Tender, juicy, and rich with mushroom flavor, this slow-cooker pot roast is a comforting Sunday dinner that’s easy to prepare. It requires some prep—browning the roast and building a simple vegetable base—but once it’s in the slow cooker you can leave it to develop deep, savory flavors.
Why We Love This Recipe
This pot roast delivers a robust beef flavor and satisfying texture, making it a favorite for cooler weather and family gatherings. A boneless chuck roast is lightly seasoned, seared to develop color, and then slow-cooked with aromatic vegetables and mushrooms to create a rich gravy and tender meat.
Instead of a plain mirepoix, we use a variation that includes minced garlic and chopped mushroom stems. Mirepoix traditionally combines diced onions, carrots, and celery sautéed in butter or oil to form a flavor base for soups, stews, and sauces; adding garlic and mushroom stems deepens the overall savory profile here.
Beef broth and dry red wine join the sautéed vegetables to create a cooking liquid that steams and braises the roast, infusing it with flavor and reducing into a luscious pan sauce.
Baby potatoes and mushroom caps cook alongside the roast, absorbing the braising liquids, while a hearty side like roasted Brussels sprouts with blue cheese complements the meal. For beverages, a full-bodied red such as Cabernet Sauvignon or a dark beer like porter pairs nicely.
What’s the Best Cut of Beef to Use for Pot Roast?
“Pot roast” describes a method—slow, moist cooking—rather than a specific cut. For best results choose a tougher cut with connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin during long, gentle cooking. That gelatin gives the finished dish its silky, melt-in-your-mouth richness.
Rump (bottom round) is commonly used, but we prefer a boneless chuck roast. The chuck comes from the shoulder and tends to have a bit more fat and connective tissue than a rump roast, producing a juicier, more tender result. If your chuck roast is boned and trimmed at the butcher, ask them to tie it so it keeps a uniform shape while cooking; otherwise tie it yourself with kitchen twine.
Sunday Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mushrooms
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Ingredients
- 1 3 to 4 lb boneless chuck roast, tied (see notes)
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
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Rub the roast with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes total, then transfer it to a plate while you prepare the vegetables.
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Clean the mushrooms, separate the stems from the caps, and chop the stems. Set the caps aside.
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Sauté the diced onion in olive oil until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the chopped mushroom stems and minced garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
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Combine the beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce in a measuring cup.
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Deglaze the skillet with about 2 tablespoons of the broth-and-wine mixture, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
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Transfer the sautéed vegetable mixture to the slow cooker and spread it evenly across the bottom. Add a few thyme sprigs, place the browned roast on top, and arrange the potatoes and mushroom caps around it.
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Add the remaining thyme sprigs and pour the remaining broth-and-wine mixture over the roast and vegetables.
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Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours (or on high for 5 to 6 hours) until the meat is fork-tender. When done, transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm while you make the gravy.
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Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Pour the cooking juices, including the vegetables, into a large measuring cup and skim any visible fat from the surface.
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Pour 1 1/2 cups of the juices into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch into about 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Gradually whisk the cornstarch slurry into the boiling pan juices, stirring constantly, and cook about 1 minute until the sauce is thick and syrupy. Do not overcook.
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Carve the roast, arrange the slices on a platter with the potatoes and mushrooms, and spoon the gravy over the top before serving.
Notes
If you find a cut labeled “pot roast” and aren’t sure what it is, ask the butcher. Rump (bottom round) works, but boneless chuck roast is preferred for its balance of lean meat and connective tissue that yields a juicier, more tender result.
Boneless chuck roast comes from the shoulder and may be called a shoulder roast. Rump roasts come from the outer back leg and are more muscular.
If your chuck roast isn’t tied, form it into a round shape and secure it with kitchen twine so it keeps an even shape while cooking.
Nutrition
Total Fat: 12g,
Cholesterol: 47mg,
Sodium: 281mg,
Carbohydrates: 25g,
Fiber: 4g,
Sugar: 4g,
Protein: 19g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.