Beef Chuck Roast Slow Cooker

This is how to cook fall-apart beef chuck roast slow cooker style! Turns out fork tender with tons of flavor with only 4 ingredients. You can cook this as a frozen roast in slow cooker, or with fresh beef in the same amount of time.

How Long to Cook Chuck Roast in Slow Cooker

You will want to have 6-8 hours to get this cut of meat to fall apart and easily shred with two forks. You need to give thick cuts of meat like this plenty of time to break down the connective tissues resulting in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. AND you’ll end up with a delicious gravy to serve with it too.

This is one cut of meat we have a lot of. You see, we buy half a cow at the beginning of each year from a local farmer. Buying in bulk is where it’s at when it comes to saving money, and it also means fewer trips to the grocery store (yay!). Whether you’re using a frozen or thawed piece this method ensures you’ll get a perfect meal every time.

Slow Cooker Frozen Chuck Roast

At the top we have a link to how we do it right out of the freezer. the only difference between fresh and frozen is that when thawed it should be cooked on low, frozen needs high (but with the same cook time). Then we shared how to cook frozen roast Instant Pot style, that turns out great too. Try them all!

At the top, we share how to cook a beef chuck roast in a slow cooker low and slow for the best results. But here, we also showed how to cook a crock pot chuck roast from frozen, which turns out just as delicious. Not everyone has that “magic pot” (Instant Pot) though, so I thought I’d come up with the best chuck roast recipe for our Crockpot too. Whether you choose the Instant Pot or the slow cooker, both methods deliver a tender, flavorful roast.

Is it better to cook chuck roast on low or high in Crockpot?

I always recommend red meat that you cook low and slow to become as tender as possible, unless it’s frozen. When you’re preparing a roast in the slow cooker from frozen, it’s important to raise the temperature to break down the connective tissues and melt in your mouth.

Same goes with this or frozen Arm Roast Slow Cooker, you just change to high in order to get the same tender pulled beef result. Amazing how well it turns out when it was rock hard just a few hours before!

The biggest downside to using chuck slow cook is that there are some big chunks of fat and bone that you’ll need to remove. However, if you cook it long enough to get really tender, you can just pull out the fat and bone about an hour before serving. Then, let it slow cook in the sauce for an additional 30-45 minutes to really absorb all that flavor before serving. If you’re starting with a crock pot roast from frozen, it’ll still work perfectly with the same approach!

We will share both methods below. If you bought a fresh piece at the store that is great. In case you are Ms. Forgetful like myself and sometimes pulls it out in the morning still rock hard, this will help you too. The only real difference between the two in the Crock is using the high vs. low temperature control.

When to add Vegetables

If you wanted to add veggies into the pot together I would wait until the last 2 hours. You can set them right on the top and not disturb anything else. Baby carrots are great as well as quartered baby potatoes. I don’t know that anything else would go well but just make sure they cook at the same rate for success.

Should You Cover Chuck Roast in Slow Cooker with Liquid?

I would recommend at least 1/2 cup so it can start to steam, but adding broth and gravy mix is even better. Let’s talk about this cut of meat first shall we? If you haven’t cooked this a lot you should know that it does have a strong beef flavor. Beyond that is is quite bland. That means you need to add a lot of dry seasonings and/or sauces to really amp up the goodness.

If you want to make a really cheap meal this is a great cut to buy. In this case you can only cook one at a time or else it all won’t get done at the same time. If you have two crocks though you could double this.

I have to be honest how I came up with this. Opened my deep freezer and saw that I had a few of these to use up. Then I just went to dumping. Sometimes this works out as a WOW meal, and other times it needs seasonings when done. This was the BEST chuck roast I have ever made, my husband and kids even agreed with me.

Ingredient Notes

You will want a frozen or fresh chuck roast that fits nicely into the bottom. You can use bone-in but I highly recommend Boneless Chuck Roast because it is easier to shred and you get more meat

Pick up a large jar of Pepperoncini peppers at the store. You are going to use them whole or sliced + juice from that same jar which will add a ton of flavor to the meat! I have used them with other meats like pepperoncini chicken too.

I also add a packet of dry gravy mix to add even more flavor and allow the juices to thicken nicely too. That way when done the drippings are already thicker to serve on top.

Beef broth is the preferred liquid to steam to fork tender. Any broth flavor or stock works though. Water won’t offer as much flavor

Minced garlic goes in everything I make, chopped cloves or use jarred. And I sliced 1/2 an onion because why not add that in for texture

Garlic salt and pepper were the seasonings I threw in this time and worked fantastic. Garlic powder could be added. Potatoes and carrots can be added before the last hour is up to get tender. If you want more Mexican flavors, follow the sauce in our slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe but this timing.

Tips

THIS is the biggest difference. If slow cooker pot roast starts out frozen, I let it go on high for 6-8 hours. Fresh just set to low for the same timing. Of course there will be a slight variation depending on how thick your piece is. That is why I have a range. For a smaller piece you might be able to enjoy it at hour 6.

If defrosted slow cook roast beef and gravy on low for 6-8 hours, cook on high for the same time if frozen solid. Leave shredded beef covered and cooked inside all the juices 30 min-1 hour before serving to soak up juices. If you want to add carrots celery and red potatoes only do so 1 hours before it’s done.

Do you have to brown chuck roast before cooking in Crock pot?

Some would refer to this as pot roast, either way it is the ultimate comfort food when it’s chilly outside. If you have a defrosted piece you could sear the meat first over medium high heat on the stovetop. Add olive oil in a large skillet and just sear on both sides, then add into the pot. This will lock in juices better but not a game changer if you skip that step.

I usually don’t bother because I am more of a dump and go type of cooker. This turned out so good from frozen without doing this that it solidified my “why bother” attitude on that. TONS of flavor I tell you, as is.

How to save leftovers

Of course, I always recommend saving leftovers and using them in a beef stroganoff casserole or make chuck roast burnt ends within the next few days. You want to keep it really moist though so don’t throw away that gravy at the bottom of the pot. In airtight containers, save as much as you’ll want to reheat later on WiTH juices.

If you save this or our air fryer chuck roast without any type of liquid it will dry out. After a day and there won’t really be any turning back. With the gravy mixed within it you can reheat in the microwave and keep it really nice and moist. Serve it over rice, mixed in with butter noodles or piled on slider buns for another meal within 3 days.

That means you will likely get two meals out of this one cheap dinner. That is a huge win for me. I mean it’s not like I don’t like cooking but some days I’m just over it.