Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

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Everyone needs an easy roast beef recipe in their cooking repertoire. Especially, if you are a busy mom trying to get healthy meals on the table for your family. A roast that just falls apart and is super juicy.

When I first started cooking for my family, a fall apart beef roast was a meal I longed to achieve. Much to my dismay every recipe I tried came out tough, or too solid, all totally edible, but just never the fork tender fall apart roast beef I wanted.

Well that is until I started making my roasts using this super simple method in the slow cooker. There are so many things I love about this recipe:

  1. You can adapt it in many ways based on the ingredients and spices you have on hand.
  2. It can be made in just a few short minutes and tossed in the slow cooker.
  3. Your house will smell fantastic at the end of the day!

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Super easy slow cooker fall apart roast beef recipe. Perfect for busy moms with no time to cook. Makes lots of leftovers #slowcooker #crockpot

The great part is that with little effort you can have a soulful, delicious meal on the table that nourishes you and your family.

Need a slow cooker to make this tasty roast? This one is amazing and has a 24hr digital timer which makes making meals for your family so much easier. 

If you don’t like to cook, but want to feed your family healthy meals – this recipe is for you.

Guide to Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

This is a very basic recipe. You need a beef roast. I usually choose a chuck roast or shoulder roast that weighs about 2-3 lbs. A large onion and your favorite spices. And about 3/4 cup of liquid of your choosing – broth, wine, or water (or some combination of the 3). And that’s it.

Update: After making this recipe, literally a hundred times, I’ve found you can even leave out the liquid and it still comes out fork tender. It just makes a little less gravy.

I’ll give you some more suggestions at the end that can take your simple slow cooker meal to the next level.

How do you make fall apart roast beef in the crock pot?

Start by washing and seasoning your meat.

I like to season with whatever spices I’m feeling that day. I always start with a base of sea salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. And then usually some combination of paprika, cumin, oregano, allspice, turmeric and thyme. Though I like to play around with my combinations.

One thing I have noticed about making roasts in the slow cooker is that the more spice the better. Really err on the side of more seasoning, starting with plenty of sea salt.

I feel ultra prepared (and save time) when I do this first step the day I bring home the groceries, or the night before I want to cook this. Simply put the seasoned meat in a large ziplock bag or storage container in the fridge until ready to cook. Even better chop the onion and put it in the bag too. Then in the morning you are ready to go.

In the morning, if I have time I like to brown the meat. It really only takes a few minutes and adds a ton of flavor to your roast. Though if you don’t have the time or patience, no worries your roast will still come out really good and fall apart if you skip the browning and just put everything in the slow cooker.

Browning Beef Roast

Make sure that you brown on all sides, including the edges.

Place your chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and then transfer the roast to the slow cooker.

You can then deglaze the pan after turning it off by adding the 3/4 cup of liquid to the pan and gently scraping the bottom to remove all the stuck bits. The final step is to pour this liquid into your slow cooker.

Turn your slow cooker on to LOW for 8 hrs and look forward to a beautiful fall apart roast beef for dinner.

You can serve this roast over rice. But it also goes nicely with homemade mashed potatoes.

On the side try this sautéed asparagus and mushroom recipe.

What kind of roast falls apart?

For best results, use a chuck roast or shoulder roast. Both of these types of roast will fall apart nicely in the crock pot leaving you with delicious shredded beef.

Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Inactive Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 16 hours 20 minutes

Quick and easy recipe for a super tender beef roast.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lb chuck or shoulder beef roast
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 3/4 bone broth (water or red wine)
  • sea salt to taste
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp allspice

Instructions

  1. Wash and season your beef roast with sea salt, pepper, granulated garlic, turmeric, oregano, thyme, cumin and allspice.
  2. Add chopped onion to slow cooker.
  3. In a skillet, brown roast on medium high for 2-3 minutes per side, including edges.
  4. Transfer roast to slow cooker.
  5. Turn off skillet and add 3/4 cup of liquid to pan. Scrape bottom to remove any stuck bits and then pour into slow cooker.
  6. Put top on slow cooker and set to LOW 8 hrs or desired cooking time.

Notes

*The browning and deglaze steps can be skipped. Simply add all ingredients to slow cooker.

*If more gravy is desired add up to 1 1/2 cups of liquid to the slow cooker.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 6-8 servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 696Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 350mgSodium: 353mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 115g

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Easy Variations for Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

There are a many ways that you can take this recipe to the next level based on ingredients you have on hand and your preferences.

Try 1 or more of these Vegetable Add-ins:

  • Mushrooms – I love baby portobellos
  • Carrots
  • Bell pepper
  • Fennel
  • Leeks
  • Celery
  • Fresh Garlic

Adding in fresh herbs also adds another layer of flavor. Try:

  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Oregano

Are you breastfeeding? Read this first as there are some of the herbs listed can decrease milk supply. 

What to do with leftover roast beef?

Make tacos, add to soups, or on top of baked potatoes. Add bbq sauce for some yummy sandwiches.

After trying the recipe once, experiment with your favorite combinations. This is sure to be an easy comfort meal that your family will love.

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How to make this a freezer meal

This recipe also can easily be converted into a freezer meal! When I make this as a freezer meal, I actually leave out the liquid and it still comes out super tender and juicy. Just less gravy.

This fall apart roast beef freezer meal is one of the easiest freezer meals that you can make.

Start by seasoning the meat. If you want to brown the meat, do so then cool before placing in a large gallon freezer bag.

If you skip the browning step, simply put the seasoned meat straight into the ziplock bag.

Add the chopped onions to the bag and any other vegetables you’d like. Then squeeze the air from the bag, seal and label the bag. And that’s it!

On cook day, simply dump the contents of the bag, plus the 3/4 cups of liquid (if you choose) into the slow cooker. And cook for desired time.

You can defrost the night before in the fridge or just put in the slow cooker frozen. Either way you will get a delicious fall apart roast.

More Recipes from Birth Eat Love

Sweet and Spicy Meatloaf

Fenugreek Chicken – great for the grill

Authentic Taco Chicken

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Fall Apart Roast Beef

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3 thoughts on “Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef

  1. If you’re making this as a freezer meal do you cook the roast and freeze or do you add the spices and chopped onion to a container and freeze raw. Then cook after freezing. I want to make this for my expecting sister to freeze.

    • Hi Maryanne,
      Thanks so much for your comment. I freeze everything without cooking. So spice meat, add to bag and add onions, squeeze air out and freeze up to 3 months.

      So kind of you to make this for your sister. Freezer meals are a life saver after having a baby. She’s a lucky lady.

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