We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
There’s just something so comforting about a Slow Cooker Pot Roast. It’s one of those hearty, no-fuss meals that takes me back to Sunday dinners growing up. The tender beef, flavorful veggies, and rich broth all come together in the Crockpot with hardly any effort—just set it and forget it! Whether you’re serving up a cozy family dinner or meal prepping for the week, this recipe is a classic that never goes out of style.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is definitely easy and a hearty meal. Love! My mom actually makes a similar version.” – Trang
“Comfort food at its finest! I love how Worcestershire sauce brings out the flavor of the beef.” – Krissy
“This was a very delicious meal. I used sodium free veg broth and cream of mushroom soup. I will definitely make this again.” – Kaye
Why I Love This Roast
There’s just something about a slow cooker pot roast with vegetables that takes me straight back to my childhood. Before slow cookers were even a thing, my grandma and mom would make roast the old-fashioned way—in the oven. I still remember walking in after church on a Sunday to that intoxicating aroma of tender meat, carrots, and potatoes wafting through the house. These days, I love using the Crockpot for the same comfort food, without having to leave the oven on for hours. Just toss everything in, let it cook low and slow, and dinner practically makes itself. It’s hearty, simple, and always a hit with the whole family.
For years, my go-to pot roast method was super simple: a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix over the roast and veggies. But recently, I tried a version from my friend Liz Edmunds (you might know her as the Food Nanny), and it totally leveled things up. Her take adds brown sugar, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar for a rich, slightly tangy flavor that really brings the roast to life.
If you’re in a rush, my Instant Pot Sunday Pot Roast is a quicker option with the same cozy flavors. Or, if you prefer that classic oven-roasted flavor, try my Oven Roast Beef. And if you need some great ideas to make it a complete meal be sure to check out our Sunday Dinner Ideas.
🩷 Echo
Table of Contents
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Why I Love This Roast
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Additions and Substitutions
- How to Make a Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Tips for Cooking Meat in the Crockpot
- Best Roast Cuts for the Slow Cooker
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- More Roast Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef Sirloin Roast – or use your favorite cut (see options below)
- Vegetable Oil
- Brown Sugar – adds a touch of sweetness
- Apple Cider Vinegar – balances the flavor
- Soy Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce – for umami richness
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup – store-bought or homemade
- Dry Onion Soup Mix – divided
- Beef Broth – keeps everything moist
- Carrots – peeled and cut
- Red Potatoes – quartered
- Salt and Pepper
Additions and Substitutions
- minced garlic
- other veggies like bell peppers, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts
- fresh thyme
- parsley – in the dish or for garnish
- bay leaves
- oregano
- balsamic vinegar
How to Make a Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Sear the Roast – Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned to seal in the juices and add rich flavor.
- Place in the Crockpot – Transfer the seared roast to your slow cooker.
- Mix the Sauce – In a bowl, whisk together brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, half of the dry onion soup mix, and beef broth. Pour this mixture over the roast.
- Prep the Vegetables – Wash and cut the carrots and potatoes into bite-size chunks. Place them in a large resealable bag.
- Season the Veggies – Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix into the bag with the veggies, then seal and shake until well coated.
- Slow Cook – Cook the roast on low for 8–10 hours or high for 5–6 hours. Add the seasoned vegetables about halfway through the cooking time. When the meat is fall-apart tender and the veggies are soft, it’s ready to serve!
Tips for Cooking Meat in the Crockpot
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Take it out of the fridge and let it relax a little before searing.
- Always sear the outside of your meat in oil in a large skillet over the stove top (medium-high heat) before putting it into the Crockpot. This keeps juices locked inside the meat while it’s cooking, plus it creates a delicious crust on the outside. It really is the best way to get that tender, fall apart beef that tastes so yummy.
- For tantalizing fall-apart meat remember these two words: LOW and SLOW. Simmering at a lower heat for a longer period of time will give even tougher types of meat that tender texture your family will die over! The crockpot is ideal for this.
- Make sure your meat never gets dry in the crockpot. Keep it covered in its natural juices and beef broth for maximum juicy tenderness.
- Plate roast onto a large serving platter and surround it with the cooked veggies. Optional: garnish with a little parsley.
- Use the drippings and browned bits to make our delicious Beef Gravy!
Best Roast Cuts for the Slow Cooker
The best part about using a slow cooker? It turns even tougher cuts into fork-tender bites. Here are a few great options:
- Chuck Roast (aka Shoulder Roast)
- Ribeye Roast
- Tenderloin Roast
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Round Tip Roast
- Bottom Round
- Eye of Round
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to but we definitely recommend it. This helps seal in the natural juices to give the beef a more rich flavor and texture.
It doesn’t need to be covered but you definitely want liquid in the slow cooker with the roast. We like to use beef broth.
Yes! Use gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and double-check your soy sauce and onion soup mix for hidden gluten.
This dish is hearty on its own, but it pairs perfectly with crusty bread or homemade dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, green beans, steamed broccoli, or a crisp green salad. Horseradish cream or beef gravy also make great additions.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
One of the best things about this Slow Cooker Pot Roast is how well it keeps! Whether you’re prepping ahead for a busy weeknight or saving leftovers for later, here’s how to make the most of it:
- Make Ahead: You can prep everything the night before—sear the roast, mix the sauce, and chop the veggies. Store them separately in the fridge. In the morning, just assemble in the slow cooker and turn it on.
- Storing Leftovers: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the meat and veggies (with or without the broth) for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: For best results, reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also microwave individual portions with a splash of broth to keep things moist.
- Freezer Tip: Freeze in individual portions for quick lunches or easy weeknight dinners—just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as usual.
More Roast Beef Recipes
We have so many more delicious beef recipes on our site. Be sure to put some of these on your list to try next!
If you’re looking for an easy, satisfying dinner that the whole family will love, this Slow Cooker Pot Roast is a must-try. It’s simple enough for a weeknight and comforting enough for Sunday dinner. Plus, the leftovers are amazing! If you make it I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite part—or what you served with it! 🥔🥕
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Equipment
- Crock Pot (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds beef sirloin roast
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 10 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix divided
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 red potatoes scrubbed and quartered
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Sear roast on all sides in the frying pan. This seals in the juices and flavor of the meat and gives it a deep brown color on the edges.
- Place the roast in the crockpot.
- In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom soup, half of the onion soup mix, and broth. Mix well and pour over the roast.
- Wash and slice carrots and potatoes into bite size chunks.
- Put the carrots and potatoes in a resealable plastic bag. Sprinkle the remaining half of the dry onion soup mix over the vegetables and shake the bag until they are coated.
- Add the vegetables to the roast in the crock pot half way through the cooking time.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 5-6 hours, or on low heat for 8-10 hours.
Video
Notes
- Best Cuts: Chuck, sirloin, or tri-tip all work well for tender, flavorful results.
- Room Temp: Let the meat sit out for 20–30 minutes before searing.
- Sear First: Brown the roast in oil before slow cooking for extra flavor and juicy texture.
- Low & Slow: Cooking on low heat for several hours yields the best fall-apart meat.
- Stay Juicy: Keep the roast surrounded by broth or its own juices to prevent drying out.
- Lower Sodium Option: Swap onion soup mix for sliced onion and use water instead of broth.
- Gravy: Next level this dinner by using the drippings to make our delicious Beef Gravy!
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Perfect every time- easy and delicious. Requested every week
It is usually just my husband and I now, since we are empty nester with a small apartment. Our roast is 2.87 pounds. Have to do quite a bit of math to figure out ingredients. Hope it turns out okay.
No need to do any math, you don’t need to change any of the other ingredients it you don’t want to! You will just have more sauce for gravy. Hope this helps!
This was a very delicious meal. I used sodium free veg broth and cream of mushroom soup. I will definitely make this again.
Oh I love a good roast and veggies in the crock pot. YUM
Hearty & comforting!! This is such a crowd pleasing meal, so tender & delicious!
Comfort food at it’s finest! I love how Worcestershire sauce brings out the flavor of the beef.
This is always a favorite family meal. Thanks!
This is definitely easy and a hearty meal. Love! My mom actually makes a similar version.
In step 2 it says to add the onion soup mix to the broth mixture, but in step 3 it also says to coat the vegetables in the onion soup mix. Am I using two packets, or splitting it in half, or not using it in one of the steps?
Thank you for catching this error in the recipe! I have corrected it. You just need 1 dry onion soup mix, half is added to the mixture that goes over the roast. The other half is sprinkled over the vegetables to give them a little extra seasoning when added to the roast.
Bit confused about the potatoes and carrots, says to add when you add the beef then later says halfway through cooking?
Whoops! You add them halfway through. I corrected the recipe. Thanks for catching that!
Could you use this recipe in the Instant Pot?
We actually have an Instant Pot recipe for Pot Roast here: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sunday-pot-roast-instant-pot-recipe/
Awesome recipe. Didn’t use the mushroom soup and traded the onion soup for actual onions as the notes said. Really good!! ++ recipe.
My wife was allergic to mushrooms and always substituted cream of celery soup. Since she passed in 2016, I’ve been cooking for one and trying to downsize recipes. Roast beef was always one of my favorites.