Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Pot Roast is easy, comforting meal to make for the whole family. This flavorful and tender beef roast cooks with root vegetables and red wine throughout the day. Makes 6-8 servings.

Love beef for dinner? You’ll adore Texas Chili, Cast Iron Ribeye and Ground Beef Tacos!

Three plates hold shredded slow cooker pot roast with mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and slow cooked veggies from above

This Slow Cooker Pot Roast is a nod to a friend of mine from my days in Mississippi.

She and I worked as local journalists, and we became fast friends because we were two of the only females on the sidelines of sporting events. (Please note that we both heard, “Wow! That camera is bigger than you!” more times than we could count.)

Heather makes an incredible pot roast. She’d cook it in the slow cooker all day long, then serve it alongside mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and crescent rolls. We’d also split a bottle of red wine while we enjoyed our pot roast.

When I think back to my time in Hattiesburg, I think about nights spent at her kitchen table, the conversations shared and the friendship that sprung out of our work.

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    While this isn’t Heather’s recipe—which I should note is one that she guarded so fiercely that she wouldn’t share with me until I’d moved away from Mississippi—it’s similar enough to the dish I reminisce eating at her house.

    Why I love this recipe:

    You can’t go wrong with a Slow Cooker Pot Roast during the fall and winter months because it’s a classic comfort food.

    This easy pot roast recipe includes a lot of veggies, too, because I’m always trying to add more veggies to our plates, and what better way than letting them cook alongside a cut of meat for a long period of time?

    I think the best part about this recipe is that you throw it into the slow cooker in the morning and it’s done when you’re done with work in the evening. And since it has a bunch of veggies included in it, you don’t necessarily have to make extra if you don’t want to.

    Other slow cooker recipes you might enjoy: Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin | Whole30 Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Plates | Slow Cooker Beef Stew | Slow Cooker Italian Meatloaf | Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

    Looking for some more family meals? Check out my Dinner recipe index.

    A beef roast on a white plate surrounded by spices and veggies

    What you’ll need to make a Slow Cooker Beef Roast

    The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

    In addition to these tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients, too.

    • Boneless beef roast—you can use a chuck roast, shoulder, etc.
    • Yellow onion—though a white onion works in this recipe, too!
    • Carrots
    • Turnips
    • Parsnip
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • Granulated garlic
    • Onion powder
    • Fresh parsley—yes, this sounds super extra, but trust me when I tell you that it adds amazing flavor and is worth purchasing a bunch of parsley for it
    • Red wine—or beef stock if you don’t drink wine

    How to make a Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    First and foremost, you’re going to prep all the ingredients for this dish, which means you’re going to do some chopping. Peel the carrots, turnips and parsnip with a vegetable peeler, then chop ‘em. Remove the onion’s papery skin and chop it, too.

    Next, layer the onion, carrots, turnips and parsnip on the bottom of your slow cooker.

    Season the beef on all sides with the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder and fresh parsley. I like to do this over the slow cooker so that anything that falls off will just go onto the veggies below. 😉

    Next, place the beef on top of the root veggies, and pour in the wine.

    Cook the ingredients together on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.

    Use tongs to shred the beef and serve with your favorite side dishes for a comforting dinner.

    Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast is the ultimate kind of weeknight entertaining dish because it’s incredibly hands-off!

    When paired with something like a Mashed Potato Casserole, which can also be made in advance, this is a fancy-tasting, yet simply executed meal that’s perfect for sharing.

    Here are a few tips and tricks to getting this pot roast on the table while hosting friends or family:

    • Peel and chop your veggies the night before! Place them in a food-safe storage container, and keep ‘em in the fridge overnight before tossing into the slow cooker first thing in the morning to make prep faster.
    • Make a bigger roast for a bigger crowd. We’ve doubled this recipe before, and it’s still delicious! Keep in mind that if you’re using a larger piece of meat, it might take longer to cook, so be sure to put it into the slow cooker with more than enough time to spare.
    • Use the wine you’re going to drink in the recipe! We want the wine to be drinkable. 🙂 Also, if you don’t drink wine, feel free to use beef stock in its place.
    Close up of a fork sticking shredded slow cooker pot roast on top of mashed potatoes and next to steamed green beans

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is this recipe similar to a Mississippi Pot Roast?

    YES! It’s actually very similar to a Mississippi Pot Roast, but it’s completely from scratch and involves more vegetables.

    Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?

    Nope! For this slow cooker pot roast recipe, we don’t brown it, and it’s still utterly delicious.

    Do you put water in a crock pot when cooking a roast?

    The roast should have more than enough liquid that it will release to make a nice gravy, so you don’t need to add any water. That said, I add red wine in this recipe because I love how it pairs with the beef and its juices.

    Why is my slow cooker pot roast tough?

    If your pot roast is tough, you probably need to let it cook for longer. Undercooked roast is tough, so whenever I’ve run into this, I have cooked it for 1-2 hours longer, or until pull-apart tender.

    It’s important to start your slow cooker pot roast in the morning so it has more than enough time to cook throughout the day.

    Can you put raw beef in a slow cooker?

    Yes. So long as you’re starting the cooking process immediately, you can add raw beef to the slow cooker.

    Can I make this slow cooker recipe in the Instant Pot?

    My Instant Pot is my kitchen go-to these days, but I do not recommend making this in it. Unfortunately, the slow cooking function on the Instant Pot isn’t like a normal slow cooker, and the lid doesn’t allow for the release of moisture.

    I also don’t recommend cooking this roast under high pressure, either, since the magic in a pot roast is it cooking low and slow and the release of all those flavors and the intermingling of it as it cooks.

    Can this recipe be kept on warm? For how long?

    Yes, the recipe can be kept on warm for up to 2 hours.

    Can I make this pot roast ahead of time?

    You can make this recipe ahead of time easily. 🙂 Just make sure that you have enough time built in since the cooking time varies from 8-10 hours.

    How do I store leftovers?

    Let the roast and veggies cool before storing in a food-safe storage container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

    What should I serve this easy pot roast with?

    Three plates hold shredded slow cooker pot roast with mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and slow cooked veggies from the side

    Quick tips for making a Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    • Acceptable substitutions: I realize not everyone has turnips and parsnips at their disposal at all times, so feel free to use potatoes or sweet potatoes in their place! I love the flavors they add, but if you can’t find ‘em, there are other root veggies that work, too.
    • Store this slow cooker pot roast in a food-safe storage container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure it’s cooled off before packing it up and storing it.
    • Give the beef more than enough time. An undercooked roast will be tough and won’t shred, so I always like to place my ingredients into the slow cooker first thing in the morning so it can cook all day long and be ready when we’re ready to eat.
    Three plates hold shredded slow cooker pot roast with mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and slow cooked veggies from above
    Yield: 6-8 servings

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast

    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast is easy, comforting meal to make for the whole family. This flavorful and tender beef roast cooks with root vegetables and red wine throughout the day.

    Ingredients

    • 3 ½ lb. beef roast, boneless (can use chuck roast, shoulder, etc.)
    • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
    • 5 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
    • 3 turnips, peeled and chopped (can sub potatoes or sweet potatoes, about 1 ¾ cups chopped)
    • 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly cracked
    • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • 1 bunch of parsley, rough chopped (about ½ cup when chopped)
    • 1 cup red wine

    Instructions

    1. Layer the prepared onion, carrots, turnips and parsnip on the bottom of the slow cooker.
    2. Season the beef on both sides with the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder and parsley.
    3. Place the beef on top of the root veggies.
    4. Pour in the wine.
    5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until fall-apart tender.
    6. Shred the beef, and serve with your favorite side dishes, like mashed potatoes, green beans and more.

    Notes

    Store leftover pot roast in a food-safe storage container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Make sure it’s cooled off before loading it up!

    Easy entertaining tips and tricks:

    • Peel and chop your veggies the night before! Place them in a food-safe storage container, and keep ‘em in the fridge overnight before tossing into the slow cooker first thing in the morning to make prep faster.
    • Make a bigger roast for a bigger crowd. If you’re using a larger piece of meat, it might take longer to cook, so be sure to put it into the slow cooker with more than enough time to spare.
    • Use the wine you’re going to drink in the recipe! Which means… choose a bottle that you like, use some of it in the recipe and drink some with the final dish.

    Substitutions:

    • If you don’t have turnips or a parsnip, you can replace them with gold potatoes or sweet potatoes.
    • If you don’t drink wine, use beef stock in its place.

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6 servings

    Serving Size:

    1 serving

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 891Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 318mgSodium: 875mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 81g

    Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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    About the Author:

    Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her

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