Easy Crockpot Roast Beef Recipe (with its own Gravy)
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Juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender, fall-apart Crockpot Roast Beef with simple, seasoned vegetables is the perfect Sunday night meal or cozy weeknight dinner. Easy to make, this delicious slow cooker pot roast does all the work for you… complete with its own easy-to-make gravy you’ll love!
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Roast Beef was Sunday dinner for most of my life. My mother perfected this easy but juicy and delicious meal. The aroma alone brings me back to youthful, fun Sundays!
Today, we carry the tradition forward with an equally easy and delicious fall-apart beef roast with a depth of flavor that is so incredibly yummy, that I’m writing it in for next week’s menu! It’s a one-pot meal obviously perfect for Sunday dinner, but also easy enough for any day of the week!
What to Love About Crockpot Roast Beef
How do you begin to describe all the reasons slow cooker roast beef is delicious? I’ll try to keep it to three!
- Slow cooking makes the beef fall-apart tender and irresistible!
- A one-pot meal with beef roast, carrots, and potatoes.
- It makes its own gravy. Seriously wonderful, quick, and easy!
Why Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe Works
Easy – Slow cooker recipes are so incredibly wonderful for busy weeknights, or weekends when you want all the depth of flavor that develops in a slowly cooked meal. Plus, it’s a one-pot meal with very little prep. All of the ingredients are added to the crockpot, and you’re free for about 9 hours if you’re cooking on low. Then, a delicious, hardy meal is waiting for you!
Makes enough servings for a few or for a crowd – This is a simple meal to serve a small family, or a large gathering by simply scaling the beef. It’s filling with no need for grazing in the kitchen after the meal! Which is what my guys do when I serve light meals. This is not one of those!
Simple Ingredients – One of the reasons beef pot roast is so popular and loved by cooks and eaters alike is that it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients you need to purchase just for the meal. It’s a pantry friendly recipe that just works, every time!
Leftovers – If you love leftovers like we do (think lunch, think roast beef sandwich, easy skillet hash), this is a meal you’ll love! In fact, I plan for leftovers because this flavorful, perfectly seasoned slow cooked roast beef is incredibly delicious in so many ways!
Crockpot Roast Beef Ingredients
You can find the ingredient measurements for this comfort food classic in the recipe card below, but when I mentioned it only needed a handful of ingredients… this is why. Here’s what you need to make this easy meal!
- Roast Beef: See cuts of meat below for the most tender and juicy pot roast.
- Seasoning: Steak seasoning (we love a seasoning that contains garlic, onion, and lemon peel). You will also need Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Vegetables: onions (I prefer yellow onions), potatoes (like Yukon gold or red potatoes) carrots (either baby carrots or whole carrots, chopped; use what you have on hand), and celery.
- Cooking liquid: I most often use water because slow-cooking beef will make its own stock, but you can substitute beef broth for additional flavor if desired.
- For the Gravy: Worcestershire sauce (or low-sodium soy sauce) along with garlic powder and onion powder, plus salt and pepper, and a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy.
What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast?
If you want tender, fall-apart meat for pot roast, look for a beef cut with ample connective tissue. Cuts like boneless chuck roast, beef brisket, or bottom round roast are best. It’s the connective tissue called collagen that makes pot roast melt-in-your-mouth, delicious, and tender.
How to Make Pot Roast
I love cooking roast in the slow cooker. It’s incredibly simple and yields perfectly tender and juicy roast (and has never once been dried out – hallelujah!) every single time. The best part is that you can throw all of the veggies in with the roast so it’s a wham-bam all-in-one dinner right there in your slow cooker.
Begin by preparing the crockpot insert by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray for easy cleanup!
- Add Ingredients to Crockpot: In a small bowl, mix together the steak and Italian seasonings, then rub it all over the roast. There is no need to brown the beef before adding it to the prepared slow cooker insert. Pour the water or beef broth around the roast, and add the potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 9 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours.
- Make the Gravy: When the beef pot roast is tender, drain the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste along with garlic powder and onion powder; and bring to a boil. Whisk together cold water and cornstarch until smooth, and add to the saucepan. Reduce to medium low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens; about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve: Transfer beef roast to a serving platter and pull it apart into large chunks with forks. Pour gravy over the top (reserving some for serving) and place the carrots, potatoes, and onions around the side of the roast.
Want to Make Instant Pot Roast Beef?
Making pot roast in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker is a quicker way to enjoy tender, fall-apart roast beef. Simply follow the recipe for ingredients and measurements.
Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure and cook for 90 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before quick-release the remaining pressure.
Remove the roast and vegetables from the pot, bring the sauce to a boil by using the Soup function, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and cook until thickened.
How to Store Roast Beef Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover cooked roast beef in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking and once it has cooled. The USDA recommends using the cooked beef within 3 to 4 days when stored in the refrigerator at 40°F or less. Freeze in small portions in airtight freezer containers for longer storage.
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Crockpot Roast Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds roast
- 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound carrots baby carrots or chopped carrots
- 2 pounds potatoes (gold or red) and halved or quartered if large
- 1 onion cut into chunks
- 2 celery ribs chopped
Beef Gravy
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire (or low sodium soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Mis the steak seasoning and Italian seasonings together and rub over the roast. Coat the slow cooker insert with cooking spray and add the seasoned roast, water, potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 6 hours.
Make the Gravy
- Before serving, drain liquid from the crockpot into a medium saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt to taste, and seasonings; bring to a boil.
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch together to create a slurry. Add to the boiling liquid, reduce heat to medium low, and let thicken for 3-5 minutes.
- To serve, place roast on a serving tray and using a fork, gently pull it apart. Pour the gravy over the roast, with additional on the side, and serve with the seasoned vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
The recipe looks delicious, sounds delicious, and I am eager to try it. I am curious as to what cut of beef do you use in a crockpot?
Hi Gerry, Thank you so much for your kind words. The best cuts of beef to use in a slow cooker or crockpot are boneless chuck roast, beef brisket, or bottom round roast. I’m using a boneless chuck roast in this post and it’s so tender and delicious!
That roast beef 😋 recipe looked so appetizing and deeeeeelicious.. Although, I have never 🤔 tried cooking it in a crockpot before. Anyhow, hopefully, 😄 n the nearest future…Thanks 👍 for sharing!!!!❤️
Hi Emiley! This recipe is SO good… and easy too. A crockpot is go convenient for recipes like this that benefit from low super slow cooking. Tender, juicy and delicious!
Great recipe. I used beef broth instead of water. So good 👍
Hi Fran! Thank you for trying this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you also for letting us know the ingredients you used.