious brown gravy.
I do the same. I use cream of celery or potato (whatever I have) because my brothers won’t eat mushroom (and yes he knows somehow).
You can use a package of Lipton Onion Soup on top of roast and if you want
really good gravy, add 1/4 cup of Coca Cola, it’s great!
For hot summer days, do the slow cooking overnight. Refrigerate in the morning. Then at dinnertime, just reheat whatever portions people will eat at the meal…KMC
I also follow the “low and slow” method when it comes to pot-roasting meats. This method works really well with cast iron pots with tight fitting lids – the meat just falls apart! Also, if you want an easy way to cook chicken for chicken and noodles or dumplings, cook bone-in chicken thighs in the same manner using 3-4 pounds of thighs depending upon how many you need to feed. When I cook chicken this way, I add no seasonings or water and cook the chicken overnight. In the morning, I cool the chicken and bone and skin it. Retain all of the broth, and if you want to remove the fat from the broth, refrigerate it until the fat rises and when it hardens, it is very easy to remove. If you want your chicken and noodles to taste richer, retain the fat in the broth and use it. Then when you want to make chicken and noodles, add water to the broth (enough depending upon the volume of noodles and how thick you want the finished product), heat the broth / chicken mixture and season with chicken bouillon, onion, garlic, pepper, parsley, celery, etc. as you wish, and taste frequently as you “doctor” the broth. The resulting flavor should taste like a rich chicken soup. Then add dry or frozen noodles (I like the “homemade” dry type of noodle) and cook until the noodles are tender. Add more water if it seems dry. This is a MUCH easier way to make chicken and noodles as thighs are very easy to handle and have no small bones, and thighs are usually the least-expensive part of the chicken.
I agree Nancy. Thighs are usually the only kind of chicken I buy. Like you said they are the least expensive, they are usually the perfect serving size, they are more moist and have more flavor than breasts and you can use them for everything like soups, casseroles, chicken salad or to fry.
Hi Tawra.
Thank you for this recipe. Just another quickie on the roast…I use leftover pickle juice and pour it over the roast. Depending on the size, i bake it in the oven according to baking times and temperature per pound or I place in crockpot and leave in there using instructions for time according to weight of meat. It ALWAYS comes out very tender and done. I’ve never left it in oven for 15 hours nor in crockpot for that long. It’s my family’s favorite meal.
Thank you for all your help in every way. You guys are great for me!?
Rib roast just cook it at 350/on a rack in a pan. You can put some little potatoes carrots and onions on the bottom of the pan. Cover with tin foil. Medium rare is 15 minutes per pound. Better to undercook than ovetcook. This is better more rare than medium. If well-done its becomes tough. Medium rare melts in your mouth.
I love slow cooking because dinner is already done when I get home. Sometimes it is already eaten too. LOL My mom cooks almost all her meats in the pressure cooker for a few minutes and it gets tender. She adds water and I guess it would be called a gravy mix here to the pot with the meat. She only adds half the packet and water so that it doesn’t come out of the pot. She can have a wonderful dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Meat, gravy, and salz potatoes or noodles and goes out and gets some salad from her balcony and adds some carrot salad, celery salad, and roasted peppers to it with dressing and dinner is done. I think I have tried this recipe. I have your first two cookbooks and use them a lot of the time. My granddaughter has your books too. Thank you for sharing all these family recipes.
Hi Jill, I have tried slow cooking roasts twice, and it didn’t turn out as I had hoped. Last time I tried I cooked a 6 lbs roast at 250 for one hour, then turned down to 225 for 11 hours and it was very dry. I used a can of cream of mushroom soup, onion powder and covered the roast pan with tin foil. It was a tip roast – on sale that week :) Do you have any suggestions for what I can try?
Thank you for all your good content !
Lena
I can’t apologize enough Lena. This recipe some how got mixed up with the turkey one. You should only cook it at the very longest for 8 hrs. and I cook mine at 200 degrees. Be sure too that it is really really well sealed with foil. So so sorry.
Ah, okay, thanks Jill, makes sense :) I’ll try it again next time I get a good deal on roast.
Thank you!
Thanks again Lena for pointing that out to us.