Slow Cooker Beef Chuck Roast

4.91 from 10 votes

This beef chuck roast in the slow cooker is fall-apart tender, juicy, a touch spicy and just packed with incredible flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time7

Total Time7 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 403kcal

Let the roast come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before cooking it.
Season the roast with the salt and pepper.
Heat your cast iron skillet over high heat until it is barely smoking.
Sear the roast on all sides (about 3-5 minutes per side), ensuring a good crust is formed.
Layer the onions, potatoes, chopped garlic and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the roast on top of the vegetables and add the remaining ingredients.
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

The key to adding great flavor to the pot roast is searing the beef first. While you can technically skip this step if you're in a hurry, I highly recommend taking the time to do it.
The beef can be seared the night before and stored in an airtight container. I prefer to do it this way so I can throw everything in the slow cooker in the AM and head out to work for the day.
Using a cast iron skillet to sear the beef typically has the best results.
The roast can be cooked on high for 3-4 hours to save time - but cooking it on low heat results in more tender, juicy beef. So if you have the time, low and slow is the way to go (yes we like to rhyme around here).
This recipe works well with a wide range of roast sizes - anywhere from 2-5 pounds will typically be fine in the slow cooker. Obviously, the larger the roast, the longer it will take to cook. A five pound roast will likely need to cook for 9-10 hours on low.
The beef is ready when it easily comes apart with a fork.
To make a gravy, mix in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water) to the liquid and bring to a simmer over medium hot (use a saucepan). Simmer and stir until thickened.