How to Slow Cook a Roast Beef in a Crock Pot – Easy Recipe
Learn the best way to slow cook a beef roast in a crock pot with this easy recipe. This foolproof method will result in a tender, juicy roast that is perfect for a family dinner.
slow cook pot roast
Who doesn’t love a good pot roast? It has been a family favorite for years so I thought I would share it with you. The cooking time is long but it is so worth it! I’ll be sharing how to cook a roast in a slow cooker but this recipe can also be converted to a low temperature 250-degree oven.
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prep the meat
The first step is to dry the piece of meat. After removing it from the packaging and allowing it to come to room temperature for about twenty minutes, I used a paper towel and completely dried all the red meat.
I also had to cut away a thick layer of fat that came with this cut of meat.
Hubby and I have been going to a local meat shop and the meats often come with some excess fat and connective tissue that needs to be removed. That’s not a problem when you have a sharp knife!
After the meat was trimmed and dried, I seasoned it with coarse sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. These are the four spices and seasonings I use on a daily basis. Do you use this combination of seasonings often? They also make a simple dry rub for any kind of meat including chicken and pork.
prep the veggies
While the roast continued to come to room temperature, I sauteed the sliced onions. You will see that I am using red onions. That’s what I had on hand but if you have yellow onions or Vidalia, they will work fine too.
The thin slices of onion were cooked over low heat in a little bit of olive oil until they were translucent. Omgoodness, I forgot to mention that I also threw in a couple of pieces of pre-cooked bacon for additional flavor!
Once some of the fat was rendered from the bacon, I removed them and added the sliced onions. Then I crumpled the bacon back into the onions while they continued to cook.
sear roast for flavor
For best results, you should sear roast on all sides of the roast. The classic roast beef I used was triangular so I seared all three sides over medium-high heat in a copper pan. Copper pans get very hot quickly so this step only took about ten minutes altogether.
The goal of browning the tender meat before the low temperature cooking is to add flavor. Browning the meat brings out the natural flavors like nothing else. I never skip this step even though it means I create another pan to wash!
Handy tip: Sear the Meat
This is the number one tip for getting the most flavor from any cut of meat. Searing all the the outside will bring out and carmelize the sugars in the meat adding to the depth of flavor. Don’t skip this step!
Once the meat was browned on all sides and the onions were translucent, I added them to my favorite slow roasting kitchen appliance, my crock pot. This inexpensive appliance is one o the easiest ways to accomplish slow cooking.
I also placed the cut fat on top of the meat. As it slowly cooks, the drippings from the fat will help to keep the roast beef moist. This step is optional.
We’ll chat more about my favorite kitchen appliance later in the post. For now, let’s get dinner cooking!
the best au jus for beef roast
It’s a good idea to add liquid to a slow cooker. Beef broth is not my personal preference for liquid. Beef Consomme is. Have you tried using Beef Consomme in recipes?
I recently shared another family favorite called chicken rice casserole. It’s so delicious and it uses Beef Consomme soup! It also makes the best au jus!
I poured one can of the consomme into the crock pot along with chunks of carrot, the cooked onions, and the browned cut of beef. Then I set the slow cooker on high and walked away.
The crock pot on high cooks at about 300 degrees and 200 degrees on the medium setting. I needed dinner a little sooner in the day so I set it on high. If you start your roast beef earlier in the day, then you could use the low temp setting.
slow cooking vs slow roasting
The beef roast cooked for about four hours and from the aroma in the kitchen, I knew it was done. Depending on the thickness of the roast, your time may vary.
If you are concerned, you can check the internal temperature of the roast and get it to 195* to make sure you have tender roast beef. Use your meat thermometer to check the temperature.
Choosing to use a slow cooker instead of a conventional oven is your option. Slow cooking in a crock pot is similar to slow roasting in an oven. In the winter, I tend to use the oven since it helps to create a cozy feeling in our home during the cold months of winter.
But in the summer, the crock pot is best. The kitchen won’t heat up and we can still enjoy this amazing comfort food.
Seriously, in a crock pot, you can’t go wrong when trying to cook a flavorful roast. It’s really sooooo easy!
crock pot for the veggies
It wouldn’t hurt the roast to let it stay in the slow cooker a little bit longer so I decided to add my veggies. Using a small piece of aluminum foil, I made my own little roasting pan and put the frozen asparagus in the foil.
Then I placed the foil pan right on top of the roast! Remember that I had an additional pan to clean early in this cooking process? I just redeemed myself! Veggies cook perfectly this way and you save yourself another dish to wash!
After about 15-20 minutes, the asparagus was tender and hot. All we need to do is grab a plate and enjoy dinner!
how to serve pot roast
There are two options for serving this tender cut of beef. The beef can be cut against the grain in thin slices as you see below on the left. Use a sharp knife and a carving fork and cut in the opposite direction of the grain. Make the slices as thin as possible for a tender piece of beef.
The other serving option, and the one that is my favorite, is to shred the beef with two forks. Use the forks against one another and pull the meat apart until it is completely shredded.
I’ve heard of people also using their stand mixer to shred meats! Have you tried that method?
Shredding is the way that I have served this beef recipe for years. It goes perfectly with mashed potatoes and gravy or rice and gravy. It’s also perfect for hot roast beef sandwiches.
Hubby and I are trying to avoid bread and starch so we just serve the meat with the roasted carrots and crock pot asparagus.
beef cuts options
Before we eat this delicious dinner, let’s chat about other beef cuts that could be used with this foolproof recipe.
- beef chuck roast – This cut is a perfect choice for slow cooking. It is an inexpensive cut of meat with enough fat content to make this cut a delicious and juicy roast beef.
- rump roast – This is a lean cut of beef that if not cooked correctly, can be tough. A slow cooking method using a lower temperature oven or crock pot is a great way to ensure you get a tender and delicious roast beef.
- top round roasts – This cut of beef is another excellent choice for slow cooking. It is cut from the upper thigh of the cow so it is a strong muscle that could be tough. Slow cooking creates tender meat.
- eye of round – I use this cut all of the time for slow cooking. This cut comes from the hind quarter and is very lean so it can be tough if not cooked properly. Slow cooking is an excellent choice!
other roasting methods
Here are some other roasting methods:
- dutch oven in a regular preheated oven – Brown the cut of meat in the Dutch oven on the stovetop then add the onions, beef consomme, and carrots after browning and place it in a 250* oven for several hours.
- instant pot – Using the saute function, brown the beef on all sides then add the other ingredients as instructed above. This is a fast way to get slow cooker results!
- old-fashioned pressure cooker – I have a stainless steel pressure cooker that my mom passed down to me. It’s about 50 years old and still works like a charm! This is the first method I ever used to cook roast beef. Even though it doesn’t take all day to cook any cut of beef, it will produce the most tender meat in the world, IMHO! If you are short on time, an old-fashioned pressure cooker can make a tender, fall-apart roast beef in about 45 minutes!
the best leftovers
This easy roast beef recipe is perfect for the freezer. Most nights I cook for just hubby and me so a big roast allows for plenty of leftovers. I like using these 3-cup capacity Pyrex dishes for leftovers. They stack perfectly in the freezer.
Look below in this post and I have Pyrex storage dishes linked for you along with my other Walmart kitchen favorites.
You’ll see some gorgeous ironstone dishes linked as well. The square bowls and the oval-shaped ironstone pieces are some of my favorites to collect and use every day!
I would love to know if you enjoy this easy and delicious recipe. Let me know in the comments what cooking methods you prefer!
shop my kitchen tools and ironstone
Here are some of my favorite kitchen tools to make this amazing family favorite meal.
Slow Cooked Roast Beef
Equipment
- crock pot slow cooker
- Chef's knife
- cutting board for raw meat
- wood cutting board
- Pyrex freezer dishes
- saute pan (I like to use a copper pan)
Ingredients
- 6 lbs round roast beef Options: chuck roast, eye of round roast, rump roast
- 1 onions – sliced thin add additional onion as desired
- carrots use as many as your family will eat
- 1 Beef Consomme soup
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dry the thawed roast with paper towels. Remove any excess fat.
- Season the beef with garlic and onion powder and salt & pepper on all sides.
- Sear all sides of the meat in a preheated saute pan. I like to use copper since it gets very hot!
- Slice the onions and saute in the pan until translucent. Cut the carrots in chunks.
- Add the Beef Consomme, the carrots and the cooked onions to the heated crock pot.
- Lay the seared beef on top. Place the excess fat on top of the beef if desired.
- Cook in the crock pot slow cooker 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 on low until cooked through.
- Serve the beef either thinly sliced or shredded. Use two large forks to shred the beef thoroughly.
- Serve with a cooked vegetable, side salad and roasted veggies.
- Freeze the leftovers in portion sizes.
Notes
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