Slow Cooker Roast Beef and Gravy

Shredded slow cooker roast beef and gravy recipe that is fork tender and full of flavor. Use chuck roast fresh or frozen roast in slow cooker to start for a cheap Crockpot dinner with onion soup mix everyone loves.

Crockpot Roast Beef and Gravy

Using onion soup mix and just a few other handful of common ingredients whisked together makes the most delicious onion gravy. Simmering on low all day soaks up all that goodness so it’s perfect at dinner time.

This one used a defrosted piece of meat. If yours is still rock solid we have directions for that at at the top of this post too. Either way you will get melt in your mouth beef with a rich sauce you’ll want to make again and again.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

How long to cook Slow Cooker roast reef?

You need a solid 7 hours, I typically suggest 8. Don’t rush it! I use this cut quite often because it is really cheap and offers a lot of flavor. There’s a handful of ways I rotate thru. If I had a forgetful day sometimes I use this Instant Pot frozen chuck roast recipe. This day I had it all together (sorta) and used a thicker sauce with cream of mushroom soup.

What is a good cut of meat for roast beef?

If you want to slice it when it is done this is probably not the best way to cook it. This method will most likely yield a piece that falls apart with a fork, more like Crockpot bbq beef. With that said ribeye and tenderloin roast are the most popular especially if you want to cook it to medium.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef Without Vegetables

Frankly you can use any type of cut you like with this same sauce. Cook time below will give you a well done fall apart roast. If you want pink inside I’d cut the timing by 1 hour and check. Since it is a beef recipe there isn’t as much of a worry about pink inside as you would with pork or poultry.

Ingredients

1. Roast cut in half, about 3 pounds
   1. if you find a sale buy an extra and try our air fryer chuck roast recipe too
2. Packet of onion soup mix
3. Beef broth
4. Red wine vinegar
5. Condensed cream of mushroom soup
6. Salt and pepper to taste

What other vegetables besides carrots and potatoes can be added to a pot roast?

Yes of course you could add petite potatoes on the sides of this and/or if you wanted large chunks of peeled carrots that would work too. Beyond those I think the only things that don’t get too mushy would be thick slices of onions and freshly sliced mushrooms since really soft with those is a plus.

Crockpot Roast Beef and Gravy with Onion Soup Mix Recipe

If you have chuck roast bone in it may be tough to slice it, don’t worry about that. This way it just helps for the sauce to really soak into the middle. You can use this same mixture for all sorts of recipes beyond roast with onion soup mix in Crockpot.

If you love shredded chicken you could use chicken broth instead with the same other items and give that a whirl too. Served over pressure cooker white rice it’s a cheap Crockpot meal for everyone.

Let’s talk about cooking on high vs. low and slow. I prefer the latter always, especially for large very thick pieces of protein. The meat is tenderest when you brown the meat first, then slow cook in Crock pot 8-10 hours.

If you want to decrease the sodium a bit you could use a cup of water instead of broth or use low sodium boxes. Even my husband loved this pot roast recipe and since there were leftovers he ate it for lunch the next day too. That means a two for one meal.

How to Cook Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

Yes you can make this similarly for less time in pressure cookers but if you are beat at the end of the day this is the way to go. The “old fashioned” method is sometimes best. Here are brief step by steps;

• Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non stick spray to make cleanup easier later. Cut roast in half width wise (if very thick) and lay on bottom.
• Whisk together the other ingredients (except salt and pepper) to make a sauce/gravy. Pour combination over your meat.

Cover and cook this on low for 6-8 hours (timing will depend on how thick your piece is and if you want it to fall apart if you want to slice it). Once it is to the doneness you desire, serve with gravy. Season with salt and pepper when served.

How to Cook Beef Bottom Round Roast Slow Cooker

Now when choosing your piece of meat from the store remember this; the leaner your piece is the more you should keep an eye on it. This will cause your piece to get more dry than if there was more marbling or fat within it. SO unlike when you’re at an expensive restaurant, cheaper is sometimes better in this case. 😉

I have done it both ways and I will say that my sirloin tip roast was fantastic but did need to be cooked for less time. At 8 hours for this piece wasn’t as moist as using chuck so I just stick with that from now on.

How to store leftover beef to stay moist

This is a must because I hate to waste and I bet you do too. If you’ve cooked it in a sauce it is kinda’ a no brainer, store it together! You definitely want to include the thick liquid surrounding your meat inside your airtight bag or bowl. Air is the enemy too. Suck all of that out until you’re ready to rewarm it.

What to Make with Leftover Beef

Next day leftover lunches are sometimes the best. The flavors are often times even more enhanced and all you need to do is make some Minute rice to pair it with. You can microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between until it is warm. In a small saucepan you can set to medium high heat and stir intermittently until warm and meat is tender.

Once again make sure it is submerged in some kind of liquid or sauce. Do not throw that away from the day before, that is golden. You can thin it out a bit with a little more broth or water too. Taste and season again with a little salt if needed but likely it will not need anything at all.

Printable recipe with nutritional information such as calories and saturated fat is below. Remember that each piece is going to vary depending on the weight and fat content so this is just a general reference.

Now if you want to make your hunk of protein tender and delicious FAST, follow our Instant Pot shredded beef or Instant Pot rump roast recipes here too.

I use both of these pots quite regularly, I actually haven’t used my oven at all other than for a frozen pizza here and there. Just love my small appliances that can do all the things and makes eating together so much easier. Before it was just overwhelming to think of nursing a dish on the stovetop.

Throw it all into a pressure cooker or slow cook pot now, seal the lid and the machine does all the work for you now. There isn’t even a need to stir in between. Follow the timing and liquid content correctly and it will soak up all those yummy juices and become fork tender every single time.

Seriously, beef in a slow cooker can really do no wrong. I have forgot about it before after the time was up and even an hour later it was delicious. With some cuts you can certainly overcook and dry them out but surrounded by gravy it will remain nice and moist.

Can you cook frozen beef in a Crockpot?

Absolutely you can make it this way!! The timing doesn’t even change that much either which is nice. We are talking maybe an extra hour. I have directions for the timing below. We experimented with this recently and wrote up how to make this here in our slow cooker frozen chuck roast post, you’d just want to use this sauce.

If you were forgetful and your piece of meat still looks like this NO worries. As long as you discovered this in the morning there is still hope. You just need a bit more cook time to get it done but literally you could use the same recipe below but the hours for the frozen piece.

Leftover Gravy Recipe

You could totally use what you have left over after the holidays too. Literally you could throw in your chuck + at least 1 cup of your homemade gravy + just 1 can of cream of mushroom condensed soup. I’d whisk those two together before pouring on top so they aren’t clumpy.

Then set the timing, shred when done, put back into the sauce to soak it up and serve as you love. Over mashed potatoes is ultimate comfort food for sure. Save what’s left using the instructions above and enjoy for the next 2 days for lunch too.