Slow cooker beef roast with red wine and herbs is comfort food at its most effortless — chuck roast seared to a deep crust, then braised six hours until it shreds at the touch of a fork. Mushrooms, carrots, and onion melt into a red wine sauce scented with thyme and rosemary. Eight servings at 49g protein each, and the leftovers are even better the next day.
There’s nothing quite like the rich, savory aroma of a beef roast slowly simmering to perfection. This Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Red Wine and Herbs is the epitome of comfort food, delivering fall-apart tender meat and a deeply flavorful sauce with minimal effort. It’s the kind of set-it-and-forget-it meal that makes any weeknight feel like a special occasion. Get ready for a dish that will have everyone asking for seconds!
Ingredients
• 4 lb / 1.8 kg beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
• 3 tbsp / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 c (35°F) / 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
• 1/2 c (35°F) / 120 ml beef broth
• 2 c (35°F) / 225 g (7.9 oz) sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp / 5 g (0.18 oz) salt
• ½ tsp / 2.5 g (0.09 oz) black pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and quartered
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
1. Directions
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the skillet heats, toss the beef chunks with olive oil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, sear the beef for about 3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms.
3. After each batch, transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker. Deglaze the hot skillet with a splash of red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
4. To the slow cooker with the beef, add the beef broth, mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, salt, pepper, and the remaining red wine. Stir gently to combine.
5. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or until the beef is exceptionally tender and easily shreds with a fork.
6. Thirty minutes before serving, carefully remove and discard the woody herb stems. Add the prepared asparagus to the slow cooker, stir, and cook for the final 30 minutes until the asparagus is tender-crisp.
7. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
• Nutrition Facts
• Calories: 613
• Fat: 39g
• Protein: 49g
Pro Tips
• Don’t skip the searing step. It creates a deep, caramelized flavor through the Maillard reaction that you can’t get from just slow cooking.
• For a thicker sauce, remove the beef and vegetables once cooked. Whisk 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 1 fl oz) of cold water, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker liquids. Cook on high for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
• Choose a dry red wine you would enjoy drinking, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. Avoid ‘cooking wine,’ which often contains added salt and sugar.
• This dish is even better the next day! The flavors meld and deepen overnight, making for fantastic leftovers.
FAQ
Q: What is the best cut of beef for this slow cooker roast
A: This recipe specifically calls for a 4 lb (1.8 kg) beef chuck roast. This cut is ideal for slow cooking as it becomes exceptionally tender and flavorful over a long cooking time.
Q: Is it necessary to sear the beef before slow cooking
A: Yes, the recipe strongly recommends searing the beef. This step is crucial for developing a deep, caramelized flavor through the Maillard reaction, which you cannot achieve by slow cooking alone.
Q: What kind of red wine should I use
A: You should use a dry red wine that you would also enjoy drinking, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. Avoid using ‘cooking wine,’ as it often contains added salt and sugar.
Q: How can I make the sauce thicker
A: For a thicker sauce, remove the cooked beef and vegetables. Whisk 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 1 fl oz) of cold water to create a slurry. Stir this mixture into the liquids in the slow cooker and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Pro Tips
- Do not skip the searing step: browning the beef chunks in batches builds a caramelized crust through the Maillard reaction that the slow cooker alone cannot create.
- Deglaze the hot skillet with a splash of the red wine after each searing batch, scraping up the browned bits, and pour every drop into the slow cooker.
- Choose a dry red wine you would happily drink — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir — and avoid cooking wine, which carries added salt and sugar.
- Add the trimmed, quartered asparagus only in the final 30 minutes so it stays tender-crisp, and fish out the woody thyme and rosemary stems just before serving.
- For a thicker sauce, remove the beef and vegetables and stir a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water) into the slow cooker liquids on high for 15-20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this beef roast ahead of time?
Yes — and it is even better for it. The flavors meld and deepen overnight, so a day-old pot reheated gently makes a richer dinner than the first night.
Does it freeze well?
Freeze the shredded beef and sauce in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, then thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry if needed.
What cut of beef works best?
The 4 lb chuck roast is the right pick — its marbling breaks down over the 6-hour braise into fall-apart shreds. Leaner roasts turn dry and stringy in the slow cooker.
Is this beef roast keto-friendly?
One serving has 11g carbs with 49g protein and 39g fat. The carbs come from the wine, carrots, and onion; skip the carrots and reduce the onion for a stricter keto version.
Recipe card below.
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Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Red Wine and Herbs
Ingredients
Method
- Directions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the skillet heats, toss the beef chunks with olive oil.
- Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, sear the beef for about 3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms.
- After each batch, transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker. Deglaze the hot skillet with a splash of red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom.
- Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker with the beef, add the beef broth, mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, salt, pepper, and the remaining red wine.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or until the beef is exceptionally tender and easily shreds with a fork.
- Thirty minutes before serving, carefully remove and discard the woody herb stems.
- Add the prepared asparagus to the slow cooker, stir, and cook for the final 30 minutes until the asparagus is tender-crisp.
- Garnish generously with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
- Don't skip the searing step. It creates a deep, caramelized flavor through the Maillard reaction that you can't get from just slow cooking.
