Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy
This simple recipe for perfect pot roast in the slow cooker is my go-to recipe for Sunday dinners. And that gravy! Oh my, it is a game-changer.
This is the only “pot roast” recipe I make!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow cooking pot roast is the best way to achieve fall-apart tender meat and perfectly cooked veggies.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use a heavy cast iron pot (make sure it has a lid) in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.
Browning the roast beforehand can be an annoying step (I get it!), but it adds amazing flavor to the roast and vegetables.
For perfectly cooked roast, set the browned roast on a bed of onions in the slow cooker insert, surround with large carrot pieces (baby carrots won’t do as well here) and pour over the savory broth mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours.
Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast
Tougher cuts of meat (with a good amount of marbling) are the best choice for pot roasts because they withstand the longer, slower cooking method without drying out.
The specific cuts most recommended for pot roast are:
- chuck roast
- arm roast
- round roast
- rump roast
I almost always use a chuck or arm roast. We raise our own beef out on the back 20 acres of our property, and we have loads of both of these types of roasts in our freezer.
In my experience, bone-in OR boneless roasts work well. Just keep in mind with a bone-in roast that the weight on the package accounts for the bone as well.
Your house is going to smell amazing!
Perfect Gravy for Pot Roast and Potatoes
Not only are you getting a recipe for the best pot roast known to mankind, but I’m also giving you a bonus gift: the most perfect gravy on the planet.
So much hyperbole, I know. But it’s valid, I promise.
The gravy starts with a traditional roux of butter and flour. The key is to cook the butter and flour until it starts to turn golden in spots. This creates a flavor boost that is extraordinary with the drippings from the pot roast.
Add the drippings gradually and don’t stop stirring! Cook for several minutes until the gravy is thick and luxurious.
FYI: I prefer cooking the potatoes separate from the pot roast, carrots and onions. This is my go-to recipe for perfect mashed potatoes.
Tried-and-True Family Favorite
This is the only pot roast (and gravy) I’ve made for years. Why mess with perfection? The flavor is incredible, and the recipe is so easy to make.
Hundreds of you love it, too…here are just a handful of rave reviews. (Scroll down to read more – including adaptations for the Instant Pot.)
Donald: I cooked your pot roast recipe with mashed potatoes for family members and they raved about it. It was perfect. Thanks! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lauren: I have made this delightful pot roast along side the carrots w mashed potatoes, rolls & salad a couple times in the past few weeks. Each time I make it, my husband says “Oh, THIS IS MY FAVORITE!” I always use chuck, it never fails. Sometimes I will crank the crock pot up to high for a little while just to start things off or finish things up. This meal is delicious & comforting…just the best meal to make for loved ones. (Especially wonderful to take the chill off on a cold winter day or night.) Thank you, Mel ❤️
Mallory: I’ve made this twice now. We love it! Thanks for the recipe. Never thought to add allspice to a roast. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What To Serve With This:
Lion House Dinner Rolls or French Bread Rolls
The Best Mashed Potatoes
My Favorite Spinach Salad
One Year Ago: Video Tip: How to Make Perfect Pie Crust
Two Years Ago: Easy 10-Minute Caramel Sauce
Three Years Ago: Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter
Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy
Ingredients
Roast:
- 3 to 5 pound chuck roast, trimmed of extra fat
- Coarse kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 2 large yellow onions, sliced in thick rings
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ to 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 to 7 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces
Gravy:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 3 to 4 cups juices/drippings from roast
Instructions
- Season the roast on all sides with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add the roast, and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place the onions in the bottom of a 7-or 8-quart slow cooker, toss the smashed garlic on top, and transfer the roast to sit on top of the onions and garlic.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, scraping up the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper (use less salt and pepper if you used regular beef broth and not low-sodium). Add the bay leaf.
- Pour the mixture over the roast. All slow cooker sizes are different but it helps if the meat is mostly covered with liquid (or at least the liquid comes up nearly to the top of the meat).
- Nestle the carrots around the roast.
- Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours until the meat is very tender.
- Transfer the meat, carrots, and onions to a platter and tent with foil.
- Remove the bay leaf and pour the drippings/juice from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup (or into a fat separator if you want to pour off excess fat).
- For the gravy, melt the butter in a medium pot until sizzling. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds or so. If you have the time, cook for several minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a golden brown.
- Whisking vigorously and constantly (we don't want lumps in our gravy!), gradually add 3 to 4 cups of the pot roast juices, until the desired consistency of gravy is reached.
- Continue stirring quickly while the gravy comes to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy has thickened. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately with the pot roast and vegetables (and mashed potatoes, of course!).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (thanks to my friend Amy W. for long ago giving me the tip about allspice – yum!)
157 Comments on “Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy”
Perfect and easy recipe that my whole family loved!!
Not that this recipe needs another glowing review, but we tried this perfect pot roast tonight and as usual it was fantastic! I am pretty picky when it comes to pot roast and don’t usually care for tomato-based sauces for roast, but this is perfectly balanced. I made the gravy just as written and thought it was delicious. I am also not usually a gravy person, but Mel is right on this gravy is perfection. Thank you Mel for the fantastic recipe. I will be adding it to our normal rotation.
Forgot my rating. Oops!
Best pot roast I’ve ever made. I had 8 cups of liquid to use for the gravy & so I used the entire 6 T. butter & 1/2 cup flour to thicken the liquid & it was perfect. I also used 1/8” teaspoon allspice & it was a good amount for us. I cooked it for 5 hours on high in my Hamilton Beach 7 qt. slow cooker & it was the right amount of time for my 5.3 lb roast. Thank you for this incredible recipe.
Meant to leave 5 stars ⭐️
Very delicious! My chuck roast was 3.3 pounds. I used more carrots and also added potatoes. Cooked it on high for 6 hours. I left out the tomato sauce because we didn’t like that flavor last time. For the gravy, I used 3 tablespoons butter and flour, and 3 cups of the cooking broth.
So good! Made this tonight and the roast was melt in your mouth delicious, the carrots had so much flavor!
I did half the butter and flour for the gravy – I didn’t want to make a bunch, since I’m not usually a gravy person. I still ended up using 3 cups of drippings to make it the right texture, so we still ended up with a lot. That said, the gravy was also delicious!
I’ll have to add this recipe into our rotation for sure! Thanks Mel, you never fail me!
I wasted all of my cooking liquid following this bum @ss recipe. 1/2 cup of flour? Are you kidding me? If you want to make an inedible paste, follow this recipe.
It was DE-LIOUS!!!!!!
I can’t use flour for the gravy. I have gluten-free flour. Will that work ok?
I haven’t tried that but it’s definitely worth a try!
I was so excited to make this. I bought a 3.5 lb chuck and didn’t realize until the last minute that my slow cooker is only 4Q. I stuffed it all in there, hope it doesn’t explode.
OY
Mel,
I made this roast for a birthday celebration and increased the quantities. I mad it in my large Dutch oven and cooked it in the oven for about four hours at 325. It turned out great, not dry at all. There was plenty of liquid in the pot to keep it moist. I like to do it a day ahead, and let the juices chill so I can remove as much fat as possible before making the gravy. I also kept a cup of beef broth aside to use when rewarming the roast. It turned out great, thanks for the recipe.
I made this for the first time in my I.P. Oh My Goodness!!! It was melting in my mouth. Even my Dog Daisy enjoyed her taste.
We also made the gravy from scratch. I was always afraid to do that. It was so easy.
Thank you so much
Jones family
Mmm Mmm good
This was delicious! I have been wanting a recipe that was easy but didn’t rely on onion soup mix. We added extra carrots because I love them with a roast. I agree some of the comments that that the roux is too much, but I will reduce it next time. Thank you!!
The pot roast was great b it the gravy instructions are not correct. That is way to much Roux for 3-4 cups of broth. I used a third of the roux and it was good. After making your gravy you can still add a little bit of roux to thicken it up if it’s too thin but you can’t get more broth from the roast
I cooked your pot roast recipe with mashed potatoes for family members and they raved about it. It was perfect. Thanks!
It was the best. Gravy was amazing
So, I went a little crazy. Venison Roast. Best roast I’ve made, ever. I’ve made it twice with IP following some suggestions by another commenter. (pressure for 50 min without carrots, natural release, then pressure cook 10 min with carrots and potatoes(!). I also added extra liquid to make up for any loss to steam during pressure cooking and because we LOVE the gravy! First time I made it it was a lazy day and there was some slow cook time as well. Trying the slowcooker method (still in IP) today for hubby’s birthday but will still do the carrots with pressure so the broth doesn’t come out too sweet. De-Lish-Us!!
I have made this delightful pot roast along side the carrots w mashed potatoes, rolls & salad a couple times in the past few weeks. Each time I make it, my husband says “Oh, THIS IS MY FAVORITE!” I always use chuck, it never fails. Sometimes I will crank the crock pot up to high for a little while just to start things off or finish things up. This meal is delicious & comforting…just the best meal to make for loved ones. (Especially wonderful to take the chill off on a cold winter day or night.) Thank you, Mel ❤️
Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Mel! I prepped everything in the crock pot, refrigerated it overnight, and plugged it in the next morning, and it worked perfectly! I does take some time to put together, so it was so convenient to be able to just plug it in on my way to work. I thought this might be helpful for others who are short on time in the morning. Delicious!
I put this recipe together last night, then early this morning set it to slow cook in crock pot for 10 hours. I came home from work and walked into my home smelling of deliciousness. This recipe is the bomb! The roast came out perfectly tender and the gravy was to die for! I was a little afraid to add the allspice but so glad I did. It seemed to give it an underlying tang but not sweet at all. My husband loved this roast and it will be my go to roast recipe from now on. Thank you so much!
I just made your recipe for the gravy and YESSSSS! So good! Thanks so much!
I want to bake this, how long in the oven and what what degree?
I haven’t tried baking it, so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly (despite thinking the thyme amount was a little low) and it was the best I’ve made. The gravy was wonderful and super tasty. Thanks for a great recipe!
Can I use pork butt roast for this recipe? I’m sorry if that’s a dumb question, but I don’t know much about cuts of meat.
I’m sure you could try – it will have a different flavor and texture because it isn’t a beef roast.
So good! The gravy was exceptionally easy….who knew I could actually make a decent gravy??!! Thanks, Mel! BTW, I also made the pressure cooker mashed potatoes, fantastic!
This is my new favorite pot roast recipe. London Broil was on sale so I used that instead of a roast and I cooked it in the Instant Pot. It was tender and delicious! The gravy was tasty, too! Thanks!
I love this pot roast recipe. I can always count on your flavor profile to make it taste the way I like. For this recipe I did it exactly like yours as far as the recipe. I cooked it in my Instant Pot in stead of on slow. I also had a smaller roast (only 2 1/2lbs),. I just chunked it into 4″ pieces, cooked for 60 minutes. If I had a larger roast I would add additional time. I let it natural release for about 10 minutes, then quick released the rest. I pulled the beef out and put in my serving bowl and covered it tightly. I then added my carrots and potatoes to the liquid and cooked it for about 5 minutes on high. PERFECT. My roast was perfectly rested and my veggies were hot and firm. LOVE the flavor. So good. I didn’t care that it was already chunked. I find if your recipes aren’t converted to IP yet, I still use your recipe but find a similar one to get the IP cooking time. Your recipes are the BEST! Hands down!!!! Your website is why I can actually cook decently now and have the confidence to wing it when I need to or feel experimental.
Thanks for all the tips converting this to the IP, Andrea! I’m definitely going to try that – you’re amazing. Thank you!
I’ve made this twice now. We love it! Thanks for the recipe. Never thought to add allspice to a roast.
Hi, did you brown it first? How exactly did you cook it in the IP? Just on manual or did you use the meat button?
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing IP instructions! I did this tonight and it was delicious!
I don’t have canned tomatoes and Google isn’t showing me any recipes that use fresh tomatoes in a crock pot pot roast. Will it be a disaster if I use fresh tomatoes?!
I’m not sure – but I think it’s worth a try! I’d take the skins off first if it were me so they don’t separate from the tomatoes while cooking.
Another winner dinner! Thanks Mel!
Hi Mel, I made a basic chuck roast but needed a gravy recipe and came across yours. My roast recipe was very much like yours. The gravy part of it was the best part of the dinner. I will use your gravy recipe every time from now on. My husband loved it!!! I am going to make your roast recipe next time and will let you know how it turns out. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes!
Kim
I wish you would make a video, with you taking the time to explain each step, from start to finish, in detail.
I am a recently divorced male and for the last 32 years, my wife cooked most meals, she was an incredible cook.
So I’m the old dog learning new tricks
Donald. Grow up.
Hey Mel, what if I don’t have allspice. I’m not a huge fan of that or cloves. Any suggestions for a substitute? I honestly don’t feel like purchasing it just for this recipe. Also I have a 3lb roast so low for 8 hours will be good ya think?
Thanks so much.
Hey Nikki – you could probably just leave it out.
How do you think the flavors of the seasonings and gravy would work with a pork shoulder roast? I have two giant ones in my freezer, and I definitely need to use up at least one of them!
I think it would be delicious!
Okay, thanks! I think I’m going to try it tonight and then eat it for lunch tomorrow.
Hi Mel,
I know you said chuck roast; do you think about using tri tip? It just happens to be what I have on hand?
I think it will probably work! Tri tip is usually leaner than chuck roast so hopefully it won’t be dry.
When adding the tomato sauce and other ingredients are you to let this come to a boil? Thank you
Nope, not necessarily – just stir until well combined!
I just made this recipe, it was very good. I would not add carrots right away—8-9 hours in a slow cooker made them way softer than I like–BUT still very tasty. The meat was Great—I didn’t have 8 oz of tomato sauce—I had about 4 oz so I added some no salt paste
This is a keeper if you like Pot Roast
It was okay, but I’m not a big fan of tomato with my roast. It was nice and tender though!
Can I cook it on high for half the time?
Can definitely try!
Did this work for you?
This continues to be my all-time favorite pot roast recipe. It comes out perfect EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Including the gravy! I won’t go do another version ever again. This is fall apart tender and I love that my gravy is practically done and I didn’t have to lift a finger! I do Mel’s Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with this and I feel like a rock star because it doesn’t require me cooking all day…and it’s SO GOOD!
I made this last night and it was a hit! My husband grew up on a beef ranch and had roast every Sunday. He said he got a bit sick of it. But when he had this roast last night , he said over and over, “This is REALLY good!” Thanks for a great recipe! It was awesome! 🙂
I have made this before and it was unbelievably good! I think the Allspice was the perfect addition and I felt I could taste a big difference having seared the meat beforehand.
I am having my family over for dinner this weekend and want to know if I can double this recipe. I do have a bigger slow cooker, but do I need to adjust the time of how long it cooks? Will this work, or is it unwise to try to put up to 10 lbs. of meat and veggies in at once?
Thanks for providing recipes that allow me to impress my family 🙂
Yes, you could definitely double – I’d try to make sure the roast is in as even layer (single layer) as possible and probably cook it for the longer amount of time. Good luck!
Could you do this without browning the roast first? It tastes so yummy with it browned, but it takes so much longer to get it into the crock pot to get it going! Just curious. Thanks!
Nevermind… I can’t read! :-/ I just saw in your post about the browning it. I make this a lot and am always annoyed at having to brown it, but it does make it taste so good. Maybe one day, I will be brave enough to try it without browning (just to try the difference), but for now, I will stick with browning it. Sorry to bug you! Have a good weekend!
The only bad thing about this recipe has been the torture of having to spend the entire day smelling it cooking and not be able to eat it yet! Best pot roast ever! (I also call it pot roast…haha)
Would you dare try this in an instant pot? How would you adapt it?
I’m working on an IP version, but yes, I think it should work – I’d just wait and add the carrots after the roast cooks (maybe 60 mins high pressure?) and then pressure cook another 4-5 mins? They’ll get way overcooked if they stay in with the roast the whole time.
Would you brown it first? Use the saute function on the IP for a few or what would you do exactly, Just 60 mins on high pressure?
We adore this recipe! I made this for Christmas Day dinner and it was so delicious and it’s really a no fail recipe. The carrots are just fantastic and the gravy is sublime. Another winner, Mel! Thank you so much!
Hi Mel! I have sort of a tall shaped roast, so even with adding an extra cup of beef broth the liquid only comes about 1/2 – 2/3 up. Think it will be okay? Any tips? i’m super excited to try this, my first pot roast…
Also wanted to add that in Canada pretty sure “chuck” roast is called “blade” roast…. it’s shoulder area, right? Nowhere could I find something labelled chuck roast.
Cross rib roast isn’t actually from the rib section, but from the shoulder or chuck, as it merges into the rib. It is tasty and used as a pot roast, rather than an actually roasted roast beef. This is excellent in this recipe.
Hi Mel. Your recipes are truly amazing and I can’t thank you enough for all the times your blog has saved me!!
If I wanted to cook this pot roast in the oven, what temperature would I cook it at and for how long?
I would probably suggest 225 or 250 for 3 hours? That’s just a starting point! Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
I made this and followed the recipe as written…it was FABULOUS!!! My boyfriend had seconds and then proceeded to lick his plate clean! I served it with mashed potatoes and it was the perfect dinner. Definitely a keeper…thanks Mel!
This is a perfect simple pot roast. I used unsalted butter for the gravy and then salted to taste. I also halved this for my family of four (9&7 year olds). Used my 4 quart slow cooker. Just enough with leftovers. I’ve tried a lot of pot roast recipes. This one wins based off the ability to use the drippings for gravy. I am not sensitive to salt but so many recipes are overly salty and you can’t make a gravy with the drippings. Thanks my youngest was dancing in his seat and my oldest gravy hater actually ate the gravy this time.
I also have a 4 quart crockpot. I halved all of the ingredients, using a 2.5 lb. roast. I think my cooker could hold up to a 3 lb. roast. It came out great!
We especially loved the gravy. I used 2 full cups of drippings in my “half recipe”.
A really delicious recipe – a keeper for sure!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I followed it exactly and it turned out fabulous. This will be my go to pot roast recipe from now on. Thanks!
This pot roast was so tender and moist. It’s a great meal to make when you want to impress but don’t want to spend lots of time in the kitchen.
Could I put this together the night before and just take it out of the fridge and plug it in? I’m strapped for time in the AM
I think that would work!
Is it possible to make this in the instant pot?
I haven’t tried it – mostly because the carrots would get overcooked in the pressure cooker – but you could definitely cook the meat in the instant pot.
How long would you keep it in the Instant Pot?
Do you mean how long would you cook it in the IP? I’d probably say about 55 to 60 minutes high pressure (for the meat – that amount of time would overcook the veggies).
Hi Mel! I’m wanting to make this recipe but I’m stuck on 1 ingredient-the 8oz can of tomato sauce. I’m in Australia & typically tomato sauce means ketchup & most definitely does not come in cans!! Is it a pasta sauce or pureed tomatoes, like pasatta? Help!!
Hi Laura – I think it would be more like pureed tomatoes.
I used a frozen lamb roast that was probably only 2 lbs. So I didnt brown the roast, just threw all the ingredients in and kept spices and liquid amounts the same, for 6 hours on low. It came out fantastic!!! The gravy was amazing too even though all I had was AP wheat flour!!! Another winner – my husband just assumes that everything delicious I make now comes from your blog!!
How tender are your carrots. We prefer ours not too tender. I want/plan to try this (maybe Monday) but historically when I add veggies to my pot roasts they end up over cooked and mushy…which is why I’ve only done it a couple times. I’ve heard adding the carrots/potatoes etc. in the last hour or two is better in this case. Thoughts? Siggestions?
Hi Ty, you could definitely add the carrots later. I’d say when making it per the recipe, the carrots are tender-soft but not mushy. If you want yours a little more crisp-tender, I’d definitely add them later.
Thanks! Made it for dinner tonight. It turned out fabulous. I put the carrots in part way. Gravy was delicious!
Btw I survived our nor’easter today making/prepping multiple recipes from your site – can’t wait to try the others this week
Glad you stayed safe with the crazy weather in your area, Ty! Thanks for the report on the roast (and carrots!).
Made this for mt family. Easily fed a family of 5 with addition of some homemade biscuits. Gravy came out so flavorful. Didnt use bay leaf.
This looks so yummy. How would this recipe be converted for the pressure cooker?
I’m not sure, mostly because the carrots will be overcooked if they cook at high pressure for as long as the roast does (probably 75 minutes high pressure)…they could possibly be added halfway through if the pressure is quick released but I haven’t tried it yet.
Delicious! We were hosting an early dinner, and I didn’t want to wake up early, so I had mine on high for about 5 hours and it turned out fantastic. When pot roast is done right, it is one of my favourites.
Hello! I have a little 1.5 lb chuck roast and am curious how to best adjust this recipe for it. Or, would a different recipe be best? The slow cooker I use is quite huge and I wonder if my little roast might be better served with a different cooking method? Any suggestions you can provide would me much appreciated. I know my husband would love this recipe.
Hey Christa – I think the size of your roast might be too little for your slow cooker…there’s a good chance it could burn. Do you have a pressure cooker?
Hi!
Thanks for your reply. I don’t have a pressure cooker, but I just used your recipe as a guide and did it all it in my dutch oven on the stove top. It worked out great! I used your list of ingredients, but I did adjust the amounts and I just simmered it all for a few hours, until the roast was super tender and yum. The carrots were great — I mashed half of them with the potatoes. All the extra (and extra delicious) gravy is sitting in my freezer. My husband, toddler and I were all pleased with the meal. Thanks!
Look at you! Way to go on making it work; I’m so happy it was delicious!
My wife and I made this for our friends when we had them over for dinner. It was a huge hit. I was nervous to try a new recipe for the first time and have our friends come over but it was amazing. We had a lot of leftovers and so we made that into a shepherds pie. Those onions had so much flavor! This is my new go-to recipe for roasts! Thanks, Mel!
I made this earlier this week and it was great – I’ll never use another method again. I too had the problem of not having enough liquid to almost cover the roast once it was on top of the uncooked onions. I moved the onions to the sides of the roast so the roast was sitting on the bottom of the slow cooker and the onions were nestled around it. It worked out just perfectly. Another keeper
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Really loved it with the garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes. And this is by far the easiest, most delicious gravy I have ever made. Thank you, Mel!
Hi Mel! I just made this today for the first time and noticed that in the recipe you said that its helpful if the liquid mostly covers the roast. I only used one yellow onion but by the time the roast was sitting on top of those, the liquid only barely made it to the bottom of the roast. I didn’t know if I should just add water or double the ingredients in the liquid or just leave it? What would you suggest?
Hey Merryn – that might be due to the shape of your slow cooker vs mine. What size/shape is yours? I’d probably suggest doubling the liquid ingredients so the roast doesn’t dry out.
And there it is. The last crock pot roast recipe I will ever need. So delicious. I am with you 100% on the carrots. My favorite part. Thanks, Mel.
Yesssss! That makes me happy.
What type of slow cooker do you use? I find that when I do roasts in mine they are dry and yucky!!
I have this one and I love it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BG0SPM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I made this Saturday and it was delicious. When additional people came by for dinner I seasoned and browned two pork tenderloins and added them to the pot for the last two hours of cooking time. They came out moist, tender and tasty. The gravy was fantastic and I was never good at making gravy. Thanks for sharing this recipe,
Wow, you are one flexible host! I love that!
This was hands down the best tasting roast I have ever prepared!! It was so tender and delicious- the gravy was wonderful too w your roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This will be a new Sunday dinner staple for sure.
Hi Mel! Should I adjust the cooking time if I only have a 2 lb roast? Thank you!!
I’d probably keep it the same, maybe decrease by 30 minutes or so, if any.
Pot roast and mashed potatoes bring back such great memories of grandma’s house from when I was little! Though I’m not the biggest fan of the slow cooker, I must admit it takes a lot of extra work and time out of the equation. Thanks for the tip about the allspice. I can’t wait to try it out!
Hey Mel! Your Sunday roast was our Wednesday dinner this week! My husband and I have been married for 12 years and I’ve literally only made a pot roast twice in that time. I got so burned out on them growing up! So it is a HUGE compliment to you that I immediately put this recipe on the menu. We recently moved, and I haven’t a clue where my slow cooker is and because I use my electric pressure cookers so often, I haven’t bothered looking for it! So for those who were wondering about cooking it in the pressure cooker, here’s how I did it. Seared it, set the roast on a plate, deglazed the pot with broth and tomato sauce, and then just dumped the rest of the ingredients inside with the roast. I cooked it at high pressure for 90 minutes with a full natural release. It was amazing! Maybe I had a lot of bad roasts growing up, but this was so tender and juicy, and my daughter went crazy over the gravy. Thanks Mel! There will now be more pot roasts in my future! (My husband thanks you and also says this was the best roast he’s ever had)
Love the pressure cooker notes. Thanks, Marci!
Oh my gosh – for the first time ever my gravy turned out perfect!! Thanks Mel!
Has anyone tried this without the bay leaf?
I made Mel’s beef stew recipe once and I believe it was the bay leaf that we hated in the stew. Was going to leave it out unless anyone had disastrous results omitting it….
Hi Mel,
For years, I made pot roast with my grandma’s recipe. I thought it was the best recipe of the world. No, I was wrong, your recipe is highly better (sorry grandma !). My husband agree with me and my 3 little girls too.
Thank you very much.
Our family recently moved to England and will be living in a hotel for a little while until we find a home here. We’re grateful our hotel has a full kitchen and as soon as I saw this post I knew it would be just what we needed for dinner – a little taste of home in a new place. I immediately went out to search for and buy a slow cooker and pick up the ingredients for this meal. It was our dinner tonight and it was a hit with everyone! There’s nothing like the smell of something delicious in the slow cooker when you come home after a long day looking for a home. The gravy is amazing, life-changing stuff and I know this meal will become a permanent part of our dinner rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
Well, you are amazing for cooking meals like this in a hotel! I’ve done the hotel living thing and know how tough it can be; good luck on your move!
I never comment, but this converted my husband to roast! I made it thinking he would have something else for dinner but he tried it, ate it all and said he would eat that every week. Amazed!! It is all about that gravy. Best gravy ever. So thank you for putting roast back on my menu after 8 years away.
Ok, that’s the best thing I’ve heard all week! Yay for pot roast converts!
Thank you, thank you for the countless recipes I have used from your site! I have never commented, but was feeling ungrateful today as I saved yet two more recipes from your collection without you knowing. You are amazing!
Thank you, Leslie!
In the slow cooker as we speak and it smells divine!! If it tastes as good as it smells, we are all in for a delicious treat!!
Just to report back…last nights supper was delicious!!!!! The allspice trick added a ton of flavor..I’m already looking forward to the leftovers!!
I can’t wait to try this. And I completely agree with you…the carrots are the best part of pot roast!
Mel, it’s been forever! Thanks for all the great recipes I don’t have a slow cooker. I know, I know :)- Anyway, will this work with my Le Creuset ? The recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it !
Thanks !
Linda
It probably would but I haven’t had good luck (think: dry roast) baking in a pot. Try googling a traditional pot roast recipe to get a good idea for time/temp.
Low and slow (275 for 4 hours) and liquid covering the roast.
Follow Mel’s instructions through starting the slow cooker.
Ooh can’t wait to try this with a pinch of allspice! In the past few months I’ve looked at your site for the perfect Sunday roast recipe and I’m so happy it’s here! I love putting my cut up potatoes in tin foil on top of the meat so when we get home from church they’re perfectly cooked and we mash them up real quick to have on the side!
Great idea!
My son is allergic to tomatoes. Would it be ok to eliminate the tomato paste or would I need to replace it with something? Thanks!!
It will have a different flavor but I think eliminating it would probably be fine – just increase the broth by another cup.
What kind of crock-pot do you use, Mel?
I use my Instant Pot when I need a 6-quart slow cooker but if I need bigger, like for this recipe, I have the Hamilton Beach 8-quart (oval).
When do you put it in the crockpot if you want it for Sunday lunch? Do you put it in all night, or just get up “extra” early?
We don’t eat until 5:30 or so on Sundays so I start cooking it in the morning. You could try cooking it on high for less hours; that may work.
Oh divine! Carrots with pot roast are one of my family’s favorites too. Yum! This is definitely going on our Sunday menu this week. Thanks Mel!
This looks perfect! I think the extra flavor in the meal outweighs the inconvenience of browning!. I’m looking forward to another terrific meal thanks to you!
I grew up in a Pot-Roast-and-potatoes-for-dinner-after-church-on-Sunday family as well, and as a kid I actually despised this meal. Now that I am a big girl, I love it. My husband, however, does not. This is the man who will eat almost anything on the planet. WEIRD. I am so excited to try your version!! It is making my stomach growl. I am super excited about your allspice trick. I am determined to make a convert out of him! I might have to change up my menu plan for the week. Thanks Mel!
That is weird, Melanie! I wonder what it is about it that he despises. If this gravy can’t convert him, I quit.
I love this post !! I grew up in a family where roast and mashed potatoes and gravy were Sunday absolutes!! And I quite honestly have done almost the exact same thing with my family !! Now that I am an avid reader of your blog I have changed up Sunday dinner on more occasions than I used to … And I have met with some opposition from some very ‘spoiled’ children who really believe that roast and mashed potatoes (and hot rolls and corn and salad ) are the only acceptable Sunday dinners… My recipe is super similar and I can’t wait to try the Allspice !! Maybe even today….. because I served chicken cordon bleu casserole yesterday … And this just looks so good right now for a fall Monday night dinner !! I’m off to fire up my frying pan and my crock pot !! Thanks Mel !! I think we mayneed some lemon bars too …. And just so you know I have a freezer full of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies thanks to my 14 year old son. I made a batch on Friday afternoon and they were gone by Saturday. So Saturday night he made a double batch because he wanted more. We love you Mel !!!
I love YOU, Helen! 🙂
Thanks Mel!! So we had this tonight and it was as good as I thought it would be … and more!! The gravy was amazing!! The allspice addition is definitely a keeper and we all loved the big chunks of onion… I usually cut them small… I will be doing it this way from now on!! Never thought my pot roast could be improved upon…. but I should have known if anyone could give me a way to make it better it would be you !! 🙂
Yay! This makes me so happy, Helen. 🙂
I’d like to add that arm roast rivals the chuck roast for pot roast! I believe they tie for the best. I use the rump for shredded beef sandwiches. I’ve tried browning the roasts and not browning the roasts before putting them in the crock pot, and we notice no difference. Although, I do covet the All Clad slow cooker with built in searing capabilities. 🙂
I am the biggest whiner about searing before slow cooking. Heh Thanks my insta pot I can sear it and then switch to slow cook. Oh yeah baby!! I cannot wait to make this. I’m notorious for dry chewy ruined pot roast so this is going to be redemption! Thank you, thank you!
Does the Instant Pot slow cook??? How, oh, how did I miss this???
Yes! I love that it does both. I have cooked a roast both ways – about 45 minutes on pressure, or 6-8 hours on slow cook. At least with my Instant Pot, the low setting on the slow cooker is TOO LOW. I always have to pressure cook afterwards! Now I just use normal and it’s fine.
Have you tried this in a pressure cooker? Thanks to you, I received an Instant Pot last month for my birthday and the fam requests meals from it every day now because everything is so so so tender.
I haven’t Kelly since we love it in the slow cooker so much but I bet it would be amazing if you could figure out just the right timing.
Yes, if anyone can figure out a pressure cooker way I would love to hear it too!
I have not been having great results with the pressure cooker- (Instant Pot)- I can’t get the timing down just right. It must be me- I love the machine, and the first time I used it, I had fall-apart pork roast on my hands- first time ever! (My slow cooker has never been a slow cooker. I have only ever had dry, hard, boiled meat out of it in 10 years… So, needless to say, I have never really had the “slow cooker experience.” I haven’t been able to replicate fall apart meat in the IP, either- somehow, I’ve managed to overcook everything. Do you have any suggestions for me, please??? 🙂
Thank you!!
Hey Amy – the cooking time charts at hippressurecooking.com have helped me SO much with the Instant Pot! The key is not to over cook, like you mentioned, so knowing how fast certain meats cook is key. And yes, the Instant Pot can also slow cook!
I use the hippressurecooking chart as well and often do a quick search to see if others have suggestions, but I’ve never had an issue with hippressurecooking times.
I’ve also not had an issue with cooking all kinds of meat from boneless chicken breasts (1 cup water and Mel’s 8 min per pound guideline for whole chicken) to round steak with tomatoes and mushrooms to pot roast (almost same technique as Mel’s above except 40 min quick release then carrots in for 5-10 minutes quick release.
I’m wondering if those who had bad results are not using enough liquid? For the beef I make sure the liquid is mostly covering the meat.
Hippressurecooking has some great videos as well.
I was checking out this page to get an idea of what to serve with the Perfected Pot Roast that is finishing up in my Insta Pot right now! This recipe comes from the book Mel suggested (at Christmas for kitchen gift ideas) for the best Insta Pot recipes. Everything in this cookbook is Mel-Quality, if you ask me. I was able to get it at the library while waiting for my used copy from amazon to arrive.
The cookbook is called Great Food Fast by Bob Warden.