Slow Cooker Pot Roast for Two

This easy Pot Roast for Two cooks up effortlessly in your slow cooker and leaves you with a special weeknight dinner that’s fork-tender. The vegetables and au jus style gravy help to create a hearty one-pot meal that’s especially satisfying and delicious. Plus, there’s very little prep work needed so you can just set your crockpot and forget about it until dinner! Balsamic Glaze gives this pot roast a tangy, flavorful kick.

I still struggle with cooking for just my husband and myself. Even though I’ve been an empty nester for years, I find myself still cooking like I did when all of my kids lived at home.

I always seem to cook way too much, particularly for meals like pot roast and other special dishes. So I set out to solve a particular challenge I’ve had: cooking a delicious, tender pot roast in the slow cooker in a size that yields a dinner for two and leftovers for one lunch or dinner later.

This has been my go-to recipe lately. It’s just perfect for my husband and me to have for dinner and then still have enough reheat the next day for a hearty lunch. Plus, it doesn’t take any special prep so I can just throw it in the slow cooker and be about my day.

The only problem with this recipe is that it smells so yummy while it’s cooking that I’m ravenous when dinner comes. That’s a problem I can live with!

What You Need to Know About Slow Cooker Pot Roast for Two

• I like to use a boneless chuck roast for my pot roast, but you can also use Beef Brisket or Beef Round. I find that Chuck Roast in deliciously tender when it’s cooked in the slow cooker, but the other beef cuts tend to get too tender and lose their shape, to the point where it looks like you’ve made beef stew.
• Because I use a boneless chuck roast, I can get away with a smaller cut of meat. I find that 1 1/2 pounds make enough pot roast for our dinner and for at least one person to take some leftovers to work. If you use a bone-in chuck roast, you will probably want to get 2 pounds.
• Many recipes call for the roast to be seared in a pan before cooking in the slow cooker in order to seal in the juices and give a nice crust to the roast. I find that I can’t tell a difference when I sear my roast vs. when I don’t, so I typically don’t sear the roast before putting it in the slow cooker.
• I like to use regular carrots rather than baby carrots, because I find that baby carrots can get too mushy in the slow cooker. I don’t typically peel the carrots because the slow cooker will make the carrots beautifully tender, even without peeling.
• I use a white onion or a sweet onion for my pot roast. I love how juicy a sweet onion gets in the slow cooker and it’s the perfect pairing with the more savory ingredients.
• Similarly, I use red potatoes instead of white potatoes because they get soft but not mushy like a white potato can. You could also cut up a one regular baking potato if that’s what you have on hand.
• I use a Balsamic Glaze that I get from Trader Joe’s instead of the more traditional Worcestershire sauce. I find that it makes the roast so much more flavorful. Balsamic Glaze is also called a Balsamic Reduction and it’s simply Balsamic Vinegar which has been cooked at a slow temperature on the stove until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. I love my Trader Joe’s version, but I’ve seen Balsamic Reduction in other grocery stores as well. It’s also really easy to make your own.
• I also like to use Beef Stock or even Beef Bone Broth instead of Beef Broth because that adds a bit of thickness and more flavor than Beef Broth. If you wanted to use Beef Broth, you could thicken it a bit by adding a teaspoon of cornstarch.
• Add enough Beef Stock to just cover the pot roast. You may need more or less than two cups to do this.
• You can cook this pot roast in your slow cooker on high for three hours, but I find the meat is much more tender and juicy if I cook it for six hours on the low setting.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast for Two Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Pound Boneless Beef Chuck Roast (or a 2 Pound Bone-In Chuck Roast)
• 1 Pound Red Potatoes, sliced in two
• 1 Pound Carrots (You can also use Baby Carrots, but I find that baby carrots can get a little mushy in the slow cooker.)
• 1 Medium Onion, Cut into Large Chunks
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Rosemary
• 1/8 Cup Balsamic Glaze (Or you can use 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar)
• 2 Cups Beef Stock

How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast for Two

STEP ONE: Place the chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker.

STEP TWO: Season Roast on both sides with Salt and Pepper.

STEP THREE: Place the pot roast in the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.

STEP FOUR: Evenly sprinkle the Garlic Powder and Dried Rosemary over both the vegetables and the post.

STEP FIVE: Pour the Balsamic Glaze over the Pot Roast.

STEP SIX: Add enough beef stock to just cover the pot roast. You may need more or less than two cups.

STEP SEVEN: Cook in the slow cooker on low for six hours or on high for three hours.