This slow cooker pot roast is comfort food at its best. With a tangy tomato sauce, carrots and potatoes, it's an entire meal cooked all together in your slow cooker.
It's hard to beat a slow cooker pot roast for being easy, one-pot and economical meal. Stewing beef roasts are a great deal when you spot them on sale! Snatch one up, add some potatoes and carrots and you're on your way to an easy, hearty and comforting meal.
I don't use my slow cooker a lot, but when it comes to pot roast, there is really is no easier way to do it. It takes only a short time to prepare all the ingredients and place them in to the slow cooker. Then just let it cook away for 6-8 hours and enjoy. There is nothing else to do, as your meat, veg and potatoes are all in the pot. For me, a loaf of fresh crusty bread is a must for this one, to soak up the plentiful gravy.
Everyone here loves this tomato gravy version, with tomato sauce complementing the beef juices as it cooks, with a little hit of vinegar to tang it up. It's simple and delicious.
Cook's Notes
For my photos here, I just spooned some of the gravy over-top, so as not to completely hide the ingredients. Rest assured there is plenty of tasty gravy with this one!
I find medium-sized yellow-fleshed potatoes work best here. Simply peel and slice in half lengthwise. For the carrots, I peel and halve, if they are thick, or if you have thinner, fresh carrots, you can leave them whole.
I like to remove the meat once tender to a cutting board, where I cut it in to smaller chunks. While I'm doing that, I stir in the bit of cornstarch to thicken the gravy. I will then return all the meat to the slow cooker to be coated in the thickened gravy, then serve from there.
Be sure to taste your gravy just before serving and season with additional salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.
I like to flip my roast over a couple of times while it's cooking if it's not fully submerged in the gravy, but it's not necessary, if you want to just set it and forget it.
No slow cooker? You can make this by simmering on the stovetop, covered or in a slow oven (325 F -ish) for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Slow Cooker Tangy Tomato Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 6 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and halved
- 6-8 carrots, peeled and halved if thick or left whole if thinner
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 lb boneless beef roast, inside or outside round, blade or cross-rib works well
- 2 cups tomato sauce, or passata
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
To thicken:
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
To serve:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Scatter the prepared potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- On the stove top, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef roast on both sides until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast. Scatter the fresh thyme sprigs over-top.
- Place cover on slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until beef is fall-apart tender.
- Remove roast to a cutting board and cut in to slices. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch with water and stir in to gravy with vegetables and let cook for a few minutes until gravy thickens a bit. Taste gravy and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Return meat to slow cooker. Gently stir to coat with gravy. Allow to cook a few minutes to re-warm the meat, then remove all to a large platter or bowl to serve. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!
Linda Diombala says
Recipe doesn’t say to brown/sear meat before adding to crockpot, should I. Is the amount of liquid you used enough. I trust you but Usually you add beef broth, wine, etc. I often think it’s too much liquid.
Jennifer says
Hi Linda, no need to brown the meat, though if you prefer to, for extra flavour, you won't hurt anything to do so. As for the liquid, the slow-cooker is much different from stove-top or oven, in that it makes it's own liquid really. Should be fine as written.
Kim K, says
My husband and I could not stop eating this! What a wonderful riff on the more traditional pot roasts. The tomato-y, tangy gravy was so flavorful that I might have sipped it by the spoonful. I only had russet potatoes on hand and don't like their texture after slow cooking, so I oven-roasted them instead and served them alongside a mound of peas. Slow cooking was an added bonus: it was clean-out-the-closets day and I loved having dinner ready at the end of a long day of sorting and hauling. Thank you for a scrumptious recipe that will go into my roast rotation for sure.
Jennifer says
So glad you both enjoyed it, Kim :) Always good to have dinner cooking away while you do other things. Thanks!
Jen says
This turned out so delicious! What a great change from the normal pot roast with gravy! The only things I did differently was added a few stalks of celery (because why not?) and didn't peel the potatoes. I'll definitely be making this one again.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jen :) Thanks so much!
Micaela Kellner says
The potatoes were cooked to perfection and they were bursting with comforting flavors. My boyfriend said the meat was perfectly tender with lots of flavor, we will definately use this recipe again!!!!!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Micaela :) Thanks so much!
Linda Cee says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. With the quarantine in effect and me cooking so much more now a days, I wanted something different than my usual pot roast and veggies and this recipe hit the spot! I baked it in the oven and cut down on the sugar by half because I have to watch our sugar and it was so delicious! My house smelled amazing as this was baking. I plan to make this again.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Linda :) Thanks so much!
Arlene Zsilka says
We all agree this is the best pot roast we ever had. It was hard to stop eating. Since I never follow a recipe exactly and had run out of thyme, I addedPenzy's Tuscan seasoning, a sprig of oregano, and garlic sprouts, then added stewed tomatoes and a can of carrots near the end. Cooked 4 hours. Yummy.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Arlene :) Thanks!
Joanne says
Good Morning! I was so happy to get this recipe from your email earlier this week. After pinning it and then reading through it, I realized that I had all the ingredients, and needed to make it immediately. I did so last night, and let me tell you in one word "DELICIOUS!" We loved it. My husband and son raved about the flavors, and how moist and tender the meat was. I will definitely make this again and again and again. Thank you so much. I have made your recipes before and always love them, but I had to comment on this one for sure. Enjoy your day. Hope it is a sunny one!
Jennifer says
So happy to hear, Joanne and thanks so much for commenting! (Not a sunny one today, but we had a couple of good, sunny and warm ones to lift the spirits). You have a good one, too :)
Mayor says
I don't have any cider vinegar. Is it necessary or is there a substitute I can use?
Jennifer says
The cider vinegar provides the "tangy" part, even with just 2 Tbsp. You could substitute white or red wine vinegar. Plain white vinegar might be a little harsh. If that's all you have, use a bit less.
Carolyn says
Used an inside round pot roast. This was easy to make and so delicious. Family loved it--cook, eat, repeat! All your recipes are a homerun Jennifer!
Jennifer says
Glad to hear you all enjoyed this, Carolyn! Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I love a good pot roast anytime of the year and yours looks so good. It reminds me a little of a sweet and sour beef dish I had in Germany.
Liza says
I made this today and it was such a nice change from traditional roast beef. I do not usually like potatoes cooked with the roast but these are the exception! Easy and delicious.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this Liza :) Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I think my husband may leave me for you Jennifer! He'd LOVE this. Pot roast is his fave!
Jennifer says
Lol Mary Ann :) Sounds like you need to cook him up a pot!
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
I can only imagine how heavenly the kitchen smells while this pot roast simmers away. Such a perfect comfort meal! :)
Jennifer says
Thanks Laura and yes, the smell is wonderful!
Carolyn says
Jennifer,
Just checking out the sale flyers now in Ontario. Sobeys has "inside blade pot roasts" starting tomorrow.
I know you mention inside or outside round for this. Would a "blade" be ok for this please? This looks yummy--can't wait to make it. I've already made 3 of your stirfry recipes posted a while back--all delicious! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes.
Jennifer says
Hi Carolyn and thanks :) That blade roast would work perfectly, so great timing! Perfect for the weekend. And speaking of stir fries, I made another this afternoon that will be on the blog soon. A great, spicy quick one :) Enjoy the pot roast.
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
Just reading about this has my mouth watering! Pinning and sharing <3
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Sue :)
Chris Scheuer says
Oh my, it looks fantastic Jennifer. I could probably eat my weight in this wonderful dinner. I love that everything is in one pot and also the wonderful aromas that fill the house all day with a dish like this.
Jennifer says
Thanks Chris and so true! The smell of this cooking really is an added bonus :)
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I just ate breakfast but could eat again if I had this plate in front of me. I love an easy slow cooker roast and I have a bottle of passata in the pantry! I've never thought to add that much tomato but I love it! The gravy must be fantastic. It sounds like Canada took the brunt of the winter weather this year. We had hopes for a good snow but it never happened. Send some our way next year please! Have a great weekend.
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia and yes, this tomato version is a nice change from the usual! This has been an old-fashioned Winter here, for sure. After a week of rain, we are back down to -20C this morning. And still a foot of snow on the ground!