Fall Apart Slow Cooker Roast Your Family Will Love
This delicious, fall apart slow cooker roast will quickly become a staple meal! It uses simple, pantry ingredients but packs a big, delicious, warm & cozy punch!
This roast is rich, tender, and pairs well with any roasted veggies you have on hand. We also love to turn the leftover roast into a hearty vegetable soup. Pair it with a fresh loaf of overnight bread, delicious yeast rolls, or some sourdough, and you have a winning meal that everyone loves. It is filling and tasty and makes a great option for entertaining!
Why make a slow cooker roast?
I feel like sometimes slow cooker meals get a bad wrap, especially because this pot roast recipe is often requested in our home! And yes, my kids are included in that.
Cooking a pot roast in a slow cooker allows the meat to get really tender and pull-apart soft. It also keeps the roast from getting dry and tough.
A slow cooker roast also allows hearty vegetables like potatoes and carrots time to soften and soak in the spices in the broth and on the roast.
Can I use an InstantPot?
Can I tell you a little secret? I don’t actually have a traditional slow cooker.
I have an InstantPot and didn’t want another large appliance to store. So, I did a little research and found a simple fix. I now use my InstantPot as a slow-cooker with great results simply by switching to this inexpensive glass lid!
I’ve made this roast using the pressure cook option on the InstantPot, but I like the results of a slow cook with the glass lid much better. Something about low and slow makes this slow cooker roast fall apart tender!
Fall Apart Slow Cooker Roast Ingredients
What I love about this recipe is that I always have everything on hand that I need, so all I have to do is grab a roast at the store!
- Chuck roast: You want a chuck roast, anywhere from 2-5 pounds. Note that a bigger roast will need to be cooked longer. We like to buy from a local farm as much as possible, but we have purchased grass-fed USDA roasts from smaller stores. We’ve even use the roasts from Costco! Most chain stores carry some local meat, but use whatever works for your family!
- Beef or chicken broth: I like to use bone broth for the extra nutrients! Kettle & Fire or Kirkland brand from Costco are staples for us, unless we make our own. You can even use vegetable broth if that is what you have!
- Salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, oregano: These are the spices I use to coat my roast before cooking. You can use any mix that you like! I don’t measure when I am making the roast, but I included measurements in the recipe to give you a guide.
- Oil for browning the roast: I use avocado oil, but you can use whatever you like.
- Butter or ghee: This helps make the roast so tender and fall-apart! Don’t skip this step.
- Onions, celery: Keep these in large pieces to add more flavor to your roast. You can eat them or not! They are there as aromatics to add a depth of flavor.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: Adding sprigs of fresh herbs to the top of the roast adds flavor and beauty! Fresh herbs add more depth of flavor. Simply discard them after cooking.
- Carrots, baby potatoes: These are optional, but yummy when cooked with the roast. Sometimes we throw them in about halfway through the cook time. Other times I simply roast them on their own. If you add them at the beginning of the cook time, they tend to get overly mushy.
I hope you love this recipe too!
Fall Apart Slow Cooker Roast
Ingredients
- 3-4lb chuck roast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 16 oz beef or chicken broth
- 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 large onion, chopped into large pieces
- 5 large carrots, chopped into large pieces
- 1 lb small potatoes, whole or cut in half
Instructions
- Make your seasoning mix by combining the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano in a small bowl. Mix wellto combine, then set aside.
- Remove your roast from the package, and rise. Blot with paper towles, then set on a plate.
- Season each side of the roast with your seasoning mix.
- If using an InstantPot, use the saute funciton to brown all sides of your roast. Add the oil to the pot, then use tongs to turn the roast on all sides until it is golden brown.
- If using a conventional slow cooker, use a frying pan on the stovetop to brown your roast using the same process.
- One the roast is browned, remove it back to the plate. Leave the stove or the InstantPot on.
- Pour your broth into the InstantPot or stovetop pan to deglaze it. Whisk the broth around and remove all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. If you used the stove for this, pour your broth from the pan into the slow cooker.
- Place the browned roast into the slow cooker with the broth, then layer the onion slices around it.
- Top with butter and fresh roseamry and thyme sprigs.
- Set the slow cooker on low for 6 hours. For an InstantPot, make sure to use the tempered glass lid and the slow cook feature on low for 6 hours.
- If adding carrots and potatoes, do so after 3 hours of cooking.
- When the 6 hours are up, remove the roast from the slow cooker and use a fork to gently shred the meat.
- Return the meat to the pan with the broth and vegeables.
- Ladel out all of it into bowls and serve with your favorite sides!
Notes
- I make mine in my InstantPot with the tempered glass lid, and it works just as well as a slow cooker!
- If you don't want to make a spice mix, you can use a packet of ranch or french onion seasoning. We've done this when camping, and it is equally delish!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
