Sunday Roast Beef Made in the Slow Cooker

Do you find yourself craving a delicious and hearty Sunday Beef Roast, but dread heating up the oven to prepare it? Well, fear not, because I have a solution for you!

Believe it or not, you can achieve that same mouth-watering, melt-in-your-mouth roast with the help of your trusty slow cooker. That's right, a Sunday Roast complete with vegetables in the slow cooker is not only possible, but also incredibly easy and convenient.

Read on to learn how easy this classic meal can be.

I snagged a lovely eye of round roast on sale at the store and was craving a tender "Sunday" roast beef. You know the kind that cooks in a 225-250 degree oven for HOURS to tender juicy perfection. Unfortunately, it was the middle of summer and 100 plus degrees outside.

Who wants to turn on the oven on days like that? Hey wait! How hot does a slow cooker get? 190 degrees on low, 250 degrees on high. Problem solved!

Easy and delicious! I even pulled out the meat slicer to get paper thin slices for "au jus" sandwiches a second night.

What cut of beef to use for a Sunday Roast?

According to the Cattleman's Beef Board, the best cuts of beef for a long slow dry roast are:

• chateaubriand (tenderloin)
• shoulder
• rib eye
• eye of round
• sirloin tip
• tri tip

Stay away from brisket and chuck roast for this method. Those are better braised (cooked in liquid)

How long to roast a beef roast in a slow cooker?

Time for some warnings. This is not a set it in the morning and come home to dinner 8 hours later recipe. This is not a pot roast that simmers in liquid to get tender then falls apart.

All we are doing in this recipe is replacing the oven with the slow cooker so we don't heat up the house.

For a traditional oven roast you start the oven at a temperature then lower it and cook for 15-20 minutes a pound. The slow cooker isn't going to get that quick burst of heat, plus this recipe adds veggies to cook at the same time. So it take a bit longer.

In my 6 quart slow cooker with a 2.5 pound roast and about 2 pounds of vegetables it took a little over 2 hours on high for medium rare. That's about 30 minutes a pound.

BUT, all slow cookers are different. Plus the size and shape of the roast, starting temperature, extra vegetables, your preferred level of doneness, etc. can all effect the time to cook.

I recommend reading that little booklet that came with yours that you probably threw away. If that's the case check the manufacturer's website, they probably have it.

Luckily mine came with a temperature probe, which I love for recipes like this! I stuck it into my roast and let the slow cooker do the calculating for me. I just made sure to time it so I'd have an extra 30 minutes in case it took longer.

Recipe

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Ingredients

 

• 2-3 pound beef roast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ½-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots (cut in 1 inch chunks)
• 1 pound potatoes (cut in 1 inch chunks)
• 1-2 cup onions
• 1-2 cup celery
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch per cup of liquid (for gravy)

Instructions

 

• Cut off an inch or two piece of fat from the roast and chop into small pieces. Melt in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. If the roast is very lean, use a tablespoon or two of vegetable/olive oil.
  2-3 pound beef roast
• Rub the roast with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sear the roast in the cast iron skillet once the fat has melted, until browned on all sides.
  1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• While roast is searing, chop vegetables. Carrots and potatoes should be in about 1 inch chunks, the celery about 2 inch sticks. The onion should be cut in half vertically (pole to pole), then cut in 6-8 large wedges with the root end still intact.
  1 pound carrots, 1 pound potatoes, 1-2 cup onions, 1-2 cup celery
• Toss the vegetables with the tablespoon of oil and parsley flakes.
  1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• Put the vegetables in the slow cooker. Then place the roast on top. If you have a temperature probe, insert it into the roast as directed by the slow cooker manufacturer.
• For pan gravy, set aside the cast iron skillet. Do not clean it yet!
• Cook on high for approximately 25-30 minutes a pound, including vegetables.

  For medium rare roast until 140℉, approximately 2-2.5 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low. For medium cook until 145℉, or another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove roast and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. For crispier browned vegetables, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes, turning once.
• Pour the juices from the roast into a measuring cup then pour into the cast iron skillet and loosen all browned bits.
• In a small container combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for each cup of liquid with a small amount of water to dissolve. (If you have two cups of juices, use two tablespoons of cornstarch in about 2-3 tablespoons of water.) 

  Whisk the cornstarch slurry in the juices and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil one minute.
  1 tablespoon cornstarch per cup of liquid

Notes

The times listed are for my slow cooker. Yours may vary depending on the manufacturer, the capacity of the slow cooker and the amount of food inside. Consult your manufacturer's instructions for more information. 

If you want to skip the vegetables, place the roast on a trivet or ball up several balls of aluminum foil and place on the bottom of the cooker to lift the roast out of the liquid. 

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Until next time, happy eating.
~Audrey