A roast beef in a slow cooker is typically cooked by seasoning a beef roast (like chuck, rump, or topside), placing it in the slow cooker with beef broth and vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery, then cooking on low for about 6-9 hours or on high for 3-6 hours until tender. The cooking liquid can be thickened with cornstarch or cornflour to make a flavorful gravy to serve with the beef and vegetables.
Basic Slow Cooker Roast Beef Process
- Rub the beef roast with seasonings like steak seasoning, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
- Spray or grease the slow cooker pot.
- Add the roast and pour in beef broth or stock.
- Add chopped vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, celery) around the roast.
- Cook on low for 9 hours or high for 6 hours (times may vary based on roast size and slow cooker).
- Before serving, remove the beef and vegetables, make gravy by thickening the cooking liquid with a cornstarch slurry.
- Serve the beef pulled apart or sliced with gravy poured on top.
Ingredients Example
- 3 lbs beef roast (chuck, rump, topside)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 lb carrots
- 2 lbs potatoes (cut)
- 1 large onion
- 1 stalk celery
- Seasonings: steak and Italian seasoning blend, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
- 3 tablespoons cold water + 3 tablespoons cornstarch for gravy thickening
Cooking Tips
- Browning or searing the roast before slow cooking can add flavor.
- Using red wine or Worcestershire sauce in the broth enhances tenderness and taste.
- Use a meat thermometer to check doneness: rare at 50°C, medium at 60°C, well done at 70°C.
- Rest the beef after cooking for up to 30 minutes to keep it juicy.
This method produces tender, flavorful roast beef and a complete meal with veggies and gravy all in one pot, perfect for an easy, hearty dinner.
