The best, classic, easy slow cooker pot roast recipe, made with simple ingredients like cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, chuck, potatoes and carrots.
I am finally adding this classic slow cooker pot roast recipe to my growing collection of roast recipes, which my family and friends love:
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
- Easy Pot Roast Recipe (Stovetop and Oven)
- One Pot Italian Pot Roast
This easy slow cooker pot roast recipe/ crockpot pot roast requires only 5 minutes of prep time!
You just dump everything in a crockpot and let everything cook for a few hours. The meat simply melts in your mouth and this roast is so tender that it easily falls apart.
My favorite part is that you don't need to make a separate gravy. The cream of mushroom soup and juices of the roast combine together to create a delicious gravy.
This is the most moist slow cooker roast beef with potatoes and carrots!
Enjoy it with my One Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes.
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Slow cooker pot roast with onion soup mix
This is probably one of the most popular versions of pot roast. Some people have modified it to their tastes by using different soup mixes for a unique flavor profile. Also, if you make your own homemade soup mixes, you can easily use that in this recipe.
Slow cooker pot roast with red wine
If you want to add wine, use only 1 can cream of mushroom soup and ½ cup red wine.
Slow cooker pot roast with potatoes
If you add vegetables like potatoes and carrots in the beginning, they will become very soft by the time your roast is ready. They would still taste great!
However, if you want to prevent vegetables from becoming over-cooked and "mushy," add them halfway through cooking and they will have the perfect texture!
How to cook a pot roast in a slow cooker? How to make pot roast in slow cooker?
- Place the roast in the slow cooker.
- Add dry onion soup mix, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, onion, cream of mushroom soup and mix everything until roast is fully coated.
- Add potatoes and carrots (if using).
- Cover and cook on low or high until meat is fully cooked and tender.
How long to cook pot roast in slow cooker? How long does it take to cook a pot roast in a crock pot? How long does it take to cook a 2.5 lb. roast in a crock pot?
For a 2.5 lb. roast, it takes 6 to 8 hours on low. I used a bigger roast that was about 4 pounds and cooked on low for 8 hours. You can also make this simple slow cooker pot roast on high for 5 hours but it's not going to be as tender, as when it's cooked low and slow.
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
It's highly recommended and my mom does it because it enhances the flavor of the roast.
Do you put water in a crock pot to cook a roast?
No, don't do it because that will make the gravy very thin. The only liquid you are adding in this recipe is cream of mushroom soup. That's it!
Slow cooker pot roast gravy
In this recipe, you will end up with an amazing gravy that develops from the cream of mushroom soup and juices of the roast mixing together.
However, if you think it's still too thin, use a turkey baster to remove all the liquid into a saucepan and cook of medium heat to reduce it further and thicken it.
In other recipes that use broth and water, there is usually a lot of leftover liquid, which you will need to remove and cook it in a saucepan, along with some flour to thicken it.
Slow cooker chuck pot roast/ Slow cooker beef pot roast
Other cuts of beef can be used but I think boneless chuck is best.
Tips for best slow cooker pot roast recipe
-For an enhanced flavor, my mom does this: Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chuck roast and season one side with salt and pepper. Sear it until golden brown. Then, flip it over and season the other side with salt and pepper. Sear it. Sear and brown the sides of the roast too. Then, place it in the slow cooker and follow the rest of the steps, as explained below in the recipe card.
-Use low sodium cream of mushroom soup so as to prevent the roast from becoming too salty.
-Adjust the amount of seasonings, based on your preference.
-NO additional liquid or broth is required in this recipe.
-You can add vegetables of your choice. Typically, carrots, celery, onion and potatoes are added but if you are not fond of vegetables, you can omit them entirely. I only used carrots and onions this time.
-I really don't think there is a very good substitute for cream of mushroom soup but some people have tried cream of celery soup and said it wasn't bad.
Recipe
Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4-5 pound Chuck roast Trimmed of excess fat
- 1 packet Dry onion soup mix
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 1.5 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1.5 tablespoon Garlic Finely minced
- ½ cup Onion Finely chopped
- 2 cans Cream of mushroom soup Low sodium
- 3-4 Carrots Medium size, Cut into circles, Optional
- 2-3 Potatoes Large, Cut into 2 inch cubes, Optional
Instructions
- Place the roast in a slow cooker.
- Sprinkle dry onion soup mix, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic.
- Add onions.
- Pour cream of mushroom soup and mix everything until roast is fully coated.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Add the carrots and potatoes (if you are using them) at 4 hours to prevent them from becoming too soft and "mushy." You can add them in the beginning too when you added everything else but I am not fond of the "soft and mushy" vegetable texture.
- Use 2 forks to shred the beef and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you are short on time, this can be cooked on high for 4-5 hours but it's not as tender as when you cook it on low for 8-10 hours.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Happy cooking everyone!
jessica | Novice Chef says
Always my idea of a perfect Sunday dinner!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Oh my, this looks SO warm, hearty and incredibly delicious!! The perfect dinner!!
Catalina says
Slow Cooker meals are always a good idea! This Pot Roast looks incredible!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This pot roast looks really amazing! I'd love to give this a try!
Chrissie Baker says
I like the simple list of ingredients. That's what I love. This is so delicious and it makes my mouth watering. Thank you!
Angie says
Can I use pork for this recipe?
Abeer Rizvi says
I haven't tried it. The seasonings would all work very well on pork too but I am not sure about the cooking time. If you try it out, I would love to hear how it goes.
Sarah says
Hi! Do you recommend the wine add in or two cans of mushroom soup? Whats the difference in flavor and gravy thickness? Newbie cook here!
Abeer Rizvi says
Cream of mushroom soup makes a thicker gravy compared to just using wine. If you really want to add some red wine for flavor, reduce some of the quantity of the mushroom soup and replace that with red wine. I don't recommend just using wine and omitting the mushroom soup completely.
Katie Parkin says
Best pot roast we have ever had!!! Will never make it any other way now. Loved, loved this recipe and the yummy gravy that it makes.
Ashley says
This has been my go-to roast recipe for years. It’s so amazing! It’s my husbands and kiddo’s favorite dinner!
Laurie says
Can I use a frozen Chuck roast?
Also, if I’m using a 1 pound roast, how do I adjust the ingredient amounts?
Thanks
Abeer Rizvi says
I have not used a frozen roast to know what would happen. I have made the recipe many times but only in the manner stated above.
Nancy says
This is a wonderful recipe!! With mine, I add fresh garlic, cr. of mushroom, cream of celery (soups), chopped onion, celery, carrots, and beef bouillon.
It is a hit every time I cook it. I have always cooked slowly, covered tightly with foil, in oven. I love your recipe showing how to get the same results in a crock pot!! Thank you and happy cooking!!