We are getting into roast season and you really can’t get any easier than this super tasty slow cooker balsamic glazed roast beef dinner! The slow cooker is amazing for long slow braises for meat where you can literally just throw the roast into the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook all day long, completely unattended! Pot roast style roast beef is one of my favourite comfort meals and for this one the roast is braised in a tasty gravy wit balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire and garlic.
This recipe starts out by browning the beef and onions in a pan before transferring to the slow cooker; browning the meat and onions first adds plenty of flavour but you can
cheat and skip this step to save time! (I won’t tell anyone!) After the roast is cooked in the slow cooker the juices/gravy is transferred to a sauce pan and cornstarch is added to thicken up the gravy. I like to add carrots and potatoes to cook in the juices/gravy along with the roast and this makes it a complete, one-pot, meal! I like to use a nice chuck roast (like Ontario Corn Fed Beef) or a brisket, or round, etc. for this slow cooker balsamic glazed roast beef.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Glazed Roast Beef
Moist and fall apart tender roast beef in a tasty balsamic glaze that is so easy to make in the slow cooker!
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 pounds Ontario Corn Fed Beef roast such as chuck, round, brisket
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound baby carrots (optional)
- 1 pound mini potatoes or diced potatoes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
directions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the beef and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes and set aside.
- Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes, before adding the garlic and red pepper flakes and cooking until fragrant, about a minute.
- Place the beef, onions, broth, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, carrots and potatoes in a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-5 hours. (The beef will be falling apart tender when done!)
- Remove the carrots, potatoes and beef and slice or shred the beef.
- Skim any fat from the cooking juices, place it in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer, add the mixture of the cornstarch and water and cook until the glaze has thickened a bit.
Option: Instead of transferring to a slow cooker in step 3, place everything in the pot that you cooked the beef in, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours. OR Transfer the pot to a preheated 275F and braise until the meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours.
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Looks like a hearty family meal that everyone can enjoy!
Mouthwatering recipe Kevin!
A perfect family meal for a cool Fall evening!
This looks amazing!
Looks great, Kevin. I love a good slow-cooked roast beef. Making one soon. With chili peppers, of course. A nice spice rub.
It's unfortunate that you never use or recommend a pressure cooker like Instant Pot (another good Canadian company). This recipe would work well under pressure.
Agreed. I may try it with mine.
look very exciting at all
Yum! Great dish!
This was dinner tonight and it was so very good. I love pot roast to start with but this was the best! I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's leftover sandwiches with gravy. Yum! Thanks Kevin.
Kelli: I'm glad you enjoyed it! The leftover sandwiches are the best!
You mention broth in this recipe – does this recipe require beef broth? Making it today!!
Sorry – I just scrolled up and saw it – the PRINTOUT omits some of the ingredients!
Made this and I skipped the first two steps because this is my first roast and I wanted to stay simple. My fiancee comes home and goes to see if it is done, he sticks a wooden spoon into the middle and asks where the meat is. I told him right where the spoon was because that is how tender it was. Turned out great! We are both very pleased with how this came out.
Made this tonight and was a big hit. I used my pressure cooker. Worked great. 55-60 minutes high pressure for 4 3/4 lb roast then quick release. Added veggies and cooked 11 minutes on high pressure with quick release. Turned super tender.
Which cut of beef did you use in the photos?
Christine: I think I used the round roast for these photos but any roasting cut like chuck or brisket will work and I usually use what is a good price at the time.
We made this last night for my Aunt's Birthday dinner and it was delicious! I did cook the roast a bit on the skillet ahead of time with the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Also included a pound of baby carrots and diced red potatoes. I was nervous the potatoes and carrots wouldn't get enough flavor on top, but boy was I wrong! Everything was AMAZING. I cooked in our crockpot on low for 11 hours (we work REALLY long work days). This fed 4 adults a large dinner portion and 2 generous sized lunches as leftovers. Will made again!
How would cooking time change if I were using a trip tip roast? Please let me know ASAP because I am planning on making this in two days!
Laurie C.: In the slow cooker, you can cook it for the same time!
I actually made your recipe using a venison neck from our deer from 2016 hunting season. Delicious!
Kevin, my husband do not eat pork or beef. Can I substitute with chicken?
Theresa Renfro: Chicken would be nice!
Theresa Renfro: Chicken would be nice!
This is definitely on the list! In the pictures, it looks like there are crispy, slightly charred bits (YUM) on the outside of the roast. I can't imagine how that would happen in a slow cooker. Did it go under the broiler before serving?
I don't mean to be a critic. You do some excellent work. My criticism is not against you. In general I wonder how practically everyone loves their beef or pork roasts to be rendered into long stringy bundles of meat?
Seriously, we cut every kind of meat "across the grain". So why cook the meat to death and make it "pulled pork or beef or whatever" unless that is your intention?
Recently I used my slow cooker to cook a pork butt. But I used my constant reading thermometer set at 180 degrees. When the alarm went off, I took the butt out of the slow cooker and let it rest on my cutting board for 15 minutes. When I cut slices of it across the grain, they were very easy to cut and tender and did not pull apart as I cut the slices.
From now on I will be using the thermometer to alert me when the meat is cooked to the point where I can slice it without it falling apart. I am sorry if I sound a bit fanatical about this. But when I cook I expect a certain result and if I am not making pulled pork or chicken for sandwiches, then I intend to slice it across the grain. Maybe I am a bit fanatical about this because I debone my turkeys and slice the breasts across the grain.
In fact, that is how I came to question the slow cooker. I was reading a butchering book and the butcher said, "why do we traditionally cut turkey breast along the grain when we cut every other meat across the grain to make it easier to chew"? The light bulb went on in my dim witted brain! Since then I debone the entire turkey and put it on a serving platter in a nice arrangement with the dark meat cut across the grain, as well.
Anyway you do beautiful dishes and I will get off my soap box. Just "food" for thought. (pun intended)
Alan: From what I understand there are two optimal times in the meat cooking process: the first time is when the meat is cooked and still contains the juices and the second is when the collagen from the muscle connective tissues start breaking down and melts into the meat. (In between these two stages the meat is dry and tough.) You are referring to the first stage where the meat is still pretty tough but nice and juicy where you can cut across the grain to avoid the tough aspect of the meat. The second reached by slow cooking which gets the meat nice and tender, without the need to cut across the grain, and it develops more flavour. Some cuts of meat are 'good' for the fast cook at higher temperature and others are nice for slow cooking. When I roast a tenderloin, which is nice and tender to start, I usually roast it until it just reaches the right temperature, let it sit and slice it against the grain as you mention. For a chuck roast or an eye or round roast, which are tougher cuts of meat, I like to slow roast them to get them really tender, but you can roast them the other way and cut very thinly against the grain as you mention. Both methods have their time and are great!
I completely disagree. By your definition when the collagen breaks down you get long stringy meat fibers which is not a good thing unless you intend to make pulled pork or chicken. I find that difficult to eat.
You completely disregard all knowledge of why one cuts across the grain instead of with the grain. This is common knowledge for anyone who has to cut cooked meat.
Why so angry? No need to attack the poor guy… Many people (like me) do in fact enjoy a pull apart beef like in his recipe. Everyone enjoys something different. If you do not like the recipe then just pick one of the other thousands that are out there where you can cut a slice instead. This one is for pulled apart meat. 🙂
Well I apologize. Somehow I missed the bottom part of your response.
I still believe that many a home cook doesn't pay attention to the doneness desirable to slice any meat across the grain. I am just trying to be informative. Obviously, each to his/her own.
Making roast now. Why no salt or pepper? Is this on purpose?
Rae: You can season the roast with salt and pepper to taste before searing it in the pan and you can also season the sauce/glaze/gravy with salt and pepper, but keep in mind that the soy sauce adds plenty of sodium.
Making your recipe at the moment and it smells oh so good! Can’t wait until dinner time! Thank you!
This looks gorgeous – how long would it take to cook if I doubled the roast size ? I want to cook it for 12 people, I have a big slow cooker so it should fit ok 🙂
It will be done at around 10 hours on low or 5 hours on high. Enjoy!
I made this twice….. the first time came out marvelous. Second, not so much.
I do it on the stove top. Do you have any recommendations for that? It seems like there’s not enough liquid. Should I stir more often? I cant remember for the life of me what I did differently between the 2 meals.
You couldadd an extra cup of liquid to the stove top version; try to make sure that the lid is on properly to keep all of the moisture inside and resist the temptation to keep removing it to check on it.