Our shredded slow cooker roast beef and gravy recipe 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.

We bet your mouth is already watering looking at this slow cooker roast beef and gravy picture. Tender with every bite served on a bed of mashed potatoes or rice, we love this recipe. one of many easy Crockpot recipes here on the blog.

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

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.

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.

How Long to Cook Roast Beef in Slow Cooker

You need a solid 7 hours, we typically suggest 8. Don't rush it! We use this cut quite often because it is cheap and offers a lot of flavor. There's a handful of ways we rotate thru.

Can you use a frozen roast?

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. We 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 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 need a bit more cook time to get it done but you could use the same recipe below but the hours for the frozen piece.

An even faster method would be to follow this Instant Pot frozen roast recipe. This day we had it all together (sorta) and used a thicker sauce with cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredient notes

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. We used a large cut of Roast cut in half, about 3 pounds in size. If you find a sale buy an extra and try our air fryer chuck roast recipe too

You are going to make things easier by adding a dry packet of onion soup mixFrench's is the traditional brand but there are store brands out there too.

You will want some liquid so water works but it is better to use Beef broth for the liquid, or stock to add more flavor. Red wine vinegar gives it a pop of flavor in there too.

To make the sauce creamier and thicker we like to use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup but you could use any of their flavors with salt and pepper to taste

Can you add vegetables?

Yes, we mean the most common would be potatoes and carrots since those two take a while to cook and even if they get too soft are a great pairing with dishes like this and stew. We like russets, but red work, and carrots should be large chunks, cut in thirds is best. Onions are best quartered so they stay in tact.

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 we think the only things that don't get too mushy would be thick slices of onions and freshly sliced mushrooms since soft with those is a plus.

Without Vegetables (Option)

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 we'd cut the timing by 1 hour and check. Since it is an easy beef recipe there isn't as much of a worry about pink inside as you would with pork or poultry.

Tips for Success

If you have chuck roast bone in it may be tough to slice it, don't worry about that. This way it helps for the sauce to 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 ninja foodi white rice it's a cheap Crockpot meal for everyone.

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

Two browned chuck roast and gravy simmers in a black slow cooker, melding rich flavors with a savory gravy.

How to Thicken the Gravy

If you don't think it is thick enough pour it into a pot over medium high heat. In a dish whisk some of the liquid with 1 tbsp cornstarch until smooth. When it reaches a rolling boil dump this in and stir for a few minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

We have done it both ways and we will say that our 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 we stick with that from now on.

Slow Cooker Roast Beef and Gravy Recipe

By Slow cooker roast beef and gravy recipe that is fork tender and full of flavor. Use chuck roast for a cheap Crockpot dinner everyone loves. Prep: 10 minutes minsCook: 6 hours hrsServings: 8 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

3 lb roastchuck roast was used, cut in half
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup beef broth
1 packet onion soup mix
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt
1 pinch salt, to taste

Instructions

Spray inside of slow cooker with non stick spray. Cut roast in half width wise and lay in bottom.
In a small bowl whisk the other ingredients (except salt and pepper) together to make a sauce/gravy. Pour this over your meat.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (timing will depend on how thick your piece is and how fall apart you want it to be). Once fork tender remove, shred or slice and serve with gravy. Season with salt and pepper when served.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Kitchen questions

Do you need liquid in slow cooker for roast beef?

Yes you do. With poultry you don't need much if any because the meat will release a lot of juices as it cooks. If you don't add broth, water or gravy to chuck roast or other cuts of beef in Crock pot it will dry out and the texture won't be great.

Can you put instant gravy in a slow cooker?

For sure you can. If you want a easy and cheap meal you can cover a large (fatty is better) piece of meat in a slow cooker with canned gravy it will keep it moist as it cooks low and slow adding flavor as well.

Keeping leftovers

This is a must because we hate to waste and we 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 Leftovers

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.

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

How do you keep beef from drying out in a slow cooker?

1. If you sear the meat on the outside prior to laying it in your pot it will maintain more moisture. 2. Add a thick gravy for it to cook in.3. Flip large pieces of meat over halfway through the cook time.4. Cook on low for no longer than 8 hours.