Go Back
–+ servings
A plate of white rice topped with saucy beef, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, served with steamed green beans and a fork.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pot Roast

🍯🧄🥩 Juicy, flavorful, and made with just a handful of common ingredients! Add everything to your slow cooker all at once and let it work its magic until the meat is fall-apart tender! This easy slow cooker pot roast recipe is excellent when you're craving high protein comfort food! You may halve the recipe if desired, although I always make the full batch and then freeze half for a rainy day.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Course: Dinner, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Dinner, Slow Cooker
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: Crockpot honey garlic pot roast, slow cooker honey garlic pot roast, slow cooker pot roast
Servings: 10
Calories: 385cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds Chuck roast cubed into large bite-sized pieces about 1 1/2-2-inches each (brisket may be substituted)
  • ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed is ideal, from a carton is fine
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce (use reduced sodium if desired or tamari or coconut aminos to keep gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (optionally use 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil if you want a more prominent Asian-inspired flavor profile)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely minced, or to taste (or about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, or to taste)
  • 1 cup beef broth use reduced sodium if desired
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water for thickening
  • 1 green onion trimmed and sliced into thin rounds for garnishing or as desired
  • Toasted sesame seeds optional and as desired for garnishing
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste or use red chile flakes for heat
  • Other fresh herbs optional and to taste (fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, etc.)

Instructions

  • Optionally, to a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the pieces of Chuck roast, and sear for about 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat; flip and tur uniformly. Searing is optional, but helps develop the flavor for the finished dish and helps lock in the natural juices.
  • Spray the insert of a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker with cooking spray, add the Chuck roast pieces (seared or raw); set aside momentarily.
    Chunks of raw beef placed in the bottom of a black slow cooker.
  • To a medium bowl, add OJ, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, garlic powder, ginger, and whisk to combine.
    A metal whisk rests in a white bowl filled with a brown liquid mixture.
  • Evenly pour the mixture over the beef pieces.
    Chunks of raw beef sitting in brown liquid inside a black slow cooker, ready to be cooked.
  • Evenly pour the beef broth in, cover, and cook slow cook on HIGH for about 4-5 hours; or on LOW for about 8-9 hours. See Slow Cooking Tips below.
  • About 30 minutes before the meat is done, to a small dish, add the cornstarch, water, stir to dissolve the cornstarch and form a slurry, and then add the slurry to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. This helps the sauce thicken.
    Chunks of beef in a thick brown sauce inside a black slow cooker, with some sauce residue on the sides.
  • Slow Cooking Tips - Pot roast is ready when the meat is extremely tender and can be pierced and shredded with a fork. If in doubt, I would cook it a bit longer. I would aim for an internal temperature of approximately 200°F but I would go in this case more by visual clues that the meat is done rather than taking the temperature. Unlike steaks where you're probably going to cook it till approximately 135 to 145°F, you will cook Chuck roast to a much higher temperature in order to allow the fat to render out and this tougher cut of beef to fully tenderize.
    Since all slow cookers very in their heat output, I would start checking early based on if your machine runs hot/fast or not.
    Shredded beef in a dark sauce garnished with chopped green onions and sesame seeds inside a black slow cooker.
  • Garnish with green onions as desired, optional sesame seeds, and add salt and pepper to taste, or red pepper flakes for heat.
    Seasoning Tips - Make sure to add salt to taste, and if it tastes at all bland or boring, it probably needs more salt. Because all soy sauce and beef broth vary in their saltiness, and because the level of cooking liquids reduces and condenses over time, the saltiness will amplify, which is why in this recipe I salt at the end, not in the beginning.
    Close-up of a fork holding a bite of saucy beef garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, with green beans blurred in the background.
  • Serve as desired with rice or mashed potatoes, green beans, or roasted broccoli or your favorite sides.
    A plate of white rice topped with shredded beef in brown sauce, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, served with cooked green beans. A fork is placed on the plate.

Notes

Oven-Roasting: If you prefer to roast this in the oven, you may use a large Dutch oven. Sear the beef in the Dutch oven with a bit of oil, add the cooking liquids and seasonings, cover, and cook in a 325°F (163°C) oven for about 3-4 hours or until the beef is very tender. In the final 15 minutes of cooking, add the cornstarch slurry, stir, cook for 15 minutes, taste and adjust the flavors as desired, garnish and serve.
Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Reheat gently as desired, about 30 seconds in the microwave or as needed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 385cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 4mg
QR Code linking back to recipe