Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast – tender perfection!

Name: Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 315 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil; 3 to 4 pounds boneless chuck beef roast ((large pieces of fat trimmed off)); 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 large onion, cut in half and sliced into half moons; 2 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces; 1 large celery stalk, cut into 1 inch pieces; 3 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; ¼ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce; 1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped ((see note))

4.67

5 hrs 15 mins

2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Video

By: Rachel GurkPosted: 02/15/2021Updated: 03/02/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

You won’t believe how good Italian pot roast is! This slow cooker beef roast is sure to become a family favorite. And it’s easy!

Overhead view of pot roast on top of potatoes.

Table of Contents open

Fall apart tender and full-flavored, Italian pot roast may be our favorite way to prepare beef roast. Slow cooked until it reaches succulent perfection, this pot roast has everyone who tries it exclaiming, This is the best roast ever! My mother-in-law says it’s “out of this world!” Even my mom, who usually turns her nose up at any beef, likes it. I may have even seen her vying for the leftovers.

If you’re of Italian descent, you may know this slow-cooked beef with tomato sauce as “stracotto de manzo.” There are lots of different recipes for Italian pot roast but most include tomato, and often red wine. I add a jar of roasted red peppers which cook down completely into the sauce, providing a wonderful layer of flavor.

You’re going to love Italian pot roast. I’m so excited to share it with you! It’s just perfect for a family dinner and once it goes into the crockpot, simmering for hours, it’s all hands off. The reward is mouth-watering, tender pot roast that everyone will just love.

About this Pot Roast

Perfect for inexpensive chuck roasts, the slow cooking method breaks down the tough connective tissue, the collagen, and turns it into gelatin which gives the roast such a rich flavor and silky texture (a little science lesson for you).

The beef is dredged in flour, salt, and pepper, and seared on all sides in a hot skillet. After it’s browned, put it into your slow cooker.

Italian pot roast includes the trio of chopped carrots, celery, and onion, known as “soffritto.” I mix the soffritto with tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, garlic, and lots of herbs, and pour it over the roast. That’s it! Your crockpot will do the rest of the work.

Plan on cooking the roast for at least five hours on High, or 10 hours on Low. The meat should be fall-apart tender.

You’ll find the printable recipe card with measurements, complete instructions and nutrition information at the end of the post.

Pot roast and carrots in a black slow cooker.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Italian pot roast with mashed potatoes, risotto, creamy polenta (make it in your Instant Pot!), or pasta. It’s great with spaghetti squash with Parmesan and herbs, too.

What you’ll need

Boneless chuck beef roast and flour, salt and pepper for dredging, oil for searing the meat prior to putting it in the slow cooker.
Vegetables: You’ll need onion, carrots, celery, roasted red peppers, and tomato sauce. The vegetables and tomato sauce create the most perfect sauce for the tender beef.
Seasoning: Lots of fresh garlic, fresh parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaf give this recipe so much flavor!

Pot roast served over potatoes on two gray plates.

FAQs

Should you brown beef before putting it in the crockpot?

This step is optional but we recommending doing it for two reasons.
1) Browning caramelizes the surface of the beef which adds to the flavor of the finished product. 2) The flour used for dredging helps thicken the sauce.

What meat makes the most tender pot roast?

A cut of beef with a lot of fat marbling yields the most tender meat. We recommend a boneless chuck roast. It’s ideal for slow cooking.

What if my pot roast is still tough?

If you pot roast is still tough, put the cover back on the slow cooker and cook it another 1 to 2 hours. It takes a long time, and (to an extent), the longer you cook it, the more tender it will become.

Make It Your Own

Truly, this roast is so good, I’d hate to change anything!

If you prefer, replace the jar of roasted red peppers with a can of stewed tomatoes.
Looking for a pot roast recipe with potatoes and carrots? Try my Instant Pot pot roast recipe or stovetop simmered pot roast.
If you prefer more of a chicken stew, try this delicious chicken cacciatore! It’s easy and so delicious!
Braised lamb shanks are another favorite. They are slow roasted in the oven and turn out meltingly tender.

Pot roast on two plates, a slow cooker and salt and pepper shakers in the background.

Storage & Reheating TIps

Italian pot roast is almost better the next day! Refrigerate overnight and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove.

You can successfully freeze the pot roast, too, since it doesn’t have potatoes which tend to get mushy when frozen. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Close up of shredded pot roast on mashed potatoes, garnished with fresh parsley.

More slow cooker meals

Use your slow cooker to make easy dinners and the best part? You can get dinner going in the morning and forget about it all day. It’ll be ready when you are!

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Texas Chili
Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (meat or vegetarian!)
Crockpot Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Ribs – fall off the bone!
Crockpot Ham with Maple Dijon Sauce
Crockpot Chicken Tacos with only 3 ingredients!
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup with Quinoa
Slow Cooker Green Enchilada Soup (5 ingredient!)
Crockpot Mac and Cheese (ready in just 2 hours)

Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan (#4)You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!

We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.