Best pot roast recipe slow cooker with hidden valley ranch

Ultra tender Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast with herby, zesty ranch seasoning and lots of vegetables. To make it, simply “dump and start” by putting all the ingredients in the slow cooker and turning it on. Oh, did I mention it’s also Whole30 & Paleo, with an easy Keto adaptation?

Table of Contents Show

About the Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Making the Recipe
Reader Interactions
Do you put vegetables in bottom or top of crock pot roast?
Can you overcook pot roast in a slow cooker?
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
Should you trim the fat off of a roast before putting it in the crockpot?

About the Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Making the Recipe
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast

About the Recipe

It’s officially fall here in central Virginia! There’s a chill in the air, so my kids are actually keeping their shoes on when they play outside, and my husband’s new favorite hobby is raking leaves. It’s my favorite time of year, and I’m breaking out the slow cooker to celebrate!

And what better way to ring in the start of slow cooker season that this Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast? It’s an absolutely wonderful recipe for fall apart tender meat that’s ultra savory and super comforting.

I love everything about this recipe, but my favorite thing is how it makes the whole house smell wonderful as it simmers away throughout the day.

You may also like: Buffalo Chicken & Ranch Casserole, Simple Dutch Oven Chicken.

Anyone who loves hearty, comforting beef recipes will really enjoy this fun spin on classic pot roast. The secret to making it absolutely wonderful? Ranch seasoning and pickle juice!

Ranch seasoning gives pot roast recipe a zesty, herby, bright flavor. The pickle juice may sound strange, but it adds a salty, briny flavor that really helps balance the whole thing out.

If you’re looking for great recipe using dill pickle juice (besides my Dill Pickle Chicken Salad!), this is it!

Recipe Ingredients

Get your shopping lists ready! Here’s what you need to make it happen.

Chuck Roast. Chuck roast is the perfect cut of beef for pot roast. Because it’s a tough cut and has lots of fat, it cooks beautifully in the slow cooker to make tender, flavorful pot roast. I got this one from Porter Road. You can also use brisket, bottom round, or rump roast to make pot roast.
Ranch Seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought blend or make your own with: dried parsley, chives, onion flakes, dill, sea salt, and garlic powder.
Veggies. You’ll need Onion, Garlic, Carrots, and Petite Gold Potatoes. Other root vegetables would make great additions like radishes or sweet potatoes.
Pickle Juice: This is the liquid inside a dill pickle jar. The briny, salty flavor is beautiful against the rich beef flavor! You probably know by now that I love Grillo’s pickles from Costco, so that’s the pickle juice I used here!
Beef Stock or Water

*Low Carb / Keto Adaptation: The majority of this dish would work perfectly for a low carb or Keto way of eating. However, you’d need to omit the carrots and potatoes. Instead, serve the pot roast with other vegetables that are lower in carbs like green beans, spaghetti squash, asparagus, roasted radishes, or mashed cauliflower (You can also try my Keto Mississippi Pot Roast).

Making the Recipe

The steps to making this recipe are crazy easy! It’s basically a dump and start recipe, and a prime example of why a slow cooker is one of my favorite kitchen appliances.

Wash the vegetables. Cut the carrots into 3 inch long pieces, cut the onion into quarters, and mince the garlic.
Place the vegetables and liquid in the slow cooker. Place the roast on top.
Sprinkle the roast with the ranch seasoning.
Cover and turn the temperature to high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-9 hours, until fork tender. Shred the beef with two forks.
Last but not least, make the gravy. Don’t skip the gravy, because the ranch and dill pickle flavors in the cooking liquid take this to the next level!

To store leftovers: Transfer the meat, vegetables, and gravy to an airtight container. Store covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

A cozy and comforting dinner made in the crock pot with herby, zesty ranch seasoning and lots of vegetables!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 501kcal

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ranch Pot Roast

▢ 2.5 lb chuck roast
▢ 4 Tablespoon ranch seasoning
▢ 2/3 cup dill pickle juice
▢ 2/3 cup beef stock or water
▢ 1/2 lb. carrots about 4-5 medium carrots
▢ 1 lb. petite gold potatoes
▢ 1 onion
▢ 2 cloves garlic

Gravy

▢ 2 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
▢ 2-3 cups reserved cooking liquid from the slow cooker

Cook the Pot Roast & Veggies

Wash the potatoes and carrots well vegetables. Cut the carrots into 3 inch long pieces, cut the onion into quarters, and mince the garlic.
Place the vegetables, dill pickle juice, and beef stock or water in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the roast on top. Sprinkle the roast generously with the ranch seasoning.
Cover and turn the temperature to high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-9 hours, until fork tender. Use two forks to shred the beef into bite sized pieces, setting aside any large fatty pieces.
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the beef and vegetables. Set them aside on a large plate or platter and cover to keep warm and moist while you make the gravy.

Make the Gravy

Use an immersion blender to blend up the liquid, drippings, and any vegetable pieces that's left in the slow cooker. All of this is FLAVOR! Transfer the liquid to a medium saute pan and bring to a simmer.
Whisk in the arrowroot power, stirring constantly to keep it from clumping, for about 5 minutes. Season to taste, and pour the gravy over the meat an vegetables. Enjoy!

To Store Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Instant Pot Adaptation: Add all of the ranch pot roast ingredients to your Instant Pot, close, and set to High Pressure for 80 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release (NPR). Remove the meat and shred with two forks.

Keto/Low Carb Adaptation: Omit the potatoes and carrots and serve with lower carb vegetables like green beans, asparagus, or radishes.

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Reader Interactions

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Do you put vegetables in bottom or top of crock pot roast?

Layer wisely: For even cooking, cut food into uniform-size pieces. Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top.

Can you overcook pot roast in a slow cooker?

Can you overcook something in a slow cooker? Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't one hundred percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Should you trim the fat off of a roast before putting it in the crockpot?

You trim off ALL the fat from the Chuck before cooking. It will break down when cooking and lend to an incredible flavor, and a really nice sauce at the end!