Italian Pot Roast

4 from 29 votes

Classic pot roast gets Italian love from red wine, tomato paste, garlic, and dried herbs. Made in the slow cooker, this is a super cozy meal that cooks hands-off all day long and results in fall-apart-tender meat with a rich gravy. Serve it over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

Prep Time40

Cook Time10

Total Time10 40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef recipe, freezer friendly, slow cooker recipe, weeknight-friendly

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $11.00

Equipment

Skillet
6-quart Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2-3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (see note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil (use a neutral oil like grapeseed, vegetable, or avocado oil)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (store bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (can use a gluten free all-purpose flour if needed)
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

Season the beef on both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the beef and sear on both sides until deep golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
Transfer the beef to the bowl of a slow cooker, leaving the skillet on the stove.
Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium and add the butter. When the butter melts, stir in the onion, carrots, and garlic. Continue cooking until the aromatics are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add Italian seasoning and flour and stir until no dry spots remain.
Slowly pour the red wine into the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the stock, tomato paste, capers, and vinegar. When the liquids begins to simmer, move the pan off the heat. Pour the liquids around the sides of the beef.
Cover and slow cook on low until roast can be easily shredded with a fork, 8 to 10 hours. (Note: Skim off any visible fat on the surface of the liquids that remain in the bowl.)
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred or slice.
Serve with cooking liquid drizzled over top.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from my Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast.

Chuck Roast - This cut of beef should be marbled with fat, but it can vary widely in the amount of fat the piece you use contains. If the meat releases a lot of fat during cooking, be sure to skim off any excess before you use the cooking liquids as a sauce.

Kosher Salt - I test my recipes with Morton’s Kosher Salt. If using table salt, reduce by about half. If using Diamond Kosher Salt, increase by about 25%. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to the amount of salt they like, so be sure to taste and adjust as you go.

Nutrition