Crock Pot Pot Roast

5 from 8 votes

This easy Crock Pot pot roast recipe boasts a unique and flavorful combination of Coca Cola, onion soup mix seasoning, potatoes, carrots, onions, and herbs!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Amish, Southern

Keyword chuck roast recipe, crock pot pot roast, slow cooker pot roast

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 8 15

Total Time 8 55

Servings servings

Calories 552kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 (3 lb.) boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (12 ounce) can Coca Cola
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup seasoning mix
24 ounces baby gold potatoes
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 small onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Pat beef dry and season with a little bit of kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place beef in the pot and sear for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until browned all over. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
Pour the Coke into the Dutch oven; turn the heat down to medium. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. These bits add a lot of flavor to the pot roast!
Pour Coke over the roast. Add Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with dry onion soup mix. Arrange the potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme on top of and around the roast.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Discard the herb stems. Shred the beef with two forks (it should practically fall apart when it’s done). Discard any big fatty pieces. Stir the shredded beef into the juices in the pot with the vegetables.
Serve, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Swap out the Coca Cola Classic and use a similar soda instead. Good options include Pepsi, root beer, Dr. Pepper, or even Diet Coke. Beef broth will also work.
Omit the potatoes in your pot, and instead serve the finished dish over a plate of mashed potatoes or crispy roasted potatoes instead.
In a hurry? Skip the step of searing the beef in a Dutch oven, and instead just add it straight to the Crock Pot.
Make a gravy using the drippings from the pot. To do so, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. While continually whisking, gradually add 1 - 1 ½ cups of strained juices/drippings from the pot until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Continue whisking while the gravy bubbles and cooks for 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Searing the meat before adding it to the liquid and other ingredients helps to brown the surface and enhance the flavor. A hot pan creates a golden, caramelized crust through a process called the Maillard reaction, and will also lock in the meat's juices. Plus, the browned bits from the bottom of the pot add great flavor to the gravy.
Why is my pot roast tough? Undercooked pot roast will be tough and chewy. If you're using tougher or bigger cuts of beef (other than a chuck roast), you may need to increase the cooking time to give the meat fibers plenty of time to break down and become tender and juicy.
Why is my pot roast dry? Cooking the meat for too long can result in a dry pot roast.
Cooking for a Smaller Family? This meat freezes really well! I like to package leftovers in individual containers, label them, and stash them in the freezer for later meals. The shredded beef is delicious served on sandwich rolls, but it also works well on salads, tacos, stuffed in baked potatoes, in quesadillas, or on pizza! Get creative and enjoy the leftovers in a variety of ways.
Nutrition information is automatically estimated based on all liquid and cooking juices. If you strain the fat or omit the cooking liquids, nutrition information will vary.

Nutrition