Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pot Roast combines tender beef chuck roast with baby carrots, onion, rich tomato broth, aromatic garlic, and dried parsley. It's an ultimate set-it-and-forget-it comfort meal that you can assemble in the morning, and it'll be ready to serve for dinner at the end of the day!
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pot Roast is a comforting household classic that's been handed down in recipe variations from generation to generation. With the use of modern kitchen appliances, slow cooking your beef could not be any easier!
Serve it over mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, rice, couscous, or alongside some soft and fluffy rolls to help you soak up all that juicy goodness!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's Effortless Cooking: This pot roast is incredibly easy to make. Simply add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker pot and let it get cooking! Minimal fuss or cleanup.
- It's a Low-Carb Hug: It's comforting and perfect for those following a low-carb diet. Just be sure to keep your side dishes low-carb too.
- It's Meal Prep Friendly: Since it makes 8 servings, you can easily portion to freeze, or leave in the fridge for lunches.
- it's Super Versatile: You can easily add potatoes or swap out other veggies that you love!
The slow cooking process results in a tender, juicy, and delicious meal that's both comforting and satisfying. Whether you're feeding a large family or just looking for a simple and easy-to-prepare dinner, this slow cooker garlic herb pot roast is the perfect choice.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef – I've used boneless beef chuck roast. You could also use rump roast or round roast.
- Carrots – Baby carrots are a convenient choice, but you can chop regular carrots down to size, if you need to.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion. Chop it into larger chunks so that it withstands the slow cooking.
- Broth – Beef broth works the best for flavor profile, but you could use chicken broth if that's what you have available. Use store-bought or homemade broth.
- Apple juice – Apple juice is great for adding a touch of sweetness and enhancing the overall flavor profile of the dish. It's also known to tenderize meat.
- Tomato paste – This adds depth of flavor and helps to thicken the sauce.
- Garlic – I always prefer to use freshly minced garlic from garlic cloves, but you could use pre-minced garlic.
- Dried parsley – This adds a mild, herbal flavor. Feel free to use other dried herbs, such as chervil (a milder parsley flavor), thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves.
- Salt and pepper – A simple seasoning for this pot roast.
- Fresh parsley – While this is optional, it's great for sprinkling on the top of each serving and adds a freshness to the dish.
The Best Cut Of Beef For Pot Roast
For a tender pot roast, choose a cut of meat with marbling, such as chuck roast, rump roast, or round roast. Avoid lean cuts of meat, as they tend to become tough when slow-cooked.
This recipe calls for boneless chuck roast. While you can use bone-in meat, it's going to make your life much easier to shred the meat when you don't have to also remove bones. Bone-in meat also cooks slower as the bone acts as an insulator, slowing the heat transfer to the meat.
Searing VS No Searing: What Works Best?
I haven't seared the chuck roast before cooking with the rest of the ingredients and this dish still turned out exceptionally good! That said, there are known benefits to taking the time and extra steps to searing meat first.
Searing the meat before adding it to the slow cooker helps to build flavor and lock in juices. To do this, heat some oil over medium-high heat in a pan or in the slow cooker and brown the meat on all sides. Feel free to coat the meat with seasonings before searing it so that you get a delicious crust around the meat.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
- Refrigeration: Once completely cool, store leftover pot roast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven until heated through. Of course, you can easily heat it up on the stovetop with some broth.
- Freezer: Freeze this pot roast for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat as directed above.
More Slow Cooker Recipes that Saves Time
Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 lb baby carrots
- 1 yellow or white onion chopped into large chunks
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Place the beef on the bottom of an 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, beef broth, apple juice, tomato paste, garlic, dried parsley, salt and pepper and stir. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
- Once done cooking, use two forks to shred the meat and place the shredded meat back in the slow cooker. Top with fresh parsley and serve! (optional)
Notes
David's Tips for the Best Pot Roast
Sear the roast first (optional but recommended):- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat.
- Sear roast 2-3 mins per side until browned for extra flavor.
- Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch + ¼ cup cold water.
- Stir into slow cooker after shredding and cook 10 mins on high.
- 1 cup red wine (for richness)
- 1 cup broth + 1 tbsp brown sugar
Recipe FAQs
Can I cook this pot roast on LOW instead of HIGH?
Absolutely! Simply cook this pot roast on LOW for 7-8 hours instead of on HIGH for 6 hours. Pro Tip: Older slow cookers may need an extra hour—check for fork-tenderness.
Why add apple juice to pot roast?
It does a couple of things. It helps to tenderize the meat with it's naturally occurring acid, and it helps to balance the savory with a hint of sweet. No worries, it doesn't taste like fruit at all! Don't have apple juice? Here are some swaps: Use red wine, beer, or extra broth + 1 tbsp brown sugar.
How do I thicken the juices into gravy?
I love a thickened gravy! Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix well with a whisk until there are no lumps. Turn the Slow cooker on high and add the cornstarch slurry. Give it a good 10 minutes to see if it thickens.
Hey Google, how long does pot roast last in the fridge?
Shredded pot roast stays fresh 3-4 days in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months—thaw overnight before reheating with a splash of broth.”
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