This Easy Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Red Wine has simple flavors and a foolproof recipe combined with the ease of a slow cooker. I started mine in the morning and with very little effort, dinner is done. We use red wine for a deep, delicious flavor that makes for the perfect simple gravy base.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Red Wine

I use a slow cooker with searing capabilities. Basically it’s like a dutch oven but in the form of a slow cooker. I like it because I can brown the pot roast, then slow cook the roast all in the same pot.This device is not necessary to this recipe though. You can use a stovetop pot to do any searing or sauteeing and then transfer to the slow cooker. You want to sear the meat before slow cooking it to develop a nice rich flavor.

Choosing a Roast

Purchase good quality beef. My top favorite is a chuck roast. Chuck roast has plenty of marbling and fat that breaks down during the slow cooking process, creating incredibly tender meat as the natural collagen breaks down.

Reasons chuck works so well:

Marbling: The fat adds flavor, and helps it keep the meat moist as it cooks.
Rich Beefy Flavor: Because of the fat, it has a deeper more rich flavor than leaner cuts.
Fall Apart Tenderness: Slow cooking turns the connective tissue into tender, delicious bites.
Budget Friendly: You can usually purchase chuck roast for under $20. You don’t need an expensive piece of meat for this to be a delicious recipe!

Using Red Wine in Pot Roast

What makes this recipe so delicious is the use of red wine. It really adds such a nice deep, depth of flavor. It adds tenderness from the acid, which also balances the fat. The alcohol cooks out over time, so all you’re left with is flavor. If you want to skip using red wine, you can sub with beef broth. The best red wine to use is something dry, like a pinot noir, a merlot, or a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Making Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Pat the pot roast dry to remove any excess moisture,
Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, and granulated garlic on both sides of the roast.
Next, sear the roast in olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
The pot roast will be golden brown on both sides and raw in the middle, so handle with care…it will not be fully cooked until the slow cooking process is over.
Next remove the pot roast, and add peeled and rough chopped carrots, celery, and thick chopped white onion, a smidge of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Saute the veggies until they’re slightly browned.
Add in the tomato paste and wine mixture (see recipe card for details) and slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat falls apart.

How to make Pot Roast Gravy

The red wine, the tomato paste, and all of that beefy rich flavor make for a perfect gravy. The gravy is optional, but it is delicious and really makes this just such a complete meal.

Once the pot roast is done, transfer the liquid from the slow cooker to a 2 cup measuring cup (should yield about 1.5 cups of liquid, give or take).
Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth to remove any meat bits (this is optional, but I like my gravy speckle free!).
Pour liquid into a pot on medium heat.
In a separate dish, mix together 1 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water until non lumps remain.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker liquid. Stir with a whisk on medium low heat, or until gravy is thick.
Pro tip? Don’t lift the lid prematurely! Keep the heat in there for tender, delicious, perfectly cooked meat.

Questions, storing and leftovers

You can cook this with potatoes.
- Perfectly cooked potatoes with pot roast is a possibility. Add them around the pot roast once it is halfway done, and do not stir! Before adding potatoes, you can toss them in your favorite seasoning for added flavor. You can also just leave them simple and dress them as you like before you eat.
- I love this served with whipped potatoes (this is whats in the picture!).
What do I do with leftover pot roast?
- Store the leftover pot roast in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  - Shred the pot roast, add BBQ sauce, and slather on Hawaiian rolls. Bake in foil for 15 minutes or until heated throughout. Serve with cole slaw!
  - Add your shredded pot roast to a pan, add taco seasoning and some beef broth. Use as taco filling.

More Serving Ideas for Making Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slather your pot roast in dijon, salt and pepper to kick up your flavor. Horseradish is great too if you like a kick.
Add a variety vegetables to your slow cooker; green beans, potatoes, carrots, onions, purple onions, celery. Parsnips, even beets would be delicious. Be cautious, to avoid softer vegetables don’t add them too soon as they can get mushy. Halfway through works great!
Don’t like slow cooker vegetables? You can make sheet pan vegetables if you prefer.
Add a good, hearty side dish; baked potatoes, pasta (egg noodles!), or rice is delicious. We looove serving this with our famous homemade rolls.
Make some delicious pan gravy to serve over it; bonus- use the liquid from the slow cooker to make it in place of the beef stock in this amazing Mushroom Gravy recipe.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

If you love slow cooker recipes here’s a few more of our favorites.

What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula, while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!

Enjoy your cozy pot roast dinner!!

-Rachel

Easy and Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast

A perfect meal for any night of the week with simple instructions; this no fail recipe is delicious.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 7 10

Servings: people

Author: Kathi & Rachel

Equipment

Slow Cooker
Dutch Oven or Stovetop Pan

Ingredients

1 3-5 lb chuck roast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
2 cups rough chopped carrots or whole baby carrots
4 stalks chopped celery
1 cups rough chopped white onion
2 cups diced red potatoes optional
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups red wine OR beef broth
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Gravy (optional)

1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine salt/pepper/garlic powder & stir to combine.
Remove raw roast from packaging. Pat dry with paper towel, and coat entire roast in salt/pepper/garlic mixture.
In a dutch oven (or large enough stovetop pan), heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add roast and cook 5-7 minutes on each side or until each side is golden brown. Remove from pan once exterior is seared to liking, and set aside.
Saute chopped vegetables in pot until browned.
In a small bowl, whisk together tomato paste and wine (or broth), thyme & Worcestershire and add to slow cooker, along with vegetables and pot roast.
Transfer vegetables and roast to a slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
If desired: Halfway through, add diced potatoes on top of roast (do not stir into broth to avoid mushy potatoes). Serve as desired, or continue recipe for gravy instructions.

Gravy Instructions

Once the pot roast is done, transfer the liquid from the slow cooker to a 2 cup measuring cup (should yield about 1.5 cups of liquid, give or take).
Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth to remove any meat bits (this is optional, but I like my gravy speckle free!).
Pour liquid into a pot on medium heat. In a separate dish, mix together 1 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water until non lumps remain.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker liquid. Stir with a whisk on medium low heat, or until gravy is thick.
Pro tip? Don't lift the lid prematurely! Keep the heat in there for tender, delicious, perfectly cooked meat.

Nutrition

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might receive a very small commission, at no additional cost to you, should you chose to purchase that linked item. I only link to items I know and trust. Clink!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Red Wine