5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Crockpot Roast Beef

A pot roast is inexpensive beef’s time to shine. During low and slow cooking, the connective tissue in traditionally tougher cuts breaks down to help the meat be fall-apart, tender and delicious. The best cuts for crock-pot beef roasts are chuck, brisket and round. Save the more expensive beef cuts for steak!

Not searing the roast

Although browning a large roast feels like a daunting task, it is 100% worth it for the depth of flavour this will add to your meal. Tip – sear the roast in the same pot you will braise the beef in after deglazing. Also, if you are cooking beef chunks, make sure to sear them in batches so that each piece can brown evenly.

Want to read more about why searing meat is so important for flavour? Check out our post on the Maillard Reaction.

Deglazing with just broth

Deglazing releases all the flavoursome brown bits created when you sear the roast. We recommend that you deglaze with a mixture of beef broth and red wine (or even white wine or red wine vinegar).

You can then add a bit of tomato paste and fresh herbs before covering the pot roast and cooking the beef.

Overcooking the veggies

Throwing the meat and vegetables in at the same time can create mushy vegetables. For best results, the beef should cook solo for a while before you add the vegetables.

We recommend that you cook the beef roast for around 1.5-2 hours before you add your vegetables to the pot (and continue cooking for another hour or so).

Not Removing Excess fat before serving

Skim the top of the stew and remove as much of the unnecessary surface fat as possible before serving. If you are making your pot roast ahead of time, you can skip this step and wait until the dish is refrigerated (the fat on top will harden, making it easier to dispose of).

We recommend that you serve your crockpot roast beef with some warm, crusty buttered bread.

Want a recipe idea? Check out this rolled brisket pot roast recipe.

The information in this post is adapted from Bon Appetit and Kitchn.