In a nutshell: The beef roast crockpot recipes range from classic roasts to unique variations, including dishes like Mississippi pot roast, slow cooker rump roast, dill pickle roast beef, creamy mushroom beef chuck roast, French onion chuck roast, and more. Each recipe offers distinct flavors and cooking techniques, making it possible to create a variety of satisfying meals using a crockpot.
There is nothing better than a good home-cooked meal with family and friends around a big dining table filled with great-tasting food.
And with these beef roast crock pot recipes for the perfect Sunday lunch, you can now do it with less effort and still have a delicious meal.
Nobody wants to be slaving away in the kitchen for hours on end to make a meal, as tasty as it may be, and this is why these slow cooker options are perfect for busy families.
#1. The BEST tender slow cooker roast
When you hear the words beef roast and tender in one sentence you know you have found yourself a winner, and with these beef roast slow cooker recipes you can’t go wrong.
The family gathered around the dining table with laughter and conversation filling the air. This is something you may think is only for the movies, but it is a regular occurrence in our house. And as the children grow and bring friends over or relationship partners the yield of food increases too.
Thankfully this is an easy enough task with the meat in the crockpot, simply put double the usual meat portion in and let simmer gently in its flavorful juices for several hours while you carry on with the rest of the meal preparations.
And best of all, you don’t need to worry that the meat will be tough because time and time again it has been a fork-tender and why this dish is such a success.
Crockpot beef roast recipes that are hearty and filling and still have a little bite to them are something we have come to love in our house.
The addition of Jalapenos (feel free to add freshly chopped chili or dried chili flakes) takes this dish to the next level.
A good chunk of meat absorbs the meaty flavors as it cooks, you will surely have to busy yourself around the house or even leave to resist taking a premature taste. The smell hypnotizes you and calls you towards it, but don’t give in.
This is a dish that ticks all of the boxes and isn’t exactly what you want when on the hunt for beef roast crock pot recipes that are simple and easy.
The slow cooker essentially does all of the work and you get to enjoy a delicious meal with meats and gorgeous veggies that are tender and have soaked up meaty goodness as they softened.
Pair this meal with a generous portion of creamy mash, homemade Yorkshire puddings (my husband’s favorite and must-have on the lunch table), and of course rich gravy.
Sunday lunches have never looked or tasted this good, a winning meal you must try.
When time is of the essence (and it usually is when you have a house filled with kids who need things done or they need taken somewhere) the last thing we have is time to prepare a full Sunday roast.
Thankfully, after many hours of web browsing, I stumbled upon a whole host of slow cooker beef roast recipes that take the stress out of making a home-cooked meal.
I needed something quick, literally a one-pot wonder and this is it.
Gather the ingredients, throw everything into the crockpot on low and let it do its thing. When you come home that afternoon after the thousand trips of taxing children to and from activities you have the peace of mind that a meal is ready.
We could all use one less thing to worry about in our lives, right?
There is something about pickles that I just can’t seem to put my finger on.
Are they sour, are they sweet? Do they fill me up, or should I use them as a condiment? Well, I decided to try a new creation and I was pleasantly surprised.
I always have a jar of pickles in the fridge, but these had been sitting for a while, so instead of throwing them away, I threw the whole thing in the slow cooker with a piece of meat I had no idea what to do with, and voila.
After a few hours, the meat had absorbed and been smothered in pickled goodness, the meat was as soft as you could imagine, and with fluffy rice, this meal was a success at the dining table.
Use the liquid to make the gravy so you save all those juices and flavors. A winning recipe that is sure to be around for the long run.
I could eat this dish every night of the week if my family wouldn’t give disapproving looks, but when you find crock pot beef roast recipes that taste this good you’ll understand why.
The combination of ingredients is simple enough that you more than likely have them in your pantry and fridge as staple products (or is that just me?), and the recipe is effortless so even the most novice of chefs cook to give it a go.
When you know you have the family coming over for Sunday lunch but you’ll be at church all morning this slow-cooking sensation will save the day. Put it on early morning on low so it has the maximum time to simmer and when everyone walks it the door you’ll be sure there will be an aroma of meaty deliciousness that will have everyone running to the kitchen to find out why.
A crowd-pleaser every time and takes no effort at all, those are my kind of recipes.
I love a generous (more than most) portion of soft onions that have been sautéed, simmered, or left to cook on low in a beefy liquid that will leave your mouth watering.
They are surprisingly filling and when paired with a decent piece of meat from the butchers you can count on there being clean plates after lunch.
What makes this dish even tastier is using hardy herbs such as thyme or lemon rosemary (if you can find it) and it brings a pungent flavor to the overall meal that makes all the difference.
The green also adds a nice pop of color against the rich brown of the beef and gravy. Perfect with mashed potato.
My husband was tired of the traditional Sunday beef roast meal and asked if we could try something different, so as I began looking for lunch alternatives I found some wonderful slow cooker beef roast recipes that looked just as good and still had all the Sunday lunch components he loved.
We swapped the potatoes for flat pasta which is always a winner in our house and filling too which I love for the kids who never seem to stop eating.
It is rich and creamy but the meat that has been slow cooking for several hours is delicate and moist and smothers the pasta and sauce for the ultimate roast meal.
If you are excited to try something new for Sunday lunch bit love your roast beef, this dish may just be a feature on your family’s menu meal rotation, and for good reason too.
By the title, you may think that this dish will be overly sweet and not what you want or expect for a lunch meal, but you know how the old saying goes, you don’t know until you try it.
And I am so glad I did.
Our neighbor generously gave us a big pile of meat from their hunting trip and having portioned everything down and put some in the freezer for a later day I left one generous-sized portion of meat out to cook for lunch the next day.
But I didn’t know what to do.
I searched beef roast crockpot recipes to see if I had any luck and boy did I. There were so many options but this one with the maple syrup caught my eye. I marinated the meat with the ingredients overnight and put it all in the crockpot to work its slow cooking magic.
The meal was ready in no time as the family woke up Sunday and relaxed around the house and while there is some sweetness to the taste which is the best compliment to savory, it also gave an almost burnt caramel flavor which was highly praised by the family.
We know have a new family favorite for Sunday lunches and can’t wait to impress guests with it too.
You may not believe it but the key element in this meal (and something my husband and I drink daily diluted in water) is using apple cider vinegar. It helps to detox the body making this a healthier alternative to the usual roast beef slow cooker recipes and also breaks down any tough muscle fibers in the meat.
As the ingredients cook away for several hours they thicken and release more flavor. You can taste the tanginess of the tomato sauce, the smokiness of the paprika (I like to use smoked paprika but the original is also good), and the subtle kick of the mustard (if using English mustard as I do).
There is nothing you could fault in this dish and any leftovers make perfect roast beef sandwich fillers for school lunch boxes or hubby and the lads for game days.
Simple and quick to make and suits all the family members.
These variations of roast beef recipes for the crock pot are what makes life that much easier, and the blessing with this dish is that it is so versatile so you can make a large batch and use half for lunch and the rest for other dishes.
The kids love filling fresh brioche rolls with this tender, saucy beef and top it with homemade coleslaw for a quick bite while heading to football or gymnastics practice.
You don’t have to worry about the meat being tough or chewy because the slow cooking process allows it to gently simmer, without supervision (the best part), and results in a falling apart, fork-tender piece of beef.
It also freezes well so you could save a freezer bag full for later in the month.
In our family we love a splash of vinegar, I think the kids only like it because it’s black but the taste is incredible and can bring a zest to the dish.
It offers a rich coloring that seeps deep into the beef and as it cooks the color darkens and entices you even more which is the only issue with this dish in that you have to hold back and try not to taste test as it cooks (not as easy as you think).
Quick to put together, and fills those hungry tummies that run through the door on a cold winter’s afternoon after football practice.
A hearty meal that has all the elements you could want in a ready meal and is so easy to prepare you will impress yourself with the result.
This dish is packed with homegrown vegetables to ensure your daily 5, a good portion of protein for muscle growth, and it tastes as good as it looks.
When the grandparents come round they need a meal that is delicious but not difficult to eat, and this fork-tender beef gives you that option.
They love the texture and always request this meal when they are popping over for a visit.
Who knew the slow cooker would convince the older generation that there are new and quicker methods of cooking compared to slaving over a hot stove for hours on end.
Butter is similar to bacon in that it makes everything taste so good no matter what the meal is, and this recipe for crock pot roast beef is on the favorites list of our family meals.
And, you may be thinking about how it can be keto-friendly or healthy with so much butter when in fact butter is a great fatty energy source for the body to use instead of needing sugars as the energy source.
Plus it is way tastier than any sugar additive.
Pop everything into the slow cooker and let the magic happen. Next thing you know the doorbell is ringing with arrival guests and the food is ready, win-win.
If you can’t find pepper rings in your local supermarket you are more than welcome to substitute them for jalapenos to retain that bite or even add bell pepper rings or chunks which also add a nice pop of color.
Who doesn’t love a bit of an Asian twist when it comes to mealtimes, but I never thought it would mean Sunday lunch roast was part of it.
Until now.
I love Asian foods any day of the week, but who has the time (or finances) to eat out once a week or more (some of our friends).
Now you have the chance to make this sweet yet sticky and tangy Korean-infused beef meal for lunch and impress the family at the same time. And all at a fraction of the price.
The sweetness gives a subtle flavor to the overall dish but also a perfect caramel glaze topping to seal in all that juicy goodness.
Be sure to save all the liquid at the bottom of the crockpot to either thicken for gravy or to pour over the meat and mash when serving.
This is one dish that is too good not to try at home.
So simple. So effortless. And at the end of the slow cooking process, you are presented with an elegant meal that is a hit around the dining table.
Experiencing and trying out traditional dishes in new ways has been exciting for our family and while some work for us and others don’t, we get to try them together.
I do, however, love the fact that the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting when cooking because then we can focus on the taste. You want a dish that is quick and easy and this is it.
This is an absolute winning dish in our house because we eat a specific (Keto in this case) nutritional eating plan and love good food, but too often the meals and recipes you find are filled with additives and sugar and this is not what we want for our diets.
I believe (now that we have found this great collection of beef roast crockpot recipes) that good food, the meals we know and love, can be enjoyed just as frequently without the need for a ‘cheat’ day.
You can pop all the ingredients into the crockpot, let the slow cooking process do its thing, and when lunchtime rolls around you already have a meal that the whole family can enjoy with peace of mind.
No more measuring out alternative ingredients for individual family members, quick and easy, a must-try recipe.
Everything in one pot is left to simmer and after several hours you have one of the best tasting slow cooker beef roast recipes in the neighborhood for sure.
Your guests that afternoon will be wanting the recipe, knowing how you manage to cook something for so long with your busy schedule, and you can thank your trusty crockpot for making you look like a hero.
An easy dish to put together and the bonus of using cheap cuts of meat to make it easy on the pocket is a perk we could all use from time to time.
Serve over fluffy rice, the dark, rich meat will pop on the plate, and don’t be shy to try the salsa we experimented with (and now serve each time) of diced onion, spring onions for added color, and fresh pineapple to help tie together all those Caribbean flavors you used during cooking.
I love a good broth or meaty stock and when I found this dish I was overjoyed.
It is filled with goodness, organic products, and pantry items I already had on hand so I didn’t need to rush to the grocery store for bespoke products that most of us won’t use again or perhaps not have even heard of let alone find it in our local store.
Mix all the flavoring in a separate jug and pour into the bottom of the slow cooker, then top with your vegetables of choice – we like the traditional colors of carrots and potatoes – the meat, and off you go to carry on with the rest of your daily activities.
Then when the family comes home from school you have a beautifully soft, meaty dish for them to dig into, and you know it is healthy with no packet sauces filled with additives.
If you are a novice chef then fear not, this dish is as easy as it sounds, and will get you excited for your future culinary experiences and opportunities, so give it a try, and you’ll thank yourself for it.
Knowing that we will have the family and a few friends around for lunch the next day immediately makes me run for the slow cooker, it has been a lifesaver and takes all the stress out of cooking for large groups of family or a meal we don’t have time to supervise.
This recipe ticks both of those boxes and then some with the delicate meat falling apart when you go to serve, and the vegetables that have been simmering away gently for hours alongside the beef that have soaked up all the flavor-filled liquid and taste equally good on their own.
You can taste the earthy, hardy herbs in this dish (I like to use both Rosemary and Thyme for a nice balance, lemon Thyme is the best if you can get your hands on it) and they bring out the meaty flavors of the meal without being overbearing.
Growing up in the kitchen with my grandmother and then later on in professional kitchens I learned from an early age that alcohol of some form and a good piece of meat always go well together.
While my granny always used to like to throw in a glass of red wine (or two, or three, she said it cooks away but we had our doubts for a few meals) this beer option is perfect for a delicious Sunday lunch meal.
Guinness in particular is not like your average beer in that firstly it is pitch black with this delicate cream effect on top (when poured correctly), and has a confident flavor to bring to the table.
We like to give the meat a generous sear before adding it to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients, to help lock in the goodness we are about to enjoy after several hours of slow cooking on low. The full-flavored beer breaks down the meaty muscle fibers as it cooks and you are left with fork-tender meat you can’t wait to take another bite of.
The kids love this meal so you already know it is a keeper.
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
Browning a roast before putting it in the crockpot is not necessary, but it can enhance flavor and texture.
Can you cook a beef roast too long in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can cook a beef roast too long in a slow cooker, which might result in the meat becoming overly tender to the point of falling apart or losing its desirable texture.
Lunchtime is like a pit stop during the day where everyone can get a refueling to carry on with their tasks, catch up with other family members and friends, and also eat a meal that is heart-warming and nutritious.
And with these beef roast crock pot recipes for the perfect Sunday lunch, you have one less thing to worry about, and they are easy to prepare.
If you enjoy simple, effortless recipes then be sure to head to our blog for even more recipe options, and make every day a day for good food and easy cooking.
Born and raised in South Africa and being immersed in the rich culture, Candace soon found a passion for all things food related. Exploring and experiencing new flavors and taste profiles she pursued her career as a qualified chef in silver service specialized in fine dining.
