This slow cooker pot roast recipe is tender, flavorful and easy to make with just 5 minutes of prep – no browning required! This crock pot roast is my go-to dish for holiday entertaining. 

This balsamic slow cooker pot roast is the most delicious crock pot roast I’ve ever had!  It’s healthy (allergy-friendly), and can be prepared and cooked overnight in the slow cooker.

This is my go-to crock pot roast recipe for holidays or entertaining. I usually start cooking the roast just before I go to bed on Christmas Eve (or the night before any holiday or meal). Then, when it is finished cooking in the morning, I shred it, make the gravy, and then reheat everything when it’s dinner time – making the holiday meal very low-stress so I can enjoy every moment with my family instead of spending the entire day in the kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• 5 minutes of prep. I cannot stress how easy this is.
• No browning required. Another reason it’s so easy to make.
• Irresistibly tender. Cooking the roast low and slow results in beef that’s so tender it practically falls apart.
• The balsamic sauce. The cooking liquid is thickened into a rich, flavorful sauce that makes it so special.
• Perfect for entertaining. You can cook the roast overnight or make it ahead of time and reheat it before serving.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Ingredients & Substitutions

There are only a few simple ingredients in this crock pot roast recipe, but here are some potential substitutions.

• Chuck Roast. I recommend boneless beef chuck roast for the most tender, flavorful slow cooker pot roast. Chuck roast has enough fat and connective tissue to become incredibly tender when cooked low and slow. You can use a 2 to 3-pound roast in this recipe.
• Olive Oil. Any neutral oil can be used in place of olive oil – suggestions include avocado oil and canola oil. 
• Honey. Maple syrup is a great substitute for honey.
• Honey Mustard. Sub your favorite mustard variety if desired: Dijon, regular yellow, spicy brown, etc. 
• Beef Broth. You can use chicken or vegetable broth but I highly recommend beef broth as it yields the best flavor! I keep this beef base on hand to make broth for this recipe. 
• Balsamic Vinegar is an ingredient I splurge on. A high-quality balsamic vinegar should be thick and naturally sweet. If your vinegar pours like water instead of syrup and tastes sour then you do not have a quality product and your recipe will not turn out as delicious.

How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast 

Let’s walk through the steps in making the best, easy slow cooker pot roast recipe and answer some commonly asked questions! Don’t forget to watch the video.

Make the Spice Rub

The flavorful spice rub takes this slow cooker pot roast to the next level. To make it, stir the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.

Season the Chuck Roast

 Next, place the pot roast in the low cooker and brush or rub olive oil all over it. Then use your hands to spread the rub over the roast, pressing it down so it sticks.

Make the Sauce

Then, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. I prefer a measuring cup because it’s easy to pour the sauce into the crock pot.

Then  pour the sauce over the crock pot roast. 

Cook & Shred the Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, occasionally spooning more sauce over the roast, until it is very easily shredded with a fork.

Once the meat is finished cooking, shred it with two forks and return to the sauce to cook on low for another hour. This helps the shredded meat absorb the flavor even more.

How to Know When The Pot Roast Is Done

The roast is finished cooking when it’s fork-tender and shreds easily. If the meat still feels tough or is difficult to pull apart, continue cooking it. Don’t rush this step – chuck roast becomes more tender as the connective tissue breaks down as it’s cooked low and slow.

Make the Pot Roast Gravy

I prefer to separate the sauce from the meat to strain and thicken it for serving. However you can simply add thickener to the slow cooker towards the end of cooking time if you prefer.

Remove the meat from the sauce and strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl (do not pour it down the drain)!

Then, transfer sauce to a saucepan and whisk in the thickener.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. until sauce becomes thick.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Pour one-fourth of the thickened sauce over the meat and transfer the rest to a serving dish (gravy boat, small pourer, etc.) for serving. 

I love serving this slow cooker pot roast with mashed potatoes (or cream cheese mashed potatoes) because they’re perfect for soaking up the delicious gravy. You can also serve it with roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes or rice.

Then, add a vegetable like roasted carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts or a simple salad.

And don’t forget the bread! Homemade dinner rolls, no-knead bread or French bread are all delicious served alongside this crock pot roast – especially for a holiday meal.

How To Store Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Store leftover crock pot roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store it with the gravy mixed in, or store the gravy separately in a glass jar.

Freeze

Transfer the cooled crock pot roast and gravy to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat

Warm the pot roast with some of the gravy in a covered baking dish in the oven or in a saucepan over low heat. Adding the gravy while reheating helps keep the meat moist.

How To Cook Slow Cooker Pot Roast Overnight

Prepare the roast according to the recipe instructions. Begin cooking on low in the slow cooker when you go to bed at night. In the morning,  when the roast is fork-tender, shred it and transfer the meat to a 9×9″ baking dish or a casserole dish with a lid.

Add a little bit of the reserved liquid, and store the meat, covered, in the fridge until it’s almost time to eat. Then when you’re ready to eat simply warm the meat, covered, in the oven at about 325 degrees until it’s warmed through!

Keep the sauce covered in a small saucepan until you are close to ready to eat. Follow the recipe instructions to make/thicken the sauce, then use according to the recipe. 

Slow Cooker Pot Roast FAQs

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Try these recipes

Best Mashed Potatoes

Burrata Salad Recipe

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

Best Dinner Rolls Recipe

Roasted Broccoli Recipe

No Knead Bread Recipe (Easy Dutch Oven Bread)