Slow Cooker Three Envelope Pot Roast – hands down the BEST pot roast EVER! Super easy to make in the crockpot and everyone LOVES it! Chuck roast, salsa, onion soup mix, au jus gravy mix, and Italian dressing mix. Serve the leftovers on sliders with a super delicious Creamy Chipotle Sauce. Leftovers never tasted so good!

plate of pot roast over rice with text overlay

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Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

This Slow Cooker Three Envelope Pot Roast is a family favorite. I love easy slow cooker meals like this one. There aren’t many things better than walking in the door from work and having dinner waiting on you! This pot roast recipe was incredibly easy to make, and it tasted delicious! Tender roast slow cooked all day in salsa, onion soup, Italian dressing, and au jus gravy. We love the flavor from the onion soup mix and the zip from the salsa. This is comfort food at its best!

slow cooker of shredded three envelope pot roast

How to Make Pot Roast in the Crockpot

This three packet roast is super easy to make with only a few ingredients. Place the pot roast in the slow cooker. Whisk together water, salsa, onion soup mix, Italian dressing mix, and au jus gravy mix in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the pot roast. Cover and cook all day, until the roast is fall-apart tender. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and serve.

Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of beef roast do you use for pot roast? The most popular cut to use is a Chuck roast. You can also use brisket or round roast.
Do I need to pan-sear the meat before adding it to the slow cooker? Searing or browning the meat is not necessary. To brown the roast, heat vegetable oil or olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the roast for a few minutes on each side. Place meat in the crockpot. Use a little beef broth to deglaze the skillet and scrape up the brown bits from the pan and add to the slow cooker. Those browned bits are flavor gold!
Does pot roast get more tender the longer it cooks? Yes! Chuck roast, brisket, or round roast all contain connective tissues that will slowly break down into rich collagen as they cook in the crockpot. Collagen takes time to break down. Using the slow cooker method to cook pot roast results in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth, fall-apart beef.
Is this pot roast spicy? We did not think this roast was spicy. If you are worried about the heat, use mild salsa.
To thicken the sauce, add a quick cornstarch slurry. Stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add it to the crockpot and cook on HIGH for a few minutes until the gravy has thickened.
You can freeze leftover pot roast for a quick meal later.
Feel free to add vegetables to the slow cooker – potatoes, carrots, onions, and green peas are good.

three envelope Pot roast slider on a platter

3 Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

This pot roast recipe is very versatile. Serve it with some cheese grits, mashed potatoes, or rice. It is equally delicious on top of nachos. Our favorite way to serve the roast is as slider sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls with some creamy chipotle sauce. OMG! SO good! If you want to take the sliders over the top, add some swiss cheese and pop them in the oven for a few minutes to heat them through and melt the cheese. One bite and you will be blown away!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this delicious pot roast:

Side Dish