We love this an easy bone-in arm roast recipe slow cooked in a Crock pot with carrots and potatoes. It requires very little prep time in the morning fall-apart for dinner with a rich beefy flavor and gravy to pour over the top when done!
I know, this looks delicious right?? I made gravy with the drippings when done, shredded the beef and served together with the vegetables. My kids loved it so much they even ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. I call that a real win. 😉
Bone-in Arm Roast
A bone in arm roast is a cut of meat that comes from the shoulder area of the cow, specifically the arm portion of the chuck. It contains both lean meat and connective tissue which makes it ideal for slow cooking. When cooked low and slow, the meat becomes tender and juicy, while the bone helps deepen the flavor of the gravy. It’s a versatile, budget-friendly cut best made for your family with a dry rub and vegetables.
Can you use a boneless arm roast? Yes you can but I find that they are more expensive and as explained below the bone actually enhances the overall flavor of the dish with the addition of the bone marrow, so I suggest that you go with the cheaper option.
Best Vegetables to Add
You do want to choose wisely when it comes to slow cooking because you don’t want them to completely fall apart when cooked this long. For that reason I highly suggest potatoes and carrots. Going further I prefer russets or red potatoes for the best flavor and texture.
If using fresh carrots you will need to peel and cut into large bite sized chunks. To make things easier though you can just buy baby carrots and pour those babies in. Especially if I want a quick prep time in the morning I will go with this choice.
How to Season Arm Roast
As mentioned above this cut has a stronger than average beef flavor to it. I don’t say that in a bad way but if you are most familiar with chuck roast slow cooker this will have the same melt-in-your-mouth tenderness to it but a stronger meaty flavor to it. With that said I do think it needs a decent amount of seasonings to tame that a bit, and salt is definitely needed or it would be a bit bland.
I offer a mixture of the basics below like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and rosemary but if you cook roast often you may have your own favorite blend. I do have a bunch of dry rub recipes you could use too that are bolder with more of a sweet savory flavor.
Do you have to sear the roast?
I have done both and I don’t find there is a huge difference between either way since it literally falls apart when done, it is so tender. In the case where the cut is leaner and I want to slice my slow cooker pot roast I would recommend this step, with this one it really is your choice.
How to Make the Gravy
Do not throw away those drippings in the bottom of the pot, they make a terrific gravy if you just thicken it a bit. It is easiest to pour it into a pan over medium high heat when done (after everything else is removed and resting) to heat beef broth and bubble. Then you just create a thickening roux of sorts with a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot flour (gluten free choice).
Slow Cooked Arm Roast Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pound arm roast, bone-in used
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup carrots, baby, bagged or peeled and sliced
- 1 pound potatoes, cut into large chunks
Instructions
- Add potatoes and carrots to the bottom of a large, 6 quart slow cooker. Top with arm roast. Mix together garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, rosemary and black pepper and sprinkle on top.
- Pour beef broth around the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours (low recommended for tenderness). When cooking is complete, remove roast and use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables.
- Ideally shred the meat, keep covered and make gravy with the drippings. To make gravy – pour drippings into a pot on stove over medium high heat. Whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch with a bit of your broth until smooth, pour that in when bubbling. Stir to smooth and as thick as you'd like. If not thick enough repeat with 1 more tbsp cornstarch. Serve on top of shredded or sliced beef.
How to save leftovers
This is so good you won’t want to throw any of it away, but you do need to ensure you keep it moist so it doesn’t dry out. To do this make sure you keep as much gravy left as possible. Allow everything to cool and store in an airtight container with the sauce poured over the top. Reheat within 3 days on the stove or microwave and serve with mashed potatoes made new.
What to Make with Leftover Arm Roast
You can use this to make our Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes just by swapping out the meat. It is a great one to bring moisture to the beef and make a whole new meal out of what is left. Make our Beef Stew Casserole with what is left and you can even use the veggies left into the mix.
