Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crock pot? ›

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Some recipes call for liquid, some do not. It mainly comes down to the type of meat you use. Cuts like chuck roast will release more fat and moisture than leaner cuts, so they don't need any water. In addition, the slow cooker itself creates some moisture, which helps keep the meat juicy.

Season roast with a good amount of salt and pepper and sear on all sides until browned (about 5-6 minutes each side). Transfer roast to the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add in all remaining ingredients and cook on low 8 hours. The meat will be so tender and falling apart, and the vegetables soft.

Pat the roast dry and rub with seasoning, then with flour. Sear in a skillet for 2-3 minutes per side. Combine gravy ingredients and add them to the Crock Pot along with the roast, potatoes, and carrots. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6.

Place the roast on top of the onions and season with the salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours. Add the potatoes, carrots, and quartered onions and cover and slowly simmer for 1 hour longer.

The idea behind coating meat with a sprinkling of flour before browning in a hot pan is pretty simple: Flour is full of starch that will caramelize quickly and give a deeper color and flavor. You most often see this technique called for in stews, where flour is used to thicken the cooking liquid.

Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top. Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models).

Using tongs, sear meat on all sides until browned and place on top of vegetables in the crockpot. Add whole garlic cloves into the crevices of the roast (on the top and bottom usually where there is a seam of fat).

The secret to making tender roast beef:

It's all about cooking low and slow. With a cut of meat like this, a longer cook time will give you better, more tender results. Ideally, all roasted meats would be seared on all sides in a hot skillet to develop a golden, delicious crust.

There is no need to flip meat in a crock pot. In fact, I don't recommend trying it because it will be more hassle than it's worth. While it can be tempting to flip a roast in the name of even cooking, the crock pot takes care of that for you.

When to add potatoes and carrots to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables such as zucchini and beans can be added to your dish in last ¾ - 1 hour of cooking when cooking on High, or 2 hours if cooking on Low. Hard, starchy vegetables like potato and carrots are best added around 3 hours before the meal is done if cooking on High, and 4 hours on Low.

For example, if your family isn't fond of carrots, replace them with parsnips or chunks of rutabaga. Or add more potatoes to the pot. For extra color, add some frozen green beans or mixed vegetables about 30 to 45 minutes before the pot roast is ready.

Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours or until the beef and vegetables are tender. Skim the fat from the rendered juices.

Pot roast is meant to be braised, which means cooking meat slowly over low heat with minimal liquid, covered. If you add too much water/broth, you are going to miss out on that roasty flavor that comes from the top part of the meat cooking above the liquid.

Technically speaking. The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.) But I really believe that the depth and complexity of flavor we gain in this searing step is well-worth the extra effort.

My recipe allows you to enjoy a hearty, tender pot roast without the searing step. By generously coating the meat in seasoning prior to cooking, the spices caramelize and create a crust identical to what you would get from searing.

During cooking, beef undergoes many chemical changes, affecting its appearance, taste and texture. Browning or searing the lean outer surface of your beef produces the rich, deep meaty colours, flavours and aromas we love. This browning process is known as the Maillard reaction.