Servings: 6
This slow cooker garlic herb beef roast is the kind of holiday main dish that quietly takes care of itself while you fuss over everything else. It starts just the way a good old-fashioned Sunday pot roast would: a sturdy chuck roast, plenty of butter, and more garlic than you think you need.
Chuck roast beside butter, garlic, and dried herbs on a worn kitchen table
Here, the butter is melted with garlic and herbs, then poured straight over the raw beef in the slow cooker, along with just four more simple pantry ingredients. By the time the day rolls along and the house smells like a small-town church supper, the meat is fork-tender, savory, and richly flavored — one of those dependable “always a yes” dinners.
Serve this roast sliced or gently pulled into big rustic chunks, spooning plenty of the garlicky herb juices over the top. It’s wonderful alongside mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to catch all that flavorful broth. Add a simple green vegetable — steamed green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, or a crisp salad with a tangy vinaigrette — to balance the richness. Warm dinner rolls or a loaf of crusty bread are perfect for mopping up the juices.
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend (or dried thyme and rosemary mixed)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Set a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker on the counter and place the beef chuck roast in the center, fat side up. If there are any large surface pieces of fat, leave them on for flavor.
Raw chuck roast resting in a slow cooker before cooking - In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and minced garlic. Melt the butter over low heat on the stove or in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave until fully melted and warm but not sizzling.
Melted butter and garlic being stirred in a small saucepan - Stir the dried Italian herb blend into the melted garlic butter, along with the salt and black pepper, until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
- With the slow cooker uncovered, slowly pour the warm garlic herb butter over the top of the raw chuck roast, making sure to coat the surface well and letting the butter run down the sides into the bottom of the crock.
Garlic herb butter being poured over a chuck roast in the slow cooker - Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for about 4 to 5 hours, until the roast is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Once cooked, carefully lift the roast onto a cutting board. Let it rest for about 10 minutes, then slice against the grain or pull into large chunks. Skim excess fat from the surface of the cooking juices in the slow cooker, if desired.
Cooked beef roast resting on a cutting board with juices nearby - Transfer the sliced or pulled beef to a serving platter and spoon some of the warm garlic herb juices from the slow cooker over the top. Serve the remaining juices on the side for extra drizzling.
Variations & Tips
Fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley chopped on a wooden board
Sliced beef roast on a platter with herb juices spooned over top
Recipe sourced from Cooktop Cove
