An easy recipe for delicious slow cooker pot roast. Served over mashed cauliflower, this slow cooker pot roast is healthy, keto and paleo.
Slow cooker pot roast is probably my favorite beef recipe to make – and eat – in winter. Flavorful, slow-cooked, tender beef, smothered in thick, rich gravy… slow cooker pot roast is the quintessential comfort food.
The best part: unlike starchy, high-carb comfort food, slow cooker pot roast is healthy and very nourishing.
Is pot roast healthy?
I believe it is. Yes, it’s fatty, but those on a paleo and/or low carb diet know better than to worry about natural fats. I believe that red meat is very nutritious.
In addition to the basic nutrition info provided below, a 4 oz serving of this roast has 270 mg potassium, 40%-50% of your daily needs of selenium, vitamin B12 and zinc, and around 20% of niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus and iron.
What is the best roast to cook in a crock pot?
When making this recipe, I always use a 3 lb. chuck roast that I get at the meat counter at Whole Foods. Chuck roast is perfect for slow cooking. It’s a tough piece of meat, but it’s very flavorful and well marbled, and slow cooking makes it very tender.
I usually make pot roast with store bought beef broth. You can use red wine instead, or half broth and half wine. If you happen to have homemade bone broth, that would be perfect.
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
No. I’ve experimented with browning the meat before placing it in the slow cooker and have found that it makes very little difference to the final outcome, so I skip this annoying step.
How long does it take to cook a 3 lb. roast in the crockpot?
You can cook the roast on LOW for 7-8 hours. I prefer to cook it for 7 hours, as I find that it sometimes dries out after the full 8 hours.
Don’t you need flour to thicken the gravy?
Not necessarily. You can thicken any gravy, if you’re patient, by simply cooking it and reducing some of the liquid. If you want it to happen faster, while keeping the dish gluten free, I suggest mixing 1 teaspoon of organic cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water and stirring that into the gravy.
What to serve with pot roast?
Instead of the traditional mashed potatoes, I like to serve slow cooker pot roast on a bed of mashed cauliflower. This way I can keep this dish healthy, low carb, keto and paleo.
I also like to add a green vegetable. A few favorite options are sauteed spinach, sauteed kale, and roasted Brussels sprouts.
What about leftovers?
Leftovers keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. They do tend to easily dry out when reheated, so it’s best to reheat them covered in the microwave, on 50% power.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
INGREDIENTS
- 3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 cup beef broth (or red wine)
Gravy:
- Strained cooking juices
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Season the chuck roast with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Place the roast in the slow cooker pan and add the sliced onion, garlic and parsley. Pour the beef broth (or wine) on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
- Remove the slow cooker pot roast to a plate. Set the slow cooker to WARM. Strain the cooking juices into a glass measuring cup, then return the beef to the slow cooker and cover, to keep warm while you make the gravy.
- Use a spoon to skim the fat layer off the top of the cooking juices. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, and continue to simmer, whisking occasionally, until reduced into a rich sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Flake the beef with a fork. Distribute evenly among plates lined with mashed cauliflower. Spoon 2-4 tablespoons of gravy on top of each plate and serve.
NOTES
