Last Updated on May 21, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
This recipe for slow cooker pot roast boggles the mind a little bit because there are no liquids in the ingredient list – the roast makes its own liquid!
This is a great recipe to have on hand during the holidays because it’s so easy to prepare.
Here’s all that’s required:
- Place the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker (this is my favorite one).
- Place the roast on top of the onions and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the potatoes on top and around the roast. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Quickly lift the lid, add the carrots, replace the lid and cook for an additional 2 hours.
- Done!
The beauty of this recipe is the flexibility. You can use any cut of roast (as long as it’s not a lean cut) and you can vary the vegetables depending on what’s in season. I chose to use sea salt and pepper for seasoning, but you can use your favorite blend to change things up.
Print6 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Gluten-Free)
I chose sea salt and pepper for seasoning, but you can use your favorite blend to change things up.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 large red onions (you can use yellow if you prefer)
- 1 (3-4 pound) chuck roast or other roast with nice marbling (I do not recommend using a lean cut of meat as the roast may turn out dry)
- 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground cracked pepper
- 4 large potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (the modern Paleo diet allows for white potatoes on occasion, but if you prefer to avoid them, you can substitute with sweet potatoes or other root vegetable such as parsnip)
- 8 carrots, cut into 1/2" coins
Instructions
- Place the red onions on the bottom of the crock pot and top with the roast. Season with sea salt and pepper. Place the potatoes around the meat. Cook the roast on low for 6 hours. Quickly, remove the lid, add the carrots, replace the lid and then cook for an additional 2 hours. (I do this because we don’t like soft/mushy carrots, but if you prefer carrots on the softer side, you can add them to the crock pot along with the potatoes). Serve.
Photo Credit: Becky Winkler
This looks wonderfully simple and delicious! I’ll have to add a link to this recipe in my next slow cooker meal plan! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
For a twist this is also good with some rosemary and ginger.
I make this a lot, too. Although, I like to brown my meat before putting it in the crockpot, it gives it a real rich flavor. :o)
you will NOT believe what i have in my fridge… in a pot.. ready for the oven tomorrow!!!! the only difference in mine and yours is the seasoning…!!!!!! 🙂 .. and the cut of meat…. hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
i will bake mine in the oven… not sure of the quality of my crock pots.. and i’ve been using them to make homemade soap. 🙂
mine will slow cook in the oven while we are in church! 🙂
Sounds delicious and what could be simpler?
Is that a grass-fed pot roast? I was wondering if the cooking time would be different? I’ve heard that grass-fed beef sometimes doesn’t have to be cooked as long as conventional meat….is that true?
It is! I’ve been using grass-fed meats for years now and have never needed to alter the cooking time. I find the meat much more tender than the conventional variety.
My organic grass fed chuck roast is only 2.16 lbs. what would cook time be …
the same??
It would probably take less time. Maybe try 4-5 hours on low.
How much water do you add, or do you even add water?
No water is needed.
Good thing I asked. Can’t wait to try it!
The modern Paleo diet allows for white potatoes on occasion, but if you need to avoid them you can substitute with sweet potatoes or parsnips.
If you use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes will they be mushy?
Looks yummy! I always brown the meat in a pan with some OO before I put it into the crock pot. It makes it taste beefier and richer! We are going to have stew for dinner tomorrow night, Yum!
I wonder if you could use a very lean turkey roast? We have several in the freezer and I would like to figure out a good way to fix them for my son and hubby to eat. I would assume I might need to add liquid then… Any ideas or recommendations?
This recipe works well for chicken, so I think it would work well for a turkey roast. It probably won’t need to cook as long. I would try 6 hours total on low.
Just made this for my family today. Back to the basics! Simple and Delicious – I followed your recipe to the “T” and I would not change a thing!!
My 7 year old grandson was diagnosed in june with Nephritic Syndrome he was in stage 1 kidney failure The Dr put him on 50 mg of prednisone we got his kidneys in remission but its a roller coaster .He has a cold and is swelling up again because his body can’t fight the cold when his kidneys are leaking a lot of protein .We are going gluten free and low sodium do you have any recipes for kids ? and i’m making this soup now for him.
I’m sorry to hear of your grandson’s health issues. All of the recipes on my site are approved by my 2 kids, so they are very kid-friendly. I also have an entire chapter devoted to kids recipes in my upcoming cookbook.
Hi, Carrie. I love your recipes! Thank you for sharing them! I was wondering if you had any suggestions for something in place of the onions or if I could remove them and get the same result. I am following a low FODMAPS diet for IBS and onions are one of the foods that I react to. I make Lisa’s chicken in a crock pot and line the bottom with carrots instead of the onions. Do you think that that might work here? Thanks again!
Carrots would work great! I tried it last week with just potatoes and it was fantastic! 🙂
Which slow cooker do you use (brand/make)?
I have a 6 quart Kitchen aid mixer. The insert is ceramic and according to Kitchen Aid, it doesn’t contain any lead. The insert is removable and can be put in the dishwasher. It’s a great one! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MMNBDO?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=B005MMNBDO&tag=deliciorgan03-20
I used a roast I purchased at a local butcher shop and I followed the recipe exactly except I added garlic and four sprigs of fresh Rosemary. I also added a generous pour (3/4 cup?) of the wine I had on hand, (red) Zinfandel. At six hours I added the sliced carrots. Worked perfectly. St eight hours, the meat was juicy and tender and very flavorful and the carrots were cooked perfectly (I too hate mushy carrots). So easy. This was the first time I cooked a roast, but will not be my last.
If baking this in the oven what temperature do you recommend and for how long?
I would try 300 for about 4-5 hours.
Delicious! I have never made anything in the crockpot without added liquid and I was a little worried. It turned out great! I added a few cloves of sliced garlic, but otherwise just followed the recipe. I will definitely make again!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Would a boneless rump roast work okay?
Yes!
What do you think of doing a frozen roast?
Hello- could you please explain how this doesn’t need any liquid? Do you have any pics of the final product? Thanks!
I don’t have pics of the final product, but the fat from the meat melts and helps create it’s own juices. I was hesitant the first time I tried this, but it works! I make a roast like this once a week now!
the onions and fat reduce pretty quickly and create a lot of moisture. I do recommend adding some rosemary or garlic or some other flavors to the mix though.
I cook frozen chickens, frozen pork and beef roasts, all with no liquid! Everything comes out perfect! The liquid can actually toughen some meats.
Hello, have you tried this recipe on high? If so, for how long? Thanks!!
I’ve tried it on medium and was able to reduce the cooking time by about an hour. It also depends on how hot your slow cooker gets. My friend said that her slow cooker will boil soups on low, while my slow cooker will barely boil on high.
I just wanted to say that this is simply delicious! I used a pound of baby red potatoes and you don’t need any water what so ever! This is my best post slow cooker pot roast to date!
LOVE this recipe and so I included in my recent Grain-Free Slow Cooker Recipe Round Up over at Keeper of the Home. I hope it sends lots of new friends your way! 🙂
I’m new to using my crock pot- even though I’ve had one for years!- can I chip my veggies and have it arranged in the pot the night before and put it in the fridge overnight to put in the crock pot in the morning? I really want to try and make this later this week but mornings are always so rushed!
This looks easy and delicious! I just wasn’t sure if setting it all and leaving it in the fridge overnight would change anything or mess it up. Thanks so much!
That should work just fine! 🙂
Just made this and flavor is great but came out very tough . The meat is also grass fed , but maybe not enough marbling ??
If the meat was tough then it probably didn’t cook long enough. The rule with roasts is “low and slow” to enable the fat to melt and moisten the meat. I’d try cooking it longer next time.
Can I make this recipe, but make it for 6 hrs instead of 8?
The meat won’t cook long enough and will be tough if you only cook for 6 hours.
Going to try this recipe again. I bought grassfed beef and I noticed that the beef that wasn’t grassfed had a lot more marbling. I am wondering if I can make this again with grassfed meat and not have it turn out dry. I am taking your suggestion to cook it longer. Hoping it works and I cam continue to use grassfed meat for this recipe !
Can u stick it in frozen (roast) and follow same recipe? If I m gone for 9.5 hours will it hurt it or add maybe 1/2 cup of water? Also I’ve heard adding lipton soup mix is good in place of salt
thanks
A frozen roast won’t work for this recipe. I advise, thawing it for a day or two in the fridge and then putting it in the crock pot thawed. Lipton soup mix tastes great, but keep in mind it’s full of unprocessed ingredients and some preservatives. I really love Herbamare for my roasts – it’s an all-organic all-purpose seasoning blend that you can find online or at your local health food store.
Herbamare will look for it. I actually did thaw it out two days and seared it before hand browned it real good and it was a pork roast prob 2 1bs so cooked it 8 hours on low was very good but a little fatty added rosemary was delicious though do u have other crock pot recipes that are low maintenance and as successful as this one ?
If I’m using a grass fed chuck roast that is smaller (2 1/2 lbs) and not a lot do marbling would I cook it as long?
I’d try 5 hours and see how that does.
I made this the other night, and it’s absolutely delicious! Big hit with the whole family. 🙂 This may be a silly question, but should I trim the fat before eating or should I eat the fat? I know back in the day (aka the “low-fat 90s”), the rule of thumb was to always trim the fat off of meat before eating. But now?? Is it okay to eat it or no?
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂 If the meat is organic or pastured, then the fat will contain all sorts of great nutrients. If it’s a conventional roast, then better to trim it as toxins are stored in the fat.
This was so delicious and so EASY – a big hit with my entire family! I did brown the roast before in some olive oil and added thyme and oregano. I love your tip for adding in the carrots for just the last 2 hours – they were perfect. Will definitey make again. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
You add no liquids? Makes me nervous leaving for work with no liquids in it so want to make sure.
Right. No liquids! 🙂
When placing the roast in the crock pot per directions, does the roast need to be a thawed roast? or is it ok to put in the crockpot while still frozen? Thanks!
Yes, the roast should be thawed.
My husband brought home a 2.6 lb boneless Chuck roast. Since it is boneless what cooking time would you recommend. Low cooking time on my crockpot is 8 and 10 hrs. High is 4 and 6 hrs. I need to have this ready by 2p.m. Should I split the cooking times up or cook for a full 8 hrs on low?
I’m planning to try this tomorrow – sounds delicious! One question – I notice that you say 8 hours is the total time, but to add the carrots after 8 hours and cook for 2 more. Was that a typo? Maybe add the carrots at 6 hours, and then cook for the total of 8? Thanks so much for clarifying.
Pam
Thanks for catching that! Yes, it was a typo. Cook for 6, then add carrots for 2 additional hours.
I made this (mostly) as you wrote it two nights ago. My only change was to add some garlic to the mix and I browned the meat. My husband RAVED! He loved it so much, I will now have to add it to the regular rotation. Thanks for the great and very easy recipe!
Yay!! Thank you so much for letting me know!