This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Crockpot Express Pot Roast is a classic meal cooked in a new way that cuts down on cook time and infuses the meat with so much flavor!
It seems like EVERYONE wants to make pot roast as one of their first meals after getting the Crockpot Express and often, they are disappointed with the results. If you want a good quality meal, it’s going to take a bit of preparation-no short cuts! Trust me, the work is worth it when you dig in to a plate full of Crockpot Express Pot Roast!
First, you need to understand the difference between various cuts of meat. You can read more about what kind of cut is best for different cooking methods here: Beef, It’s What for Dinner.
For a tender, flavorful pot roast, you need to get a good Chuck Roast. (Arm Chuck or Blade Chuck will work.) Make sure it’s at least 2″ thick and has lots of marbling. All that fat is going to melt down and infuse so much flavor into the beef!
Second, be prepared to spend some time on the prep. Yes, you can just toss the meat into the pot and hope for the best, but a few extra steps will take your pot roast from good to melt-in-your-mouth-AMAZING.
If your roast is large, it will need to be cut in half to fit. That means a lot of searing time before the cook time starts. But trust me, it’s worth it. Seasoning, searing, flavorful broth, and resting time all work together for best results. This recipes is definitely going on my page of favorite Crockpot Express Recipes!
If you’re hoping for more of a “dump and go” kind of recipe, then try Crockpot Express Mississippi Pot Roast!
Crockpot Express Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound chuck roast 2" thick with lots of marbling
- salt/pepper to taste or your favorite beef rub
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion sliced thinly
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- baby potatoes I like Yukon gold-they cook through and get creamy without turning mushy
- carrots regular full sized carrots, peeled and cut in half
Instructions
- Remove lid and press Brown/Saute. Press Start/Stop and allow the pot to heat up completely while you prepare the meat. (This takes just over 5 minutes and then the 30 minute cook time will start counting down.) Unwrap your roast and rub both sides with seasoning (salt and pepper or your favorite beef rub.)
- Cut the meat into two equal pieces. Once the pot is heated completely, add the oil and make sure it's spread around the bottom of the pot. Using silicone tipped tongs, place ONE of the pieces of the roast on the bottom of the pot. Do not move it. Allow to sear for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and sear for another 5-10 minutes. Remove the first chunk of meat and repeat the process with the second.
- After both of your pieces have been seared on both sides, remove them and let them rest while you prep the sauce. (Leave the CPE on Brown/Saute) Add the garlic and sliced onions to the pot and saute for a few minutes until soft. Then stir together the vegetable stock, beef bouillon cube and soy sauce until mixed well. Pour into the onion/garlic mixture and use it to "deglaze" the pot. Stir well, scraping up all those beautiful bits of beef left over from searing. Press Stop/Start to cancel the Brown/Saute mode.
- Place both chunks of seared meat back down into the sauce. Don't stack them on top of each other. They should fit side by side. Close the lid, lock it, and set the Steam Release Valve to closed. Press Meat and adjust time to 45 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle ends, allow for a full natural pressure release. (At least 25 minutes.) After the NPR, open the lid and remove the meat. DO NOT SLICE IT YET! Allow it to rest under a foil tent while you make the potatoes and carrots.
- Place the potatoes and carrots directly in the cooking juices. Put the lid back on, twist to lock and close the steam release valve. Press Steam and set for 5 minutes. After the cooking cycle is done, do a Quick Release remove from the pot.
- Slice roast. Cut against the grain to keep it tender. Place it on a serving dish and surround with carrots and potatoes. Drizzle with additional drippings or gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
Honestly, I’m not much of a red meat person, but this Crockpot Express Pot Roast didn’t last long on my plate! 🙂 I guess there’s a reason pot roast is such a classic comfort food!
Be sure to pin this recipe to save it for later. Looking for a great bread recipe to go with it? Try these Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
- Crockpot Express Apricot Chicken - May 15, 2023
- Sweet and Spicy Carrots - May 4, 2023
- Biscoff Cake Recipe - May 2, 2023
Emily says
Hi!! I want to try this right now but I would like to slow cook it. Is there a way to modify after seating to set it to slow cook?
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier! I hope you figured it out, but for the record: you can easily choose slow cook instead of pressure cooking. Just sear as directed, and then Press Start/Stop. Then choose Slow Cook and leave it on HIGH. Slow cook on low will take FOREVER since these units don’t cook very hot on the slow cook setting. Choose your time (it defaults to 4 hours) and then press Start/Stop. You can use any lid that will fit for slow cook if you like to be able to peek inside. 🙂
Beck & Bulow says
I was wondering what can I substitute the beef broth with, I will be making this tomorrow but I will not have enough time to go to the store. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Nicole Burkholder says
If you have any beef bullion, you could make your own broth with that. If not, you’ll need to add lots of salt/pepper and spices to your water to get anything close to the flavor you need. 🙂 Good luck!
Nicky says
New to crockpot express, been looking for quick and easy family meals. I’m so glad I decided to try this recipe. I used Chuck beef and because of the awkward cut of it from the butchers, I had to stack it in the pot. I made no other changes and it turned out delicious. Thank you 😊
Nicole Burkholder says
This recipe is definitely a favorite! And it’s such a time saver compared to roasting in the oven or slow cooking. I’m glad you liked it!
Pam says
The steam valve on the top of the pot says “seal” and “release”. When you say to set the valve to “closed,” do you mean “seal?” That’s what I set it to after I put the meat in the pot. During the 25 minutes of NPR I didn’t hear any steam escaping. Should I have. Obviously I’m a newbie!
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, “seal” means closed and “release” means open. They have changed the symbols and names on things a bit with every new model. It’s hard to keep up 🙂 But it makes sense-if the pot is sealed, it’s completely closed and there’s no steam releasing. If it’s left open, the steam will just start to shoot out the top of the steam release valve and you’ll burn off all the liquid inside and get an error notice.
During NPR, you won’t hear anything. The pot slowly cooling and the pressure is going down all on its own. Eventually once all the pressure is gone, you’ll hear the “click” of the bobber valve dropping back down and the lid unlocking. OR you can open the valve and release any remaining steam if you’re in a hurry (which I NEVER advise for large roasts because it will cause the meat to seize up with the rapid temperature change.)
Don’t worry about being a newbie-we all were once! Hope that helps.
Juliet says
Can I add the veggies with the meat and then steam all together for 35-45 minutes? I love the flavor veggies get from cooking in meat!
Nicole Burkholder says
They’ll be utter mush if you pressure cook them the whole time. Trust me, they will be very flavorful, since you are cooking them in the juices from the meat!
Juliet says
You were right!! But I ate some of the mush and loved it very much:) However- my roast doesn’t feel very tender and was kind of bland. Should I stick it back in and cook it longer lower and slower?
Nicole Burkholder says
It really depends on the cut of beef you’re using. If it’s chuck roast, it should be marbled with fat that will break down while cooking and get very tender. If you used a different cut, you will get slightly different results. Did you sear it? Did you use the recipe here for flavor, or did you try something else? Also, did you NPR? That’s important for tender meat.
Amy Brown says
So delicious!! No changes made and it was perfect!
Heather Nield says
I LOVE this recipe but the total time is off. I figured that out again just now as I’m wondering if we will have dinner ready before the kids’ bedtime. Lol
Sear meat=Heat time+30 min
Sauce=0 min
Meat=Heat time+45 min+25 min NPR
Veggies=Heat time+5 min
So two hours cooking time alone. I’d probably say 2.5 hr total time, not 1 hr 25 min.
Nicole Burkholder says
Sorry for the confusion! It’s standard for pressure cooker recipes to not include the heat times. (Because they can vary so drastically from model to model, or for recipes being altered, cooked from frozen, etc.) The time in the recipe card, as with all recipes on my site and other sites as well, only reflects cook time and resting or chilling time, depending on the recipe. No heating times 🙂
Robert Holder says
Your recipes are my go too. Thanks ever so much for sharing them. On the pot roast, I used McCormick Chili and Lime seasoning to rub on the roast, and WOW was amazing. Then with leftover, I cut the beef roast into smaller stew size added a cup of water and some green beans and another hit was created.
Nicole Burkholder says
Nice use of leftovers! Sounds delicious 🙂
Vincent says
How long did you cook the second meal for?
Subie says
Delicious, but needs gravy. Any suggestions?
Nicole Burkholder says
The easy answer is simply to use the drippings from the pot to drizzle over the meat and potatoes. But if you want true gravy, you’ve got the ideal starter right there in the pot! You can use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the drippings, or make gravy the old fashioned way on the stove with them instead. There’s tons of flavor and plenty of liquid left to work with when you’re done. Yum!
Molly M says
I just added some flour to the sauce left after removing the veggies at the end and whisked it in until I got the consistency I wanted. It was great.
Delilah Jones says
I’m in the process of making this with the oval CPE. The meat came out so tender and yummy! I used this recipe for the rub: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/easy-pot-roast-seasoning/
The only thing is, it is taking me over 2 hours from start to finish to get this on the table. I started just over 2 hours ago and the veggies are just now steaming. Also, with the oval one, there is a separate searBrown/Sear & Sautee are separate buttons. I think a 2 inch cut could sear for 5 mins on ea side. I set the meat setting for 35 mins and NPR for 22 mins and it’s just fine. I’m wondering if I need to cut the meat in 1/2 if I’m using the oval one instead of my round one.
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, there are new buttons on the newer models. You would want to use whatever is hotter-I would assume the Brown/Sear would be fine. For a thinner cut of meat, it’s fine to cut down the browning time. If there’s room in the oval pot, do both pieces at the same time-it will cut down on the browning time for sure. I would still cut the roast in half if it’s 3 pounds or more. That cuts down on pressure cook time. It’s all very dependent on how large and how thick your cut of meat is. There are certainly places where you can cut time. NPR may take less time as well. As soon as it clicks, you’re good to go. It’s about 90 minutes for me from start to finish-when you are more familiar with a recipe, there’s less checking back and forth, etc. But the time will be well worth it!
Rysta McNeely says
I put a packet of brown gravy mix, then top with French onion soup. Not super thick, but deeelish!!
Molly M. says
Oh mah lawd….I’ve been trying out so many different pot roast recipes with slow cooker and CPE versions, trying to find juuuuust the right one. You NAILED IT with this one, my search for the perfect pot roast has ended! Thank you for sharing this with the world. 🙂
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m so glad to hear you loved it!
Blake says
Agree 100%. This recipe has become a Sunday tradition!
Thank you Nicole. You are my hero!
Nicole Burkholder says
WooHoo! Sunday roasts are the best!
Paula says
Delicious! Several steps but well worth it. My husband said this was the best pot roast I have ever made. We have been married 23 years lol
Nicole Burkholder says
I love to hear that! I know it’s a bit labor intensive, but the end result is worth it 🙂 I’ve cut down the prep time by searing on my stove when in a pinch!
Chris says
OMG! Sooooo delicious & tender. I have always disliked my pot roasts, but that changed today. Thank you!
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m so glad you loved it!
Debra says
This was the best pot roast! My family’s favorite meal. And so easy to do
mary says
Excellent!!! Easy CPE recipe and very delicious.
Susan Mannion says
Bet I’ve made at least 100 pot roasts in my lifetime, but none–not one–compares to this recipe! I think the long searing really made a difference, locking in the flavorful juices. The finished roast was fork tender. My husband, who hates chewy meat was less than excited when he heard pot roast was for dinner. Until he tasted this one, then exclaimed over and over, “This meat is like butter!” Thanks for this wonderful recipe, Nicole. I’m looking forward to making it again and again!
Nicole Burkholder says
You are so welcome! I’m not a huge fan of red meat/roasts, either, but this was such a hit with our family!
Leslie says
This was delicious! My potatoes were a little bigger so I cut them in half and cooked them on the trivet with the carrots. I also made gravy out of the leftover liquid. Thanks for this recipe!
Terry Giers says
Best pot roast we have had!
Emily says
Note to self…heat the vegetable stock so bouillon cube will melt and absorb into mixture lol
Maria says
Should I add time if my roast is larger?
Nicole Burkholder says
If the roast is larger and you don’t cut it down, yes, you’d need to add some time. But if you cut it in half or thirds and the pieces are similar in size to this, then keep the recipe time the same. With pressure cooking, it’s all about the size/thickness of the meats, rather than how full the pot is.
For example, people often will ask, “If I’m cooking 5 pounds of chicken breasts instead of 2 pounds, do I double the time?” For that the answer is NO. Because the chicken breasts are all about the same size.
The same goes for a roast. If the pieces are cut all about the same size, the cook time is decided by the size of those individual pieces, not the overall pounds in the pot.
Amanda says
Will never make roast another way again!!
Catelijne Heijman - Timmermans says
Thumbs up, simple but very flavorful