A slow cooker does all of the work for this beef pot roast–including making its own gravy! Dump 6 ingredients in a slow cooker and forget it for 9-10 hrs.
One of my dear friends, Brandi, introduced me to this recipe for slow cooker beef pot roast when she entertained my husband, Jonny, and I for game night at her house. From the first bite Jonny and I were hooked, and we ranted and raved about how good it was. Jonny whispered to me under his breath that I should ask her how she made it, so I could make it for him too. Brandi was surprised at our reactions because she explained it was made with just a few ingredients all thrown into the slow cooker. Those are the best kinds of recipes!
Every time I’ve made this recipe since then, we still have the same reactions after the first bite. This beef pot roast and gravy is so flavorful, and we both say, “Yum!” out loud. The slow cooker does all of the work for this recipe — including making its own gravy! The beef does not need to be seared before hand, and all the ingredients can be dumped in to the slow cooker and forgotten.
Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast – Only 6 Ingredients!
To make this recipe, you’ll need a beef roast (butt or shoulder), cream of mushroom soup (canned or homemade), dry onion soup mix, and spices (garlic powder, salt, and pepper). It couldn’t be easier!
Choosing your Cut of Beef
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when staring at a wall of beef at the grocery store, but several cuts of beef will work well in this recipe.
A beef chuck is from the shoulder, and a beef round is from the butt or back leg. These are my preferred cuts when making this recipe because the long cooking time will result in tender and juicy beef. They are also one of the more economical cuts of beef, and it’s easy to feed a crowd. I’ve used both with great results.
Be sure to liberally season whatever cut you choose on all sides with the garlic powder and pepper. Go easy on the salt though, as the cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix can be very salty.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cream of mushroom soup is a key component to developing the gravy and keeping the beef tender as it cooks.
The fastest way to prepare this recipe is to used canned cream of mushroom soup. If you are short on time, the convenience of buying a few cans of soup at the grocery store can’t be beat.
Although, some people are skeeved out using canned cream of mushroom soup, and there are lots of alternative homemade recipes that can be used instead. Making your own cream of mushroom is a good way to control the ingredients, but it will add to your preparation time.
I am developing a low-carb version of condensed cream of mushroom soup that can be used in place of the canned version. I will post it on the blog once I have it perfected. Until then, if you are looking for a low-carb version, you can try this version from Genius Kitchen.
Onion Soup Mix
Onion soup mix is another key component for the gravy. The onion soup mix and the cream of mushroom soup mix with the juices from the meat, to create a rich and flavorful sauce.
My family loves onion soup mix! I grew up eating it in so many recipes, but ironically, never as a soup. Here are some things we use it for:
- Mix with sour cream for a quick and easy dip with potato chips.
- Use in the meat mixture for Salisbury steak to add flavor.
- Incorporate into meatballs or meatloaf to add flavor and texture.
Now, we have another use for it. Hooray!
I have used both the Lipton and generic store brand versions of dry onion soup mix, and I haven’t tried one yet I didn’t like. I would recommend looking for one that has the least amount of sodium.
Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast for All Occasions
This makes a great Sunday meal, or it would be great served on Easter. I love serving it with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower (for low-carb).
As always, please let me know if you love the recipe, and don’t forget to leave a comment and rate if you loved it like we do!
If you liked this recipe, you should also check out my tried and true recipe for Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork.
Another quick and easy slow cooker meal is this Mississippi Pot Roast Chicken. It’s one of my all time favorite recipes! I highly recommend you give it a try too!
Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast and Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
- 2 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom, Canned (or make your own)
- 1 package Onion Soup Mix
- 2-3 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2-3 tsp Pepper, Ground
- 1/2-1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, or line slow cooker with a slow cooker liner.
- Spread half of the cream of mushroom soup on the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter half of the onion soup mix on top of the cream of mushroom soup.
- Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper on all sides of the beef chuck roast. (Be careful not to over salt!) Nestle the beef chuck roast into the soup mixes in the slow cooker.
- Top the roast with the remaining cream of mushroom soup and the remaining onion soup mix.
- Cook on low for 9-10 hours until beef is tender and can be flaked easily with a fork.
- Shred beef into bite sized pieces and serve warm with the gravy and a side of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower!
