Slow Cooker Beer Pot Roast

Let the crock pot work its magic with this Slow Cooker Beer Pot Roast. After simmering away all day, youโ€™ll be left with flavorful, fork tender beef and vegetables.

Marry Me Pot Roast with Beer

Large rectangular platter stacked with carrots, potatoes, and beer pot roast.

Many moons ago, Mr. NeighborFood wooed me with this roast. It was a good strategy. It’s difficult to resist a man who makes a good roast, particularly when youโ€™re a poor college student used to eating microwaved noodles and Cheez-its for dinner.

One Sunday evening, Mr. NeighborFood came over to the house I shared with seven other girls and made this roast. All day, the smells of slow cooked beer and pot roast floated through the air. At dinner time, he set the table (with real plates!), and ladled out big portions of juicy beef, tender carrots, and buttery potatoes for all of us.

I was smitten. With the roast, with him. Am I saying I married him because of the roast? No. Was it a factor? Of course it was!

Beef gravy being poured over pieces of slow cooked pot roast.

Now, nearly 15 years later, weโ€™re still making THE ROAST. Itโ€™s a recipe he borrowed from his mom, whoโ€™s been making it for twice that long. Hereโ€™s why I think youโ€™re going to love it as much as our families do:

  • Itโ€™s made with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry already.
  • It only requires 15 minutes of prep, but you get to enjoy the delicious smells all day.
  • Itโ€™s a whole meal in one pot! Youโ€™ve got your meat, potatoes, and veggies all right here!

Key Ingredients in Slow Cooker Beer Roast

Crock Pot filled with browned pot roast, potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic.
  • Chuck Roast– Anywhere from 3-5 lbs. is perfect.
  • Onion soup mix– Listen, Iโ€™ve tried my own seasoning blends, but the onion soup mix really does add amazing flavor to this.
  • Garlic
  • Carrots– I prefer them cut into thick sticks, so they donโ€™t get too mushy in the crock pot.
  • Potatoes– I love using baby potatoes, because they donโ€™t require any prep. Just toss them in! That said, you can use larger potatoes cut into quarters.
  • Yellow onion
  • Beer, lager or ale- More on this below!
  • Beef broth– Iโ€™m a huge fan of Better than Bouillon.ย 
Can of beer being poured over a pot roast in a crock pot.

How to Make Beer Roast in the Crock Pot

  1. Prepare the crock pot. Spread half of the onion soup mix in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with the vegetables. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper.
  2. Brown the roast. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper, then add it to the skillet. Brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Deglaze. Add a splash of the beer to the pan and use it to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Turn off heat.
  4. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the beef to the pan, nestling it in amongst the vegetables. Sprinkle with the remaining onion soup mix and sliced garlic.
  5. Add liquids. Pour the beer and beef broth over all. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Slow cooked pot roast, potatoes, and carrots, shown in a crock pot.

Quick Gravy for Pot Roast

If you prefer your pot roast with gravy, this is a super easy cornstarch gravy you can make in just a few minutes.

  1. Combine three tablespoons of juice and fats from the crock pot with 1 cup of beef broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Whisk together two tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Whisk the mixture into the broth, then bring it to a boil. Heat until thickened, then season to taste and serve. If the mixture gets too thick, whisk in up to another 1/2 cup of beef broth.
Slow cooker pot roast smothered in gravy.

Tips for Success and FAQS

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crock pot?

You wonโ€™t be struck by lightning if you donโ€™t brown your pot roast, but we recommend browning the roast first if at all possible. Taking 10 minutes to brown the beef really helps build the flavor and gives the beef a lovely, caramelized crust.

Whatโ€™s the best cut of beef for pot roast?

While you can get away with using a round or bottom roast for this recipe, my favorite cut is chuck roast. Itโ€™s the classic choice for pot roast for a reason!

You might see chuck roast called Chuck Eye Roast, Chuck Pot Roast, or Chuck Roll Roast at the grocery store. Look for a roast with good marbling (the white, fatty part) throughout the beef. The fat keeps the beef tender and flavorful. After slow cooking, youโ€™ll be left with succulent, fall apart tender beef!

Carving fork shown stabbing a piece of roast.

What beer should I use for pot roast?

Choose a beer that you like the flavor of, since it will feature prominently in the recipe. We have successfully used the following:

  • Lager, such as Pilsner or Yuengling
  • Ales, including pale ales or IPAs
  • Stout, such as Guinness. Stout will have the strongest flavor, so only use it if you really love this style of beer. If you do love it, try it in this Guinness Beef Stew.

We have also successfully made this with gluten free beer if you need that option! Note, youโ€™ll also need to substitute the onion soup mix for a homemade gluten free onion soup mix.

What if I donโ€™t like beer? What liquids can I use for a pot roast?

Since this is a crock pot roast with beer, we obviously recommend beer, but you can use all kinds of different liquids to make a roast.

One of our favorite substitutions for beer is ginger ale! I recommend a dryer ginger ale, but some of my family members prefer a sweeter ginger ale, like Vernors.

Beef broth also makes a fine substitute, as well as red wine. If wine is more your speed, I recommend trying this Red Wine Pot Roast with Mushrooms.

Is it better to cook a roast on high or low in the crock pot?

Weโ€™ve included instructions for cooking on both high and low in this post, but if possible, we recommend low and slow. In our opinion, more time on a lower setting produces the most tender roast!

That said, we often forget or run short on time and donโ€™t hesitate to use the high setting. You can also start your roast on high to jump start the process then switch to low if you need to shorten the cooking time by an hour or two.

Tender pieces of pot roast piled on carrots and potatoes on a rectangular platter.

What to Do with Leftover Pot Roast

The best part of homemade roast might be the LEFTOVERS! Try them piled high on these Leftover Pot Roast Sandwiches, or use them to make the best Pulled Roast Beef Sliders!

You can also use leftover pot roast to make Skillet Shredded Beef Nachos, burritos, or quesadillas.

More Delicious Chuck Roast Recipes

This Slow Cooker Shredded Beef is the most popular recipe on our site, and for good reason! It’s easy and so versatile.

If you’re looking for something with a little more heat, try our Crock Pot Barbacoa Tacos. The leftovers of that also make an excellent Mexican Beef Stew.

This Crock Pot Beef and Noodles is the ultimate in comfort food. Serve it over creamy mashed potatoes for all the cozy vibes.

Large rectangular platter stacked with carrots, potatoes, and beer pot roast.

Slow Cooker Beer Pot Roast

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

The crock pot does all the work for you with this pot roast recipe with beer! Tender and flavorful, this Slow Cooker Beer Roast is easy to make and always a hit.

Ingredients

  • 4 large carrots, chopped into thick sticks
  • 3 lbs. baby or red potatoes
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced thick
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3-5 lb chuck roast
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 package onion soup mix
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 12 oz beer, lager, or ale
  • 1 cup beef broth

For the gravy (optional):

  • 3 Tablespoons juices and fat from the crock pot
  • 1- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the crock pot. Spread half of the onion soup mix in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with the vegetables. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper.
  2. Brown the roast. Heat a cast iron skillet , or other heavy bottomed skillet, over medium high heat. Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper, then add it to the skillet. Brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Leave the heat on while you transfer the beef to the slow cooker, nestling it among the veggies.
  3. Deglaze. Add a splash of the beer to the pan and use it to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Add all the pan juices to the crock pot.
  4. Season. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix and garlic over the roast and veggies.
  5. Add liquids. Pour the beer and beef broth over all. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

To make the gravy:

  1. Heat excess juices over medium heat in sauce pan along with 1 cup beef broth.
  2. In a small measuring cup mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup water until smooth.
  3. Whisk mixture into warmed juices and bring to a boil. Continue to whisk until thickened.
  4. Add additional 1/2 cup beef broth to thin, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

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35 Comments

  1. I’m about to utilize this recipe using Hefeweizen Paulaner. I’ll let y’all know how the roast is upon completion. FYI, I have a green chile sauce recipe I that calls for beer and the sauce tastes because the Hefeweizen Paulaner adds a unique, full and strong flavor profile to the sauce!! I’m excited

  2. Very goood!!!! I like to use a Guinness dark stout, and maybe a cup or so of my favorite red or white wine. You can also use Dr. Pepper which is very good too.

  3. I made this Recipe in the past but lost it. I’m thankful find yours!
    I’ve also have used Apple Cider instead of beer. It is wonderful! The first time I had it this way was because the cook didn’t have beer. He figured it would be good and it was yummy!! Everything else is the same!
    The cider does not make the roast, sweet or tasting like apples. t’s a pleasant flavor.

  4. I was excited to try the recipe but the end result was not what I had envisioned. Not certain why it turned out as it did but the potatoes and carrots were bitter and the meal was over all bland.

    1. What kind of beer did you use? Hoppier beers (IPA, APA, etc…) tend to leave a bitter aftertaste. I would use a dark stout or porter. Thinking about using a Whiskey bourbon Barrel beer.

  5. Hi—I was thinking I could make this pot roast and cook it in the oven
    at 325 for about 3 to 4 hours. That works doesnt it?

  6. Hi—I was thinking I could make this pot roast and cook it in the oven
    at 325 for about hours. That works doesnt it?

  7. Thanks much for sharing This recipe is right up my alley. Here is one for the “ask a stupid question” crowd. Is the roast in question a pork or beef roast? Are the meats interchangeable for this recipe? once again thx much.

  8. Is there any substitute for the bouillion . We are both on blood pressure medicine and have to watch our salt? Thanks.

  9. This was a big hit with my family. My wife never makes a good roast so I decided to give it a shot. I use beer a lot when grilling and looked for a beer recipe. I found this one that was simple enough for me to start before I left to work. I used a chocolate porter for the beer and it turned out amazing! My wife is jealous and almost ready to assign all cooking duties to me.

  10. I made this today! It was absolutely delicious and my family adored it. Thanks for this recipe! I will be keeping it close by and sharing it with others!

  11. I am trying this right about now, mainly because it’s one of the only roasts I found without some kind of pre-made packets of spices (and it looks delicious, of course)! Can’t wait till it’s done!

  12. The information is good and gorgeous about the Tender Beer Soaked Crock Pot Roast. Its really a delicious recipe that every one should try once. Well done for creating a post on this particular subject. Keep up the blog.

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