Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast with Rich Savory Drippings
By Liam Carter
Prep
10 min
Cook
360 min
Total
370 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Low, covered heat slowly softens the marbled beef roast while its juices mingle with onion and broth, creating tender pot roast and rich savory drippings. This slow cooker beef roast is seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt, and thyme, then rested before serving for a juicy, sliceable finish.
Start by patting the roast dry, then set it on thick onion slices in a 6- or 8-quart slow cooker. The onion forms the base, while beef broth poured around the sides collects the seasoned juices instead of washing the surface. Kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt, and thyme keep the seasoning straightforward. The source uses beef chuck roast for its marbling and rich flavor after long cooking.
Once the lid is on, leave the cooker closed for the stated high or low cooking time and judge the roast by tenderness, not just the clock. Beef that remains firm has usually not cooked long enough. The common misstep is adding too much broth: the covered cooker holds moisture and the beef and onions release more liquid. Let the roast rest 15 minutes before moving it to a platter.
Spoon the drippings over the roast, or skim and reduce them for gravy; a flour-and-cold-water slurry is available if thickening is needed. Serve it with the suggested potatoes, corn, broccoli casserole, green beans, rolls, yams, or tomato cucumber salad. Leftover shredded beef can go into sandwiches, salads, tacos, or sliders.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Low, covered cooking gives the marbled beef chuck roast time to soften, producing the pull-apart texture the recipe calls for without a stovetop sear.
- Placing thick onion slices beneath the roast creates a flavorful base while keeping the beef supported above the slow cooker bottom during cooking.
- Pouring broth around rather than over the seasoned roast preserves the seasoning layer while supplying drippings for serving or reducing into gravy.
- A modest two cups of broth accounts for moisture released by the roast and onions, avoiding a thin, overly diluted cooking liquid.
- The 15-minute rest lets the roast settle before slicing or serving, so the beef can be transferred cleanly to a platter.
- Reducing skimmed drippings by one-third concentrates their savory character, and the optional flour-and-water slurry provides a defined thickening route when needed.
Ingredients
- •2 lb beef roast (2-3 lb)
- •1 large onion (sliced)
- •2 cups beef broth
- •2 tsp kosher salt
- •1 tsp pepper
- •0.5 tsp garlic salt
- •0.5 tsp thyme
- •2 tbsp flour (optional, for gravy if needed)
- •0.25 cup cold water (optional, for gravy if needed)
Instructions
- 1
Take the roast out of the packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
- 2
Cut the onion into thick slices and place them in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- 3
Place the roast on top of the onions.
- 4
Season the roast with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt, and thyme.
- 5
Pour the beef broth around the sides of the roast.
- 6
Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours, until the beef is tender.
- 7
Remove the roast from the slow cooker and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- 8
Place the roast on a serving platter and spoon over the drippings or gravy.
- 9
To make gravy, skim off the fat and pour the drippings into a sauté pan.
- 10
Heat the pan over medium-low and reduce the liquid by one-third.
- 11
If needed, make a slurry with flour and cold water.
- 12
Whisk the slurry into the drippings and bring to a simmer to thicken.
- 13
Taste the gravy and adjust with salt and pepper.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
426
Protein
45g
Fat
26g
Carbs
3g
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
