This Balsamic Slow Cooker Pot Roast is an easy, healthy make-ahead main dish recipe that takes 5 minutes of prep time (no browning required). This crock pot roast is my go-to dish for holiday entertaining. 

This Balsamic Slow Cooker Pot Roast is an easy, healthy make-ahead main dish recipe that takes 5 minutes of prep time (no browning required). This crock pot roast is my go-to dish for holiday entertaining. 

I adore this recipe because it’s the most delicious crock pot roast I’ve ever had!  It’s healthy (Paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.), and can be prepared and cooked overnight in the slow cooker. This meatloaf is another delicious recipe to serve to guests too! 

I usually start this roast cooking just before I go to bed on Christmas Eve (or the night before any holiday or hosting a meal). Then, when it is finished cooking in the morning, I shred it, make the gravy, and then reheat everything when it’s dinner time – making the holiday meal very low-stress so I can enjoy every moment with my family. 

Crock Pot Roast: Ingredients & Substitutions

There are only a few simple ingredients in this slow cooker pot roast recipe, but here are some potential substitutions.

• Olive Oil. Any neutral oil can be used in place of olive oil – suggestions include avocado oil and canola oil. 
• Honey. Maple syrup is a great substitute for honey.
• Honey Mustard. Sub your favorite mustard variety if desired: Dijon, regular yellow, spicy brown, etc. 
• Beef Broth. You can use chicken or vegetable broth but I highly recommend beef broth as it yields the best flavor! I keep this beef base on hand to make broth for this recipe. 

A note about balsamic vinegar: 

For the best results, use a premium balsamic vinegar which should be thick, sweet, and pour like molasses instead of water. I recommend this 25-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar  or this Garlic Cilantro Balsamic Vinegar. Both of these can be purchased online from my absolute favorite family-owned shop in my hometown, The Twisted Olive!

How to make slow cooker pot roast 

Let’s walk through the steps in making the BEST, easy slow cooker pot roast recipe and answer some commonly asked questions! Don’t forget to watch the video.

Make & apply the rub

Combine the rub ingredient sin a small bowl and stir until they’re evenly combined. Next, brush or rub olive oil all over the roast and place it in the slow cooker. Then use your hands to spread the rub over the roast, pressing it down so it sticks.

Mix and add sauce 

In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Then  pour the sauce over the crock pot roast. 

Cook

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, occasionally spooning more sauce over the roast, until it is very easily shredded with a fork.

Shred & Continue Cooking

Once the meat is finished cooking, shred it with two forks and return to the sauce to cook on low for another hour. This helps the shredded meat absorb the flavor even more – yum! 

Make the gravy

I prefer to separate the sauce from the meat to strain and thicken it for serving. However you can simply add thickener to the slow cooker towards the end of the cooking time if you prefer.

Remove the meat from the sauce and strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl (do NOT pour it down the drain)! Then, transfer sauce to a saucepan and whisk in the thickener.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. until sauce becomes thick.

Serve

Pour one-fourth of the thickened sauce over the meat and transfer the rest to a serving dish (gravy boat, small pourer, etc.) for serving. 

Store/freeze

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to two months. 

To cook the night before: 

Prepare the roast according to the recipe instructions. Begin cooking on low in the slow cooker when you go to bed at night. In the morning,  when the roast is fork-tender, shred it and transfer the meat to a 9×9″ baking dish or a casserole dish with a lid.

Add a little bit of the reserved liquid, and store the meat, covered, in the fridge until it’s almost time to eat. Then when you’re ready to eat simply warm the meat, covered, in the oven at about 325 degrees until it’s warmed through!

Keep the sauce covered in a small saucepan until you are close to ready to eat. Follow the recipe instructions to make/thicken the sauce, then use according to the recipe. 

Serving suggestions

Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve with this balsamic pot roast!

• Bread! I always bake some fresh bread to go with this roast! Some of our favorites are:
  • The BEST homemade dinner rolls!
  • My favorite no-knead bread that you mix together the night before! 
  • Our famous pretzel bread!
• Salad! I also always make a salad to go with this balsamic pot roast!
  • It pairs beautifully with this burrata salad, Balsamic Caprese quinoa salad and this honey mustard quinoa salad!
  • Try this winter fruit salad! yum!
• Mac and Cheese. Any of our mac and cheese recipes make a great side dish for this pot roast! Spaghetti squash mac and cheese, stovetop homemade mac and cheese and vegetable mac and cheese are all great choices!
• Make a pan of these balsamic roasted vegetables or these balsamic roasted beets to go with the roast! 
• Brussels Sprouts! This recipe for Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts will turn a sprouts-hater into a sprouts-lover!

FAQs

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Photos in this post were taken by Jamie from Dishing Out Health. 

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