Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast

This easy Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast recipe makes a hearty, homemade meal with meat, root vegetables, and dried herbs. A delicious one dish dinner doesn’t get much simpler than when you can set it and forget it, and walk away until it’s done!

Easy Slow Cooker Yankee Pot Roast

When you’re craving easy comfort food, our Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast is my favorite way to cook a flavorful meat and root veggie meal with the convenience of a slow cooker.

Using a handful of spices and the help of your crock pot, the browned beef and vegetables cook low and slow so they become fall-apart fork-tender and infused with deep, rich flavor.

Sear your meat, sauté the onions, then place them on the potatoes, carrots, and celery; pour the broth over the beef, and walk away while your slow cooker does the work!

Yankee pot roast vs Pot Roast

A basic pot roast is a cut of beef that’s been braised in a liquid. But when you prepare it Yankee-style, it’s cooked and served with root vegetables. 

This kind of pot roast originated in New England (home of the Yankees/Yanks) at a time when the Yanks where quite frugal. Yankee pot roast recipes utilize simple, easy-to-find ingredients that won’t break the bank. 

Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast Ingredients

• Flour
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• Boneless chuck roast
• Olive oil
• Sweet onion: Feel free to use red, white, or yellow onion instead.
• Minced garlic 
• Yukon gold potatoes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Dry oregano 
• Dry thyme 
• Dry basil
• Celery seed 
• Mustard powder: Feel free to use 1 teaspoon of mustard instead. 
• Dried rosemary: You could use fresh rosemary instead and remove before serving. 
• Brown sugar 
• Beef broth: Vegetable broth is a fine alternative. You can even replace a potion of the broth with red wine.
• Parsley (optional garnish)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast

1. Brown The Beef: Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour mixture to coat all sides. Sear the beef in hot oil for 2 minutes on either side or until browned. Transfer the beef to the crockpot and set aside.
2. Sauté: Sauté the onions until translucent, stir in the garlic, and sauté until fragrant. 
3. Make The Broth. Mix rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, celery seed, mustard powder, brown sugar, and broth.
4. Prepare The Crockpot: Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the bottom of the crock pot and place the seared chuck roast on top. Pour the broth over the meat.
5. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
   Pro Tip: You could cook for 3-4 hours on high heat, but the beef won’t get as tender.
6. Serve: Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!

Other Ways To Prepare Yankee Pot Roast

No crockpot? No problem. You can use a large, oven-safe pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed skillet and a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil. If you have a pressure cooker, that’s an option too!

• Pressure Cooker: Follow the instructions in the original recipe but, instead of adding everything to a crock pot, add it to a pressure cooker instead. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the meat from the pressure cooker and add the veggies. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and release the pressure immediately. Serve the meat with the veggies. 
• Dutch Oven: Follow the instructions in the original recipe. Just use a 6-quart Dutch oven to sear the meat and sauté the aromatics. Then, instead of adding everything to a crock pot, load up the Dutch oven instead. Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 ½ hours. Add the veggies. Cover and cook for an additional 1 ½ hours. 
• Skillet + Casserole Dish: Follow the instructions in the original recipe but, instead of adding everything to a crock pot, add it to a large casserole dish instead. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 1 ½ hours. Add the veggies. Cover and cook for an additional 1 ½ hours. 

How to Store Crockpot Yankee Pot Roast

• To Store: Once the pot roast has cooled completely, seal it in an airtight container along with the veggies and juices. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may need to slice the beef to fit it all into one container.
• To Freeze: Cool the pot roast to room temperature before sealing it with the veggies and juices in an airtight container and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Feel free to slice the beef to fit it into the container. Allow the stew to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. 
• To Reheat: Transfer the roast (along with the juices and the veggies) to a baking dish or a Dutch oven, cover, and bake at 300 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. If you have already sliced the meat, it will need a bit less time in the oven. 

How To Prepare Yankee Pot Roast ahead of time

If you’d like to assemble your Yankee pot roast and save the cooking for later, here’s how to do it: 

1. Assemble. Combine all of the ingredients for the pot roast in a Ziploc bag. Stir it and seal the bag.
2. Freeze. Store the bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
3. Thaw. The night before you plan to enjoy this meaty entree, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw. 
4. Brown the beef (optional). The next morning, pat the beef dry. Heat a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet on the stovetop and brown the beef on both sides. This isn’t necessary but it will deepen the flavor of the dish. 
5. Slow cook. Place the beef in the crock pot along with the remaining contents of the Ziplock and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

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