Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy
A classic low-and-slow chuck roast with carrots and gold potatoes, simmered all day in a rich, made-from-scratch gravy. Set it in the morning and come home to a fork-tender dinner.
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon herb and garlic seasoning
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, cut into quartered pieces
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8 oz baby carrots
- 16 oz gold potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup tapioca pearls
- Settle the chuck roast into the bottom of the slow cooker so it has direct contact with the base — this is where the most flavorful browning and rendering will happen over the long cook. Scatter the herb and garlic seasoning evenly over the top of the meat, then arrange the onion quarters, garlic cloves, baby carrots, and potatoes around and over the roast so everything has a chance to soak up the meaty juices as they release.
- Spoon the tomato paste over the vegetables and roast, then scatter the tapioca pearls across the surface. The tapioca will slowly hydrate and swell as the pot roast cooks, and it works alongside the cornstarch later to give the finished gravy real body instead of a thin, watery sauce.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water until every lump has disappeared and the mixture looks smooth and milky. Getting this slurry fully smooth now is what prevents grainy or clumped gravy later, since cornstarch added dry directly to hot liquid tends to seize into stubborn pockets.
- Whisk the smooth cornstarch slurry into the red wine and beef broth until fully combined, then pour the mixture over everything in the slow cooker. Make sure the liquid settles down around the roast and vegetables rather than just sitting on top, gently nudging ingredients aside with a spoon if needed so the broth reaches the bottom of the insert.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, resisting the urge to lift the lid and check on it — every peek lets out heat and adds cooking time. You'll know it's ready when a fork slides into the roast with almost no resistance and shreds easily, and the potatoes and carrots are fully tender.
Chef's Note: Pot roast is one of those dishes that rewards patience more than skill — a tough, well-marbled cut like chuck roast has plenty of connective tissue that would make it chewy if cooked quickly, but given eight to ten slow hours at a gentle simmer, that same tissue melts into gelatin and leaves the meat falling-apart tender. The tapioca pearls are the quiet trick here: paired with the cornstarch slurry, they thicken the pan juices into a glossy, clingy gravy without needing a separate stovetop reduction step at the end.
If you have a few extra minutes in the morning, searing the roast first makes a real difference — heat a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a skillet, rub the seasoning into the meat, and brown it on both sides before transferring it to the slow cooker; this builds a deeper, more savory base flavor throughout the gravy. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to three days, or portion the meat, vegetables, and gravy separately and freeze them for an easy reheated dinner later — just thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming through.
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