Easy Slow Cooker Chuck Roast with Garlic

This easy slow cooker chuck roast results in the most tender, tasty garlic beef. Delicious and versatile, requires just a few minutes of prep!

Everyone needs a few excellent slow cooker recipes for those nights you know you'll get home late. Well friends, your search is at an end. This easy slow cooker chuck roast takes just a few minutes to toss in the crock pot, yet it's incredibly flavorful.

The secret? Plenty of fresh garlic and a few powerhouse spices. That's it! This really is one of those simple recipes you'll quickly have memorized and find yourself adding to your meal plan on the regular.

To make this tender garlic beef, you'll start by mincing 5 garlic cloves. Next, combine salt, pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika in a small container. (Make sure you have smoked paprika, not regular, as the flavor is much bolder and really adds to the flavor of this dish.)

Next, you'll rub the spices all over your chuck roast. Place the chuck roast in your slow cooker along with the beef broth and then rub the minced garlic over the top of the roast. Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. That's all there is to it! I love serving with the roasted baby carrots (no chopping required!) and polenta pictured, but the side dishes are of course flexible. Use whatever veggies you have on hand!

Make sure to scroll below the recipe for serving suggestions, nutrition information and general tips for success with this simple crock pot roast.

How to Serve the Best Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

One of the things that makes this the best slow cooker chuck roast is its versatility. You can serve this garlic beef in so many ways and enjoy a totally different, delicious meal each time. Here are just a few of my favorite serving suggestions:

• Serve over polenta with roasted carrots. This is the combination you see pictured above and it's a good one! Not sure how to make polenta? Check out my easy instructions here. If you're paleo or low carb, this beef is also delicious over cauli mash. I particularly love using baby carrots here because you can toss them in the oven with a bit of olive oil and salt – no chopping required! That's the kind of no-prep side I'm looking for on a crockpot night.
• Enjoy in tacos. Enough said. This beef is delicious wrapped in a tortilla topped with some avocado. So simple, so satisfying!
• Serve atop a salad. This slow cooker chuck roast recipe makes quite a bit of beef so, unless you have a pretty large family, you're likely to have some leftover. I love enjoying the leftover beef atop a salad. The hearty meat is the perfect contrast to light, crisp veggies.
• Serve with your favorite roasted veggies. From brussels sprouts to carrots to cauliflower, you really can't go wrong here. You can see my top ten favorite roasted veggie recipes here.
• Enjoy with a side of mashed potatoes. This combo is so classic and so perfect. The juices from the beef make the perfect sauce for the mashed potatoes. If you don't already have a mashed potatoes recipe you love, check out my dairy free mashed potatoes!

Have a different way you love to serve this easy garlic beef? I want to hear it! Message me on Facebook or post a picture and tag me on Instagram @prepdish.

Variations on Easy Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Once you get the hang of it, this easy slow cooker chuck roast is super easy to vary! The spices are simple so feel free to mix it up and change the flavor profile. Changing the side dishes is, of course, another way to vary the recipe. Check out my ideas for different sides and serving suggestions above.

Here are some spice combinations you may want to try if you're in the mood for something different:

• Salt + Cumin + Chili Powder
• Salt + Herbs de Provences
• Salt + Rosemary + Thyme
• Cajun Seasoning

Raid your spice cabinet and get creative! A few simple tweaks can make a simple recipe like this feel like a brand new dish.

Another variation you can try? The Instant Pot. I know many of you prefer the Instant Pot to the slow cooker. Check out my post on Slow Cooker to Instant Pot conversion for tips!

Meal Prep – Serving this Simple Crock Pot Roast 2 Ways

This simple crock pot roast is perfect for one of my all time favorite meal prep hacks – Cook Once, Eat Twice (< video).

What does this mean? You cook a big batch of something, like a protein or a grain, and incorporate it into your meal plan in two totally different ways. For example, when this crock pot roast hit our meal prep meal plans, subscribers enjoyed the beef with carrots and polenta one night and over a mixed greens salad with pecans, roasted grapes and goat cheese, a couple of nights later. It's basically like leftovers that don't feel like leftovers – a total win-win in my book!

If you'd like to use this strategy, you can make your week even easier with a tiny bit of meal prep. To prep this recipe ahead, all you need to do is mince the garlic and mix the spices. If you plan to serve with polenta, you can also make the polenta ahead of time and reheat if you like. With these easy steps, this meal comes together so quickly for a weeknight dinner!

Nutrition Information – Is this a healthy chuck roast recipe?

Yes, this is certainly a healthy chuck roast recipe. It contains few ingredients but the ingredients it does have offer substantial nutritional benefits. Here are some of the nutritional highlights:

Beef (Iron, Zinc, Protein, B Vitamins)

Particularly high in iron and zinc, beef also contains vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium, niacin phosphorus and, of course, lots of high quality protein. Some of the nutrition content depends on the beef that you choose. Grass-fed beef is up to 500% higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA may help reduce the risk for some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. Grass-fed beef also contains up to 5 times as many Omega-3s as conventional beef, so it's worth going with grass-fed if you can.

Garlic (Beneficial Sulfur Compounds, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium)

Garlic has been used in homeopathic remedies for thousands of years and is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and some types of cancer. Eating garlic may also help prevent colds and other minor illnesses.

Scientists believe these substantial health benefits may stem primarily from garlic's sulfur compounds such as allicin, diallyl disulfide and sallyl cysteine.

FAQ – Everything You Want to Know about this Easy Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Should liquid cover a chuck roast in the slow cooker?

No. Chuck roast does not need to be covered in liquid in the slow cooker. Adding some liquid, like the beef broth in this recipe, will help it not to dry out but it does not need to bee completely covered.

Do you have to sear a chuck roast before putting in crockpot?

No, you do not have to sear a chuck roast before putting it in the crockpot. However, if you want to do this for added flavor, you certainly can. If you're in a hurry and need a recipe where you can simply dump everything in the slow cooker and leave, you can skip this step.

Will chuck roast get more tender the longer you cook it?

Yes, chuck roast gets more tender the longer you cook it. If you check your roast and it doesn't shred easily, keep cooking it.

How long does it take for chuck roast to get tender?

A chuck roast usually takes 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high in the slow cooker to get tender. However, roasts of course vary in size, so test and adjust as needed.

I want more chuck roast recipes!

I've got you covered! Here are two other chuck roast recipes I love. Both of these are also slow cooker chuck roast recipes so they come together quickly.